This timeline can help you develop a marketing plan for events or other programs.

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4 months before event

• Use this timeline to help develop a marketing plan
• Contact Agricultural Communications Services for help with your project, or work by self to select specific marketing tactics from the list of marketing ideas
• Determine budget (print, advertising, social media)

3 months before event

• Gather photos, bios, descriptions, etc.
• Gather mailing lists and send to University Mailing for updates
• Develop and print necessary print materials
• Create graphics to promote event on social media platform(s)
• Add/update information on website
• Create a short URL (bit.ly) that you can use to promote the event
• Create a social media content calendar, filling in the dates with event promotions (reminders, deadlines, highlighting speakers, etc.)

2 months before event

• Send direct mail pieces
• Start developing press release about event
• Contact outlets for partnership marketing opportunities
• Create a Facebook event
• Invite your friends to the event
• Share on your county page, personal page, encourage others to share the event as well
• Continue to use social media content calendar to promote event

6 weeks before event

• Send email to District Directors to ask counties for help marketing (in your email, you should send fliers/social media graphics, suggested newsletter content, suggested email content)
• Continue to use social media content calendar to promote event

4 weeks before event

• Send press release to selected newspapers (send 2-3 weeks before registration deadline)
• Highlight event in your newsletter, e-newsletter, press release, radio, and other media sources
• Continue to work with marketing partners
• Continue to use social media content calendar to promote event

3 weeks before event

• Continue to work with marketing partners
• Request photography if not yet requested
• Continue to use social media content calendar to promote event

2 weeks before event

• Continue to work with marketing partners
• Pitch event coverage to local media
• Continue to use social media content calendar to promote event

Final week before event

• Continue to work with marketing partners
• Print handouts with social media usernames/hashtags
• Continue to use social media content calendar to promote event
• Prep post-event press release as thoroughly as possible

During event

• Include printouts with your social media usernames/hashtags in event materials
• Make an announcement encouraging others to follow relevant Division-affiliated social media profiles and/or use event hashtag
• Post a photo during the event on your social media platforms

After event

• Post a photo album on Facebook
• Use social media to thank sponsors of the event, speakers, participants, etc.
• Send post-event press release to selected newspapers
• Meet with others involved in event to evaluate marketing results (include social media analytics to determine which posts)