The document provides marketing and publicity strategies for fundraising events called Twestivals happening in various locations in the UK. It suggests utilizing social media like blogs, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to promote the events and sell tickets. It also recommends engaging local media, sponsors, venues and entertainers to further spread the word about the Twestivals. Print materials like posters and flyers are also proposed. The overall aim is to promote the charitable cause while emphasizing the social and entertainment aspects to attract ticket sales.

1. Prepared by Claire Thompson, Waves PR, for Twestival fundraisers, March 2010 with thanks to teams for sharing their learning (claire@wavespr.com; t: +44(0) 118 944 0394)

2. What’s already being done? “ Corporate”: An interview with Queen Rania will circulate raising awareness of cause UK On Monday, PR efforts with British nationals & TV will kick in in earnest Get your co-ordinator to give you the access codes to shared networking sites inc. Slideshare & MySpace The TwestivalUK co-ordinators challenge will link back to each Twestival area Prepared by Claire Thompson, Waves PR, for Twestival fundraisers, March 2010 with thanks to teams or sharing their learning (claire@wavespr.com; t: +44(0) 118 944 0394)

3. http:/uk.twestival.com A short round up of your event will be posted to the site Blog posts being created will link to the UK Twestivals Makes sure you let us have your stories for a daily round progress report Prepared by Claire Thompson, Waves PR, for Twestival fundraisers, March 2010 with thanks to teams for sharing their learning (claire@wavespr.com; t: +44(0) 118 944 0394) We’ll keep posting stories here for dissemination and linking back to your blog Twestival (International) Posterous

4. “ What can still be done to market your Twestival tickets” Prepared by Claire Thompson, Waves PR, for Twestival fundraisers, March 2010 with thanks to teams for sharing their learning (claire@wavespr.com; t: +44(0) 118 944 0394)

5. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PARTY! At this stage Prepared by Claire Thompson, Waves PR, for Twestival fundraisers, March 2010 with thanks to teams for sharing their learning (claire@wavespr.com; t: +44(0) 118 944 0394)

6. The charity’s important... But it won’t sell tickets! (don’t shoot the messenger) Don’t forget the charity - there’s useful info here: http://twestival.com/concern/ But really, from now on in, it’s all about what people are going to get for their money! appeal to their senses: food, drink, aromatherapy, friendships, music, magicians.... what are you doing to delight attendees? Prepared by Claire Thompson, Waves PR, for Twestival fundraisers, March 2010 with thanks to teams for sharing their learning (claire@wavespr.com; t: +44(0) 118 944 0394)

7. Blogs and websites A blog a day could make the sales roar away! Work sites: is there some way this could tie in with your work? Would your company’s website like a little good news about a staff member doing something for charity? Personal blogs: do you have one? Could you blog about your involvement with Twestival and about the event? Local blogs: who are your local bloggers? Could they give you a mention Have your sponsors blogged?

8. Handy Hint: Make sure it’s clear what you’re selling Make sure that your Twestival blog clearly shows: Date, venue and what the event is What entertainment will be there? Who will be running things Idea – why not use the pages function on your blog to create a page with a rundown and link your posts back to it each time?

9. Cheat sheet Create a pdf with a programme schedule – what’s happening when Link from your Twestival blog Upload to Facebook and, within the document, tag as many people/companies as you can – and they’ll be alerted to share with their Facebook followers Use carefully – could be a bit spammy if done to excess! Prepared by Claire Thompson, Waves PR, for Twestival fundraisers, March 2010 with thanks to teams for sharing their learning (claire@wavespr.com; t: +44(0) 118 944 0394)

10. A blog a day... ideas Who is the organising team? pictures, biogs, video, voice (AudioBoo or ipadio) About the entertainment: food, drink, entertainment, music About the venue (it’s been donated – make the most of it!) Remind people what a great time they had last time! Farnham ran an on-page quiz which worked well at driving traffic tip Having fun will be more important to most people than raising money for charity so emphasise this bit What makes your Twestival stand out from the others? Could you write a post for the Twestival international blog?

