1) EMAIL YOUR NETWORK
Email is an excellent way to reach a large audience of potential supporters (see our Coach Sample Email Template). But don’t limit your reach to just your own network. Make sure all of your players are emailing their networks as well! Supporters are most likely to contribute if the message is coming from a player. You can draft the email for your players (see our Player Sample Email Template) and just have them hit send!
Make sure your emails include:
- A link to your campaign website or the players Fundraiser page link
- A direct ask for support -- you won’t receive if you don’t ask! Support can be given by pledging or helping to share your message.
- A personal message describing your campaign and why you are raising money.
Be sure to reach out to your alumni. There are hundreds of graduates from your school living outside your local community. PLEDGE IT campaigns offer them an opportunity to reconnect with the program and support your team.
Helpful Tip: Address emails individually to the each recipient. While sending a mass email addressed to “Whom it May Concern” may save some time, personally addressed emails are way more effective and will have better results in the long run!
Creative Ideas: Hold a pizza party campaign launch event with your team. Gather the team together in your school’s computer, gymnasium, lab or library and encourage each player to send your campaign email to his or her network. It’s extremely effective and could not be easier. Besides, what kid isn’t incentivized by pizza?
2) LEVERAGE SOCIAL MEDIA
Spread the word through social media with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and even LinkedIn. Social media is an extremely effective way to spread the message about your campaign. All of your players and the majority of your community have a Facebook or Twitter account – take advantage of it. Social media is the fastest way to reach a large audience today. Campaigns which are driven by your players, and which support your players will have a viral effect in your community through social media.
Helpful Tips: Share early and often. Start promoting on social media two weeks prior to the first game. Provide updates on your fundraising progress after each game.
- Keep followers and fans informed. Send with messages about how much is needed to reach your goals.
- Include the link in your profile. Add your campaign link to all of your social media accounts so followers and fans can easily pledge to your campaign.
- Encourage everyone to share the campaign link. Even if someone does not make a pledge, they can help tremendously by sharing the campaign with their network. Your player’s parents will have the most powerful networks to generate pledges -- Make sure they are posting as well!
- Share stories and photos, and highlight sponsors or pledgers. The more you can create buzz around the campaign the more you will raise.
Use your social media accounts to encourage people to support your efforts. Update it often so that it’s at the top of your friends’ newsfeed (even if you just count down the days until your event). Thank your donors by posting a message on their wall so that their friends can see it.
Creative Idea: Tag people directly to your posts. This is the social media version of the direct ask. Why was the Ice Bucket Challenge so wildly successful? It was because it involved a direct ask by tagging people in posts. Tag your friends asking for their support – they will be happy to help!
3) PROMOTE AT THE GAME
When is your team at the forefront of everyone’s mind? During the game of course! So leverage that time to promote your campaign. PLEDGE IT campaigns are completely mobile friendly, allowing your supporters to make a pledge as they watch from the stands.
Here are some ideas for in-game promotion:
- Announcements over the PA system. Have you PA announcer ask fans to pull out their phone and make a pledge today. They can provide fans with updates on your campaign progress and the amount needed until goal.
- Utilize your concession stands. Have volunteers at the concession stands with an iPad showing people the campaign page and asking for their support, or have them distribute promotional flyers. The only place visited more often than the concession stands at a game are the restrooms…but we don’t recommend soliciting pledges outside of the John.
- Ads in game programs. It‘s free to advertise in your own game program – use it!
To view the complete guide, click here.