Create a Facebook page for your walkathon now to allow time for the multiplier effect of friends telling friends telling friends.
Facebook Pages are great for walkathon publicity and gaining the support of participants and volunteers. The coolest thing about them is that benefits multiply as your followers (fans) come on board:
- When people follow your page (via that “Like” button), all their Facebook friends are notified.
- Then when you write an update, all your fans can share it with all of their friends, along with a link to your page.
- Fans can also go to your page and click the “Share” button any time to post a link to your page for all their friends.
You don’t have to be a social networking expert. Basic setup can be very quick. Then once you’ve created your walkathon page, you don’t have to maintain it every day. Take five minutes once or twice a week to say something you think would be of interest to your participants.
Get your page up at the very beginning of your walkathon planning cycle so you can gain a following over time . The sooner you start, the more time you allow your core group of followers to share your info, so that they can in turn win over their friends, who can then win over their friends, and so on.
Once your page is up, encourage your fans to share your page often.
Your Facebook page can also be a handy way to keep people informed of progress, invite them to planning meetings (via Facebook events), and provide a link to your main web site so people can find it to register or donate.
Tip: Don’t use Facebook Events for walkathon registration. You’ll need people to fill in a more detailed form and waiver. Instead, direct them to your main website.
Here are two walkathon Facebook Pages that can serve as examples. If you log into Facebook and search for walkathon, walk-a-thon, and just walk, you’ll find many more.
And click here for Facebook’s “Nonprofits on Facebook” page, with instructions on how to get set up.
And finally, there’s a free webinar tomorrow by TechSoup, called Successful Event Promotion with Social Media. Learn more here.
When you get your page up, please let me know and I’ll post a link to it!
I’ll be putting up a Walkathon Guide page as soon as I can get to it. You might also like to follow Charity Walks.
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Filed under: advanced preparation, publicity, technology, volunteers, walkathon planning in general Tagged: | advanced preparation, making friends, planning a walkathon, publicity, volunteers, waiver form, websites for walkathons
