Marketing an Event on a Small Budget
 

Any success stories or suggestions of marketing a gala or homecoming-oriented weekend to your alumnae association with virtually zero direct mail budget? What can you do with email and web? I'm working with a group 22-45, so they're fairly web-savvy.

Thanks!

Evite.com

Evites. Create a webpage, maybe one that has a countdown clock or something. It needs to be well designed though, I feel like a badly designed website looks worse than having none at all. Hopefully you can get webspace from the school.

Phone calls, especially if you can use the school phones. That requires more manpower though.

I'd definitely go with evite--I know that we use it in my AA in NYC, and it works very well.

Great ideas! They are developing a website and we plan to send out emails. Any suggestions for an inexpensive direct mail effort?

evite is free if that's what you're asking

Actual mail? Nope, postage will get you either way. If you can afford the postage then just simple homemade fliers would work. Evites are nice because you have the RSVP aspect of it as well.

Someone else already said it, but the best way to get people to come to something is to call them, and follow up with a email with all the details. Many people have 'free' long distance these days so the cost should be minimal. If you have 20 people willing to make phone calls, you'll probably reach many, and people appreciate the personal approach.

Mail typically is not as effective as phone...email is only slightly better.

Evite is good because people can see who is coming--and you want to maybe get a few key people who will be attending to respond earlier (also something you can do with a phont call). If people see that others they know are coming, people are more likely to attend.

If this event is something tied to you alma mater, see if the alumni office will pay for postage if absolutely necessary.

Thanks. There are about 1000 we need to reach and for some reason not much has been budgeted... I don't think the phone calling will be feasible given the large number, but we could cherry pick off a few hundred in the area and call them.

If going to do a call, set up a system where there are multiple callers with a list to call.

Spreads the work around and if locals it is no cost.

I know you don't have money, but postcards (even printed at home) with a photo or image of the college/sorority house/letters etc with the date on the back would be cute. You might beable to see if you can print everything and then get the Alumni office to help you mail it bulk (read: cheaper). I'm not sure if they'd be willing, but they have an interest in your alumnae attending, so they'll get benefit from helping.

Follow up with a phone call. I would direct phone calls strategically. Call people you think will come with encouragement and those you are pretty sure will come. Try to get the ones who don't usually, but you want to make sure the core comes...

If you end up mailing stuff, with 1000 save the date magnets would be cute.

The 1000 are all alumnae-- it is an alumnae event. Thanks again! Please keep your great suggestions coming!

I assume you already did this, but if it's all one school put a blurb in the alumnae news. Some people will keep updated w/ the school even if they don't with their sorority/fraternity.

Also if your school has an online MB for alums, put messages up there.

We're definitely going to use a lot of these great suggestions and rely heavily on our event web site, emails and word of mouth. I liked the idea of the phone call campaign. We may try to work with our collegians to make the calls. Super idea!

I've priced out a postcard and a self-mailer... I'm hoping to get some money allocated-- we do need at least one (even small) direct mail.

What are some other ways to spread the word?

Keep the ideas coming and thank you again!

Maybe set up a free Web Site.

Also get an email listing.

My Chapter has a Chapter Mailer called Lambda Gram but has been discontinued for costs.

I stated an Electronic called AlumbdaGram taken from it.

I have worked to get an email list of members and can keep them updated this way and should work well for you also. Well, once you get emails compiled.

Glad You like the phone bank thing and by doing this, you can compile emails to send out.:)