Guest Blog: You've Planned a Training. Now What?
/by Megan Fuller, ACFE Events Manager
Effective promotion of your upcoming trainings and meetings is a key factor in the success of your event, but limited budgets and resources can often make marketing your events more challenging. Here are some recommended low-cost ways to educate your members and local community about your upcoming event and drive registrations.
Keep your website up to date
The Upcoming Events section of your chapter website is a great place to post this event – and the homepage is even better! Updating your website with current information and future events shows current and prospective members that you are an active chapter and allows them to easily discover ways they can be more involved.
Get into inboxes
If your chapter sends a monthly or quarterly e-newsletter to your members, include details of the upcoming event along with a registration link. Dedicated email messages about your event will also get the information across clearly and concisely. Many email service providers, such as Constant Contact and MailChimp, offer low-cost options that will allow you to easily build custom emails and manage email communications.
Get social – online and offline
Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are valuable resources for promoting events, with the benefit of allowing your members to share with their colleagues. Reach out to local chapters of other organizations, such as the IIA and AICPA, to see if they will share information about your event with their members as well.
Ask for referrals
With any communications to your existing members, remind them to forward the information to colleagues or friends who may also benefit from attending your training or meeting. Word-of-mouth is one of the most effective and easiest ways to build credibility and drive interest for your events.
Be sure to continue the momentum by following up with the members at the conclusion of your event with details on the next training. By following these tips, you should see an immediate impact on the attendance at your events.
