Live Tweeting Your Event

Our fall membership drive is in full swing! Check out Dana and our cake! #SupportDPR pic.twitter.com/8ZNbLuOBl2

— DelmarvaPublicMedia (@WSCL_WSDL) October 11, 2013

It’s here!

Delmarva Public Radio’s fall membership drive is in full swing and we aren’t holding back in the social media world.

We are live tweeting the drive to spread our name online and you can do the same for your event!

1.) Create a Hashtag.
This will allow you to see what Twitter and Facebook users are saying about you and your event. If your hashtag is specific enough, it also creates a linkable thread grouping everything you and others have said about the event so far. Our drive hashtag is #SupportDPR. Short yet specific.

2.) Post
Common sense, guys. You can’t create a buzz around your event with no content. Don’t spam your followers’ news feeds but be consistent! DPR has shared behind the scenes photos of volunteers answering phones, the cutting of a decorated DPR cake by our GM, and funny moments like when those on the radio asked our news director for a list of his awards and he carried in a stack of his plaques instead. Have interesting and relevant posts that will get people talking and use your hashtag to link them.

3.) Get Others Involved
Have volunteers and participants tweet or Facebook about the event using your hashtag too. This way the number of people you are reaching is much greater.

4.) Promote your Hashtag
Pass out small cards with the event hashtag on them and make sure to include it on all flyers or advertising for the event. Delmarva Public Radio has the added advantage of being able to pitch the membership drive on air so our classical host Kara and I spoke to our listeners about what hashtag is and how to #SupportDPR. Be sure to announce your event and hashtag on Facebook and Twitter and invite everyone involved to participate and spread the word!

The fall membership drive "The Future is Now" begins Thursday! Let us know you #SupportDPR by participating with our drive hashtag.

— DelmarvaPublicMedia (@WSCL_WSDL) October 7, 2013

Good luck!

Membership Drive Basics

If there is one thing I’m learning at Delmarva Public Radio, it’s that a membership drive is no walk in the park. A pledge drive for radio is not just an event, it’s a week-long affair. Almost a conference. So if you’re planning a conference, maybe these tips will help you too! The purpose, mission statement, and nitty-gritty management details are majorly important, but for now I just want you to try to remember the basics.

1.) Set goals.
Set a goal for how much money you are hoping to pull in. This will keep everyone motivated to earn and gives you the ability to evaluate if your drive was a success or not.

2.) Find volunteers.
Send out emails or mailings to members and past volunteers letting them know the dates and requirements of the pledge drive. Ask them for their help! Contact local community service organizations or schools and tell them that hours answering phones count towards community service requirements.

3.) Schedule, schedule, schedule.
Have a schedule for who is going to pitch on air, at what time, on which day. Your coworkers will appreciate the schedule and it allows you to know that all shifts are covered. Also, have a schedule for volunteers. Make sure they are committed to at least 1-2 hours of work so there is enough time to at least train them on how to handle callers and fill out pledge forms. Have a spreadsheet with a row for each hour of the day and a column for each phone that will be taking calls. Fill in the volunteers names to keep track and once again make sure that all shifts are covered.

4.) Give perks to staff and volunteers. The “what’s in it for me?” mentality will always be present in even your most dedicated volunteers, so show them! Call local restaurants and coffee houses and ask them if they’d be willing to donate breakfast or lunch to the pledge drive. Create another schedule of who is going to be donating on what day and make sure that if they are unable to deliver the food or drinks to you, that you are able to arrange transport to get them.

5.) Have fun!
Create a theme! Decorate the volunteer room like it’s Saturday Night Fever or a Winter Wonderland. A cheery atmosphere and satisfied volunteers will spread the feeling of a positive organization while keeping everyone enthused to pull off the best drive possible.

Good luck!