Promoting Monster - get the word out
Here are six great ideas of how to encourage your friends and family to sign-up to Maggie's Monster 2012 with you.
1. Promoting Monster in the workplace
• Print off some posters to put up in your staff room or on your intranet.
• Put a feature on your intranet or in your company magazine – we've provided a sample with the logo and some text.
• Leave some flyers or some registration forms in your staff room – call us and we can send you some. Get your colleagues to sign up!
• Use the Monster logo (right click the image and select 'save as') to create a flyer or poster detailing your fundraising efforts.
• Use the Monster logo as your email footer – link to our Facebook page or your Just Giving webpage.
• Tell all your customers/suppliers about your efforts – maybe they can sponsor you or donate something for a fundraising event you can hold?
• Press release – Download our sample press release and personalise it with your story. Please do let us know if you manage to get your story featured as we always like to hear about any coverage around the event.
2. Tweet about Monster on Twitter
Talk to your followers about how your training and fundraising is going and attract them to sign-up with you. Ask for tips from your followers or interact with other people doing the event - simply use the hashtag #monster2011 to see what people are saying.
Don't forget to follow Maggie's Monster on Twitter for the latest information on this year's event.
You can also use Twitter to give Maggie’s Monster a shout out and get more of your followers interested and perhaps even involved in the event. Why not use #charitytuesday or #followfriday hashtags to mention @maggiesmonster and give your followers an update on your progress, or the reasons why you’ve decided to take part.
3. Mention Monster on Facebook
We'd love to know how you're getting on - if you haven't already, become a fan of Maggie's Monster on Facebook. Once you've become a fan talk about how your build-up to the event is going.
Simply start typing '@Monster' into your status box and you'll be given the opportunity to mention Maggie's Monster and have your content featured on our Maggie's Monster Facebook page. By mentioning Monster in your update, you'll also be sharing a link to the Monster Facebook page with your friends.
4. Share Monster 2011 video by email.
Email the link to this video to your friends - it's the easiest way to let them know what you want them to sign-up to and to give them a feel for an event that is fun and