This list of ideas can help you develop a marketing plan for events or other programs.

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Traditional marketing

• Send direct mail to previous attendees or potential leads
• Add the event to local/area event calendars
• Market to/with local/area newspapers
• Send a press release (target – 2-3 week before registration deadline)
• Pitch to them and ask them to cover the event
• Pitch to radio stations or TV to cover the event

Social media marketing

• Posts on Division-affiliated social media channels
• Facebook event
• Invite personal friends who may be interested
• Share posts/event on personal page
• Ask others involved to share posts/event
• Consider sponsored posts
• For a cost, you can upload a list of email addresses to Facebook and send targeted ads to specific users

Email marketing

• Send email invitations, save the dates, promos, etc. to past attendees, leads or other interested parties
• Agricultural Communications Services recommends using an email marketing platform like MailChimp rather than sending it via Outlook or another desktop email client. Email marketing platforms allow you to track who is opening it and who isn’t.

Partnership marketing

• Ask your chamber of commerce, local government, or visitor’s bureau for assistance or ideas (e.g., some will send an email on your behalf or add a link to their social media or website, or they may just have ideas of where to market)
• Are there local businesses that will allow you to add info to their marquees?
• Ask local banks if they allow statement inserts
• Will local businesses allow you to put fliers at their registers or on a bulletin board? (e.g., for ag-related events, ask the co-op, feed store, vet supply store, etc.)
• If the event if youth-based, ask schools if you can send a flier home with students

DASNR-specific marketing

• County newsletters
• DASNR/County social media
• Send email to District Directors to ask counties for help marketing (in your email, you should send fliers/social media graphics, suggested newsletter content and suggested email content)
• CASNR Digital Marketing - TV monitors in CASNR buildings and online event calendar

OSU-specific marketing

• Campus signage: A-frames, chalking and flier posting

Other ideas

• Think beyond the contacts you already have. Are there existing groups or communities of people you can partner with to market your event?
• Topic-specific websites, social media, newsletters, etc.
• Civic groups
• Commodity groups
• Community bulletin boards (online and physical)
• Online event calendars