11. A tweet a day… From your Twestival account – lots of updates – meetings, nice people, conversations, blog links – you know the score! Don’t forget the normal Twitter cycles: Music Monday, Charity Tuesday, Follow Friday – use them to recommend Twitter Promotions - ideas Don’t forget your Twibbons for teams Try a Charity Tuesday promotion code to promote a one day only discount on your tickets We’ll give a bottle of/box of [fill the gap] for anyone who buys their ticket before... (thank you Cornwall) Could you do something special for people who want to come in a big group? Discounts? Something additional like a song dedication? Encourage them to tak to you directly

12. Work with your sponsors… Do they have a PR department which could publicise their involvement? Do they have a customer newsletter/mailing list that they can promote the event through? Do they have an intranet/staff newsletter to promote the event to staff? Can they publicise on their website? Via Twitter? Via Facebook/other social media. Example Iomart has made much of its sponsorship at two events: http://london.twestival.com/2010/03/15/getting-fresh-and-fruity-twestival/ http://twitter.com/iomarthosting

13. Beyond Twitter: Social Media Voice Video Friends and family Work colleagues and associates Pictures

14. Create some presentations Slideshare comes up well for generating traffic to sites (Prezzi looks awesome, but getting the replay timings is time consuming & it doesn’t come up so well on search engines yet) Create a presentation about your event to share – summarise the who thing Have fun – reflect your venue, your entertainment Share it: with TwestivalUK: Slideshare has promised to feature us at some point next week (Take a look for Oxford & Farnham’s examples) Paste to your blog (and share!) Tweet it out! Prepared by Claire Thompson, Waves PR, for Twestival fundraisers, March 2010 with thanks to teams for sharing their learning (claire@wavespr.com; t: +44(0) 118 944 0394)

15. Work with your venue How can they promote the event? Do they tweet? Do they have a website? Can they use it to promote their link with the charity Can they add the ticket code to their site? Do they have a mailing list – could they do a special mailer? Do they have a Facebook fan site? Could you put together a special ‘corporate hospitality package’ for groups? Something that allows them a little somethiung extra?

16. Work with your entertainers Have they got video you can add to your blog? Musicians often have MySpace pages – get them to hook up with TwestivalUK there & then message their followers Do they tweet? Give them a #musicmonday Get them Tweeting about Twestival Do they have a website? Can they use it to promote their link with Twestival Can they add the ticket code to their site? Do they have a mailing list – could they do a special mailer? Do they have a Facebook fan site?

17. Who’s coming? Know some of the attendees? Is someone speaking at the event? Local celebs? Local media? Do they blog/tweet? Could they give you a mention? With elections looming, local politicians have every reason to support Twestival this time – why not tweet them a link & suggest they buy a ticket; we have a hunch they’ll do the rest to publicise they’re coming! tip tip

18. Work with your team members Make sure everyone’s tweeting about your Twestival – don’t forget your city hashtag Do they have blogs? Could they put up posters on noticeboards at work? Tweet them out – others might be prepared to help by putting them up too Is there an intranet or newsletter at work that goes to staff? Might they be interested in your story?

19. Posters/leaflets It may not be terribly ‘2.0’ but could a local print firm become event sponsors by providing printing Use in public places & networking events Universities & school noticeboards One team has actually set up a stall selling tickets at their local Uni (Try the Rag Week/ Entertainment teams in the Students Union for some support?) Prepared by Claire Thompson, Waves PR, for Twestival fundraisers, March 2010 with thanks to teams for sharing their learning (claire@wavespr.com; t: +44(0) 118 944 0394)

20. Networking Is there a social media café or networking group to promote yourself at? Are there local business networking events that you can promote the event at? How about ecademy profiles? Who’s the best networker you know? Could they help you out? Prepared by Claire Thompson, Waves PR, for Twestival fundraisers, March 2010 with thanks to teams for sharing their learning (claire@wavespr.com; t: +44(0) 118 944 0394)

21. Print Media Do you have a PR team on board? If not, could a local PR company do it as a form of ‘sponsorship’? Tweet for support Time has mostly run out, so check print deadlines! Issue a press release (draft issued) Invite your local journalists to the event – they may expect a free pass, but the kudos will be great & encourage others to come too Contact Claire if you want a list of contacts in your local media/want to know what can be done at this late stage: Claire[@]wavespr.com (take out the [anti-spamming] brackets)

22. Broadcast media Is there a local radio station with a chat show? Who is your regional broadcaster? Could you contact them to interview your team?(If they cover another city, join together – makes the story stronger!) What are your stories? Why did you get involved? Prepared by Claire Thompson, Waves PR, for Twestival fundraisers, March 2010 with thanks to teams for sharing their learning (claire@wavespr.com; t: +44(0) 118 944 0394)

23. Listings Local on-line event listings Does your tourist board run events listings? Are there local business sites that might promote potential involvement with the event National listings with a local element include: Wherecanwego.com Belocal.com Business listings for seminars Key in a search ‘whats on in…’ (Cardiff, Yorkshire, Reading –wherever you are) – that will bring up local listings for submitting entries to tip

24. HAVE FUN! http://twestival.com Prepared by Claire Thompson, Waves PR, for Twestival fundraisers, March 2010 with thanks to teams for sharing their learning (claire@wavespr.com; t: +44(0) 118 944 0394)