SOCIAL, SOCIAL, SOCIAL!
With so many young adults, especially college students, using social media, use it to your advantage! Using social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and even SnapChat to promote awareness of the event can be a huge plus. Taking promotional pictures, tweeting about the event as often as possible, and taking live videos are just a few ways you can increase awareness of the event. Keeping students involved with your organization's social networks can help students not only know about the event but also remember it.
FREEBIES!
If you can give something away, do it. There's nothing easier than attracting a broke college student to an event than something free. College students will come to almost any event if there's something for FREE, especially if that something if food.
Free food is a great perk for busy college students, especially towards the end of the semester when meal plan points are running low. Sweets and pizza are great, but creativity is key if you want to draw a crowd. Some fun ideas you can incorporate into your event include:
- Partner with a local business for discounted food or donations
- Rent a popcorn, cotton candy, or snowball machine
- Make your own ice cream bar
Besides food, personalized and branded gifts are a great way to grab attention and get people to attend your event. The key is to make sure the gifts you choose is both useful and unique. Take pictures of the freebies in advance and include the pictures in your pre-event advertisements. Some cool ideas include:
- T-shirts
- Water Bottles
- Phone Accessories
URGENCY IS KEY!
Much like pre-sales for movies or music, give an incentive for students that sign up for your event early. Always include some sort of takeaway to create a sense of urgency around your event. For example, include wording such as "Sign up by Friday at 12:00 midnight to be entered to win free $50 gift card to Chick-Fil-A." Also, capping the number adds urgency to your event. For instance, using phrases similar to "The first 30 people that sign up get a $10 gift card to Starbucks," create an urgency that drives people to your event. When there is a deadline for something, people are more likely to take action. Creating a sense of urgency can also give you a gauge of how many students will show up to your event.
With these tips, you're ready to host a great-on campus event, that's sure to draw a huge crowd.
