Publicity Tips

We’ve found that when publicizing an event back home, putting up fliers and sending out emails isn’t usually enough to get the job done. We know that each town is different, and that what works in some places won’t work in them all — but here are some things that we normally do to generate the best possible turnout at events:

• Look up other like-minded events, and go make announcements and personally hand out fliers to people there.

• Check for local radio shows that might be interested in doing an interview a few days before the presentation.

• Most local papers and college papers have online and print calendars — get the event listed there. An email to the person who writes about events might even get an article written about it beforehand.

• Flier, obviously, but try and go to places you wouldn’t normally think of; reach outside your normal community/group of friends.

• Talk about it. Folks seem more likely to show up if they’ve heard folks talking about the event before… the more you talk, the more others will pick up on it and start creating the needed “buzz.”

• It may not be the most fun, but if other (bigger?) local groups “sponsor” the event in some way, usually more of their members will show up.

• Some college professors are down, and finding them might get a class assigned to attend the event, or get us invited to present tp the class (sometimes we can even get paid for this, providing much needed funds).

• Emails, Indymedia, Myspace and other online stuff can be a help too — people do check those places and remember, especially if there’s one announcement early and then a reminder shortly before the event.