Content That Counts
Charitable events and fundraisers are more than just opportunities to raise funds for your organisation; they’re also powerful content marketing tools. These occasions provide a unique platform to engage with your audience, tell your story, and create valuable content that can have a lasting impact on your charity’s mission. In this blog post, we’ll explore how charities can harness the potential of events and fundraisers as content marketing opportunities, offering strategies to promote them online, create compelling event-related content, and leverage the event’s impact for ongoing engagement.
1. The Power of Charitable Events and Fundraisers
Charitable events and fundraisers serve as focal points for your charity’s mission. They bring your cause to the forefront, gather like-minded individuals, and offer a chance to showcase the impact of your work. Here’s why they’re indispensable for content marketing:
Engagement: Events foster engagement with your supporters, both online and offline.
Storytelling: Events provide rich opportunities to capture stories, from the preparation phase to the event itself and its aftermath.
Visual Content: Fundraisers and events are visually compelling, making them perfect for capturing photos and videos.
Community Building: They help build a supportive community around your charity.
2. Promoting Events Online
Before the event, effective promotion is crucial. Here’s how to maximise your online reach:
Event Webpage: Create a dedicated webpage for your event on your charity’s website. Include event details, registration information, and a compelling story about why the event matters.
Macmillan Cancer Support have a section of their website dedicated to the Macmillan Coffee Morning, an annual fundraising event which anyone can host. The webpage presents information about the event, how to get involved, free materials and recipes as well as documenting the impact of their fundraising.
Social Media: Promote your event across social media platforms. Use engaging visuals and create event-specific hashtags to generate buzz.
Email Marketing: Send targeted emails to your subscribers, highlighting the event’s importance and benefits of attendance.
Collaborate: Partner with influencers or other organisations to broaden your event’s reach.
3. Creating Event-Related Content
Content creation is at the heart of event and fundraiser marketing:
Blogs: Write blog posts about the event’s purpose, preparation, and stories of individuals involved.
Videos: Capture behind-the-scenes footage, interviews with participants, and event highlights.
Social Media Updates: Share real-time updates, countdowns, and sneak peeks.
Photos: Capture high-quality photos to showcase the event’s atmosphere and emotions.
Impact Stories: Share stories of individuals your charity has helped, tying them to the event’s purpose.
4. Leveraging the Event’s Impact
Your event’s impact doesn’t end when the last attendee leaves. Use post-event content to extend the reach:
Recap Content: Create post-event content, such as videos or blog posts, summarising the event’s success and highlighting key moments.
Thank You Campaigns: Thank participants, donors, and volunteers. Show appreciation for their support.
Impact Reports: Share the tangible outcomes of the event. How will the funds raised be used, and what difference will they make?
User-Generated Content: Encourage attendees to share their experiences and photos from the event on social media, using your event’s hashtag.
The British Heart Foundation’s Wear It. Beat It. campaign encouraged people to wear red on a specific day and share photos of themselves on social media using the hashtag #wearitbeatit. The campaign was a huge success with thousands of people sharing their photos online and donating, including high-profile celebrities and influencers.
5. Ongoing Engagement
Maintain the momentum generated by your event:
Newsletter Updates: Include event highlights and impact stories in your organisation’s newsletters.
Content Series: Extend the event’s theme into a content series, keeping supporters engaged.
Virtual Events: Host webinars or virtual gatherings related to the event’s mission.
Feedback and Surveys: Seek feedback from attendees to improve future events.
Final Thoughts
Charitable events and fundraisers are integral components of your charity’s content marketing strategy. By promoting events online, creating compelling event-related content, and leveraging the event’s impact for ongoing engagement, you can amplify your organisation’s reach and impact, forging deeper connections with your supporters and advancing your mission.
Contact us today for a free consultation and check out our case studies to discover how we’ve helped other charities like yours build their content marketing strategy.
