In reference to my most recent post – we put our money where our mouths are and got our own Facebook page up. It takes about 10 minutes. If your the people you hope to reach are likely to use Facebook, this is well worth it as a way to keep in touch and attract friends of friends.
Filed under: publicity, technology | Tagged: publicity | Leave a Comment »
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:
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: planning a walkathon, advanced preparation, publicity, waiver form, volunteers, making friends, websites for walkathons | Leave a Comment »
Here are some posts to read when you are just starting out. Each of these five articles link to the next in the sequence. Like a treasure hunt for walkathon planning.
2. Four Criteria for Pinpointing Your Walkathon Cause
5. Tips on Recruiting Walkathon (or any) Volunteers
You can do this!
Filed under: advanced preparation, goals, introduction, publicity, volunteers, walkathon planning in general | Tagged: advanced preparation, fundraising, planning a walkathon, publicity, tracking distance, volunteers, walkathon celebration, walkathon chairs, walkathon setup | Leave a Comment »
I had a really intriguing brainstorming session with Paul Rosenfeld, President of Fanminder. His software allows you to build an opt-in list of people’s cell phones so that you can send mass text messages and also get replies. It’s proving to have an immediate impact on bringing in repeat custoemrs for small local businesses. We think it could be great for walkathons too. Here are a few ideas on how you might use this cool tool.
Then it gets really fun during the event, especially if your walkers will be out of range for a loud speaker. Some ideas:
You can sign up for the service here. Come back and let me know how it goes!
Filed under: publicity, technology, useful stuff | Tagged: publicity | Leave a Comment »
While it is more general than just walkathons, this is a very nice introductory presentation from IdealWare about fundraising software. It’s 30 minutes long and gives you a global view of what’s out there, prioritized from your fundamental basics to extras. I recommend it as a starting place for any group that is serious about raising money.
Filed under: advanced preparation, maximizing funds, publicity, technology, useful stuff | Tagged: advanced preparation, online donations, fundraising software, fundraising, useful stuff | Leave a Comment »
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