Are you the type of event creator who puts the ‘fun’ into fundraising?
Then you’re off to a good start. However, even you can’t get people to donate to a cause if they don’t know it exists.
Now you’ve created your fundraiser, you just need to figure out how to get the word out.
Eventbrite has helped thousands of event creators sell more event tickets and get discovered by the right audience. We’ve pulled together our top fundraising promotion ideas to boost audience awareness and maximize exposure rates.
Let’s raise some cash.
Table of Contents
1. Build a website that radiates trust and credibility
2. Turn social media into a fundraising spotlight
3. Harness the power of Google Ad Grants
4. Craft an email campaign that tugs at the heartstrings
5. Shout it out loud with a stellar press release
6. Join forces with local businesses for a cause
1. Build a website that radiates trust and credibility
Research shows that trust plays a significant role in influencing buying behavior. When customers trust a website’s quality and functionality, they perceive a lower purchasing risk.
A dedicated landing page or event website can help sell your brand non-intrusively, ultimately increasing attendance and donations. Your goal is for it to look professional, be engaging, and build a great user experience.
Include the following for a user-friendly and trustworthy website:
- Clear navigation: Ensure your website has a straightforward and intuitive navigation structure, making it easy for users to find what they want. Keep your navigation menu simple and organized, and include a search bar to help users quickly locate specific information.
- Social proof: Social proof is a powerful tool for building trust with website visitors. Include customer reviews and testimonials on your website to demonstrate your credibility and that you’re a trusted source by a wide range of users.
- Security: Website security is critical for building trust with potential attendees. Ensure that your website is secure by using HTTPS encryption, implementing strong password policies, and regularly updating your software to prevent security vulnerabilities.
💡Pro tip: Take a cue from Piedmont Park Conservancy and use your Eventbrite listing as a customizable, dedicated landing page with an embedded checkout for your event.
2. Turn social media into a fundraising spotlight
‘Where can I promote my fundraiser online?’
Two words: social media. To maximize exposure and build long-lasting relationships with your community, you need to hang out where they are.
68% of consumers indicated they follow a brand on social media to stay informed about new products or services. So you can utilize this online space to promote your fundraiser.
Find out which platform your target audience uses
First, analyze your audience and determine where they’re hanging out virtually.
Create a targeted strategy and repurpose content for different social media channels to help with your growth and brand value.
One way to optimize this is by using an event marketing tool like Eventbrite, which gives you real-time data reports on where conversions are coming from and what social media campaigns perform the best.
This information lets you determine where to invest your efforts and what content resonates with your target audience.
Depending on your target audience demographics and the posts you share, some platforms will be more effective than others.
For example, 42% of Twitter users are 18 to 29, and only 18% are 50 to 64. Therefore, using Twitter might be a practical approach to target a younger demographic.
Data analysis enables you to tailor your approach to the platform and strategy where your target audience is most active.
@citizensclimate COVID got you down? Join us Saturday – Monday for our virtual conference LIVE from Washington, DC! 🔗 bin io #Climate #climatechange #climateaction #renewableenergy #cleanenergy #ecotok #sustainability #Climatecrisis #Climateevent #Climatejobs ♬ original sound – Citizens Climate Lobby
💡Pro tip: Research suggests that TikTok is a leading contender for the most popular search engine — especially for younger audiences who use it to find local hotspots or things to do. For example, Citizens’ Climate Lobby uses TikTok trends to capture attention and appeal to young audiences who appreciate the reference to popular culture.
Repost attendee social media content
Each reaction, repost, and tag you get can help determine how many potential event-goers see your promotional activities. For maximum engagement, include photos, illustrations, and graphics.
Collaborate with the speakers and participants at your event to build excitement around your brand. Create a unique event hashtag and social media handles, and encourage attendees to share photos and updates about the event.
Offer to repost their content on your page to foster engagement, generate interest in your brand, and a sense of community and connection among attendees.
Remember: Your tone of voice should be engaging and conversational — avoid sounding like a sales pitch!
💡Pro tip: To enhance attendee engagement on your socials and increase the chances of people reposting your content, include a personalized message and call-to-action in your ‘thank you’ email. This will encourage attendees to share their experiences on social media and use your unique event hashtag in the description.
Embrace influencer marketing
The power of influencer marketing lies in building followers’ trust in individuals. Unlike traditional advertising, people perceive influencer marketing as an ‘honest opinion’ from someone highly relatable.
💡Pro tip: To maximize the effectiveness of your influencer campaign, focus on contacting micro-influences (less than 10,000 followers) and mega-influences (100,000+ followers). The more popular the influencer, the more you can expect to spend.
