You know your event is going to be amazing but does the community know?
There are lots of different ways you can advertise your event – some are free and some cost. How you promote your event depends on your budget and what you want to achieve.
Here are some suggestions on promoting your events to the right audience.
Ensuring your local papers know about your event is important.
Cambridge Edition
07 827 3840
www.cambridgeedition.co.nz
Cambridge News
07 827 0005
www.cambridgenews.nz
Te Awamutu Courier
07 871 5151
www.teawamutu.nz/courier
Waipā Post
www.teawamutu.nz/waipa
If you want to supplement your newspaper advertising, consider supplying some information to the local newspaper editor or reporter in case they want to run a story.
(Note: It will be up to the editor as to whether they wish to use the information, and how they use it).
The one-stop-shop for everything events in Waipā! You can list all of your event information here at whatsonwaipa.co.nz – for free! Even better, you can create your own account so you can log in and update the event information whenever you like.
Use free community boards! Libraries, recreational spaces, community centres, workplaces and schools offer boards which offer opportunities for free promotion.
Flyers and posters can be printed and are a great way to get your event directly in front of people. Some newspapers can take inserts/supplements or you can use volunteers or hire a company to circulate these for you.
Remember to target your audience so your information gets to the people who will be most interested. E-newsletters can also be a great way to get your message out to the public (and are better for the environment!)
Some radio stations have community time slots. Jump on their websites and contact their news and advertising teams to see what they have available. Try and keep in mind the types of radio stations your audience may listen too.
Television can be a great tool to get exposure. Many morning TV shows do community broadcasts from events. Get in contact with their roaming reporters.
The Cambridge and Te Awamutu i-SITEs have a space to hire for promotion.
Cambridge has a banner space above the main street which is a 1m x 7m. Banners are installed on a fortnightly basis as installation coincides with maintenance in Cambridge by Waipa Networks. Please enquire at the i-SITE about securing this space.
Te Awamutu has a banner space below their i-SITE sign on Arawata Street which costs around $100 for events free to the public to attend. For paid events the cost can be up to $400. The size is 4.5m x 1m. Contact the i-SITEs directly to use these spaces.
Think about who ‘should’ be at your event and send them an invitation. If your event is ticketed, consider offering complimentary passes to people who could also help you leverage your event by promoting it to their networks.
Facebook pages and events, Twitter feeds, Instagram snaps – there are many platforms that might suit your event. You could employ a marketing firm to get you started with some tips or you could try students looking for work experience for the duration of your event.
Start a hashtag contest! Those who tag your event’s hashtag can go in the draw to win free passes! There are many ways to engage with a social media audience to turn those likes and clicks into people attending your event.
There’s no better way to get your event out to the masses than have people talk about it! By doing some of the things on this page, you’ll get people chatting and your event will be more successful.