This is Your Freedom
Helping to make your Charity Challenge more effective and enjoyable.2. Promoting your project
Official Website
If you want your efforts to be taken seriously a well-designed website is an essential port-of-call for everyone who might have an interest. Not only is your website a place to post project updates and progress, but it is an information hub for potential sponsors, donors and the media. A tasty looking website immediately gives you an edge when promoting your project, and it will also save you time in the future answering the same questions over and over again - just send interogators to your website because all the info will be there. Finally, even if you can’t design websites yourself, take a good deal of time planning the site, it will serve to strengthen your overall project plans.
Search Engine Optimisation
There’s no use having a website if nobody visits it. A great way to get search engines like Google to recognise your website is to submit your site to their directory (for Google, submit here) and then try to get your site mentioned on other websites, whether they’re directories or similiar sites. Having a ‘Friends’ page on your website means that you can exchange links with others, the more links to your site the more chances people will have to visit it.
Social Networking
Publicising and updating your project to friends has been made easier in recent times with the availability of social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. Set up an account/profile/group on these sites for your project and ensure that you update these pages on a regular basis.
Paper tools
While the Internet will play an important part in promoting your project, chances are you’ll have the opportunity to talk to people face to face about what you’re up to, so make sure you have some literature to hand over. Business cards or postcard-sized leaflets are ideal, don’t take up much space, and can simply serve as a reminder to visit your project’s website when appropriate. Hand these out at every opportunity, doing this will also improve your confidence to relate your story and with confidence comes passion – it’ll encourage people to get involved and donate to your cause.
The Media
Newspapers, Television and Radio may not match up to the Internet in terms of sheer numbers of readers/viewers, but if you can get your project featured in these it will be a massive boost. Ensure where possible that your official website is promoted when you gain media coverage. Regular press releases to local newspapers are a good way to get the ball rolling, and once you have the attention of local press you can then spread your wings.
Work tirelessly
Finally, the more letters and emails you write, the more people you meet, the more calls you make; the more people will know about your project. It’s a simple correlation. Make sure you’re professional when you approach people to publicise your project because that will generate an immediate respect. Make sure letters are not littered with spelling mistakes, practice a spiel so you don’t ’erm’ and ‘ahhh’ during live radio interviews. If you take your project seriously, so will others.
