How to Successfully Promote an Event on Campus

If you have experience planning an event on campus then you know it is just as difficult getting people to go to your event as it is planning it. Promotional strategies and marketing go hand in hand, promotional material (aka free things) are a prime marketing material for college campuses.

Various media platforms are typically used to promote your company. So what are the best platforms for a college campus and how can you take advantage of each opportunity available?

Know Your Prime Locations:

Where are the most popular spots on campus that students gather? Flyering is very useful for campuses, printing out bulk 11x17 posters and hang them in all available spots on campus, classroom buildings, dorms rooms, kiosks around campus. You want people to constantly see these posters throughout the day.

Graphics:

Your promotional material is the most important aspect to be considering. You want whatever you're promoting to look excellent and the most successful way to do that is with a great graphic. Most college campuses have a specific graphic design team, so reach out to them, they will give you the best. While getting graphics something important to consider is the formats you will need. For example a social media square, Instagram story, Facebook event banner, or 11x17 posters. All of these graphics have different sizes and you want to make sure that everything fits where it's supposed to without dealing with pixels in a post.

Free Giveaways:

If there is one thing I have learned as not only a campus event planner but as a college student is we LOVE anything that is free. Our most successful events are when we give away things for students, this may be something small like chapstick or larger like a TV. Whatever it may be or what you're budget is for the event free giveaways is prime marketing material. Along with all that is free food, students love when there's free food, so see what's popular around your campus and how you can work with those businesses to get promotional deals on their catering.

Collaborations: 

Collaborating with other organizations can make or break an event of yours. If it is planned correctly and in advance then you have hope for a successful event. The perks of collaborations are that it will draw twice as much attendance. With collaborations comes more ideas and brains put together than you would have if it were just you or your team.

Word of Mouth:

Being an event planning for your campus it is directly your job to speak up about what is happening on campus. Stand up in your classes and announce the events students should go to and what will be there. Reach out to your professors and see if they would offer extra-credit for those students who attend the events.

Marketing is the most important aspect of any event or business. If you do not market yourselves then no one will be aware of anything. So take advantage of marketing on a college campus before you're taken out and are required to market in the real world.