Promote a charity event with Facebook advertising
Unlike other social media platforms, Facebook has a designated event function where you can create an event page that displays how many attendees are already ‘interested’ or are ‘going’ to your event. Facebook Events is free to use and includes an Insights tool to track the number of ticket purchases and how many people have clicked the ticket link.
To expand your reach on Facebook, use Eventbrite’s Facebook marketing tool, where you can build customized Facebook ads to promote your charity event and sell tickets.
Facebook advertising lets you target a specific audience; you can even implement sophisticated advertising techniques like A/B testing for different ads to see which promotion works best.
💡Pro tip: For event creators looking to appeal to a new audience, Eventbrite’s ‘add to Facebook’ tool is a valuable asset. For example, after partnering with Eventbrite, creator Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden sold 27% of its tickets directly through Facebook.
3. Harness the power of Google Ad Grants
To boost event registrations, you need to get your fundraiser ads in front of the right people — but that can be expensive. Google Ad Grants provide nonprofits free access to up to $10,000 per month in search ads.
With this grant, you can rank in the first few Google searches using keywords related to your event. Imagine ranking for the phrase ‘fundraisers in [your area]’!
Nonprofits like DonorsChoose.org are using Google Ad Grants to direct partners and donors to their landing page; so far, the website has 305K visits.
💡Pro tip: Combine Google Ad Grants with Google Analytics to understand and measure your online marketing performance.
4. Craft an email campaign that tugs at the heartstrings
Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to promote your event organically, as it provides a foundation for building trust, nurturing event leads, and retargeting past attendees.
Plan an exciting email campaign
The average email opening rate in the entertainment and events industry is only 20%. But it’s important to note that well-structured email marketing is the most effective technique for 75% of event creators for ticket sales.
Therefore, crafting a compelling email campaign with attention-grabbing subject lines will help prompt attendees to engage with your content.
Try incorporating tactics such as the following:
- Offer short, informative news updates on event-related topics, such as fashion tips for your next music festival or the latest updates about a local artist
- Promote early-bird discount codes
- Send newsletters with event updates or industry news
💡Pro tip: According to digital marketing expert Neil Patel, effective email marketing is not about making your emails aesthetically pleasing but delivering emotional content. Keep emails simple to build trust with attendees, sponsors, and partners.
One of the most effective ways to improve your email marketing is to leverage customizable email templates backed by data-driven insights, like those offered by Eventbrite.
Use Eventbrite to fast-track your email marketing
Segment your audience
Create different emails for regular attendees, one-time-only attendees, and subscribers who have yet to attend an event.
By segmenting your list based on interests and location, you can maintain a strong sender reputation and build rapport by providing meaningful and exciting content.
💡Pro tip: Eventbrite gives you access to artificial intelligence and custom-made email templates so you can automate and optimize your email marketing workflow.
Test your emails to optimize your reach
Get experimental with your email campaigns and event invitation emails to learn about your audience and their engagement with your content.
For example, split your audience into thirds; send each group the same email at different times, and look at your open, click-through, and unsubscribe rates. The more emails you send, the more you test, and the more you’ll learn about your audience.
You can analyze the responses received if you schedule emails at different times. Send reminder emails when your event is right around the corner.
💡Pro tip: To improve the effectiveness of your emails and maximize engagement, conduct thorough testing on every aspect of your email campaign. For instance, perform A/B split tests on different subject lines, email content, or call-to-action wordings to determine which elements are most effective in driving conversions and engagement.
5. Shout it out loud with a stellar press release
Press releases create excitement and talk up your fundraiser. When drafting your press releases, consider the following:
- Limit them to one page
- Write in the third person
- Include a headline, subhead, body copy, and information about the brand or company sponsoring the event
- Include clear contact information for your relevant person
💡Pro tip: Include a campaign of press releases and create a marketing plan with a timeline. Each should mark a development, such as when tickets become available.
6. Join forces with local businesses for a cause
Partnerships with local businesses for things like shared discounts significantly affect your bottom-line profit. Approach a few local businesses and offer to advertise where the supplies came from in exchange for free or discounted goods.
💡Pro tip: Remember to thank your partners in writing; they’ll often pin these certificates or letters to the wall to show community spirit. A sponsorship cheat sheet can help you to find the right partnership.
You’re ready to promote your charity event
Now you know all about how to promote a fundraiser, it’s time to take the next step.
Whether that’s creating a press release or embracing a new social media channel, your fundraiser promotional campaign will benefit from partnering with the world’s leading event platform.
Our industry-leading event ticketing and promotion tools make it easy to create and market nonprofit events — and for attendees to donate to your cause through fundraiser tickets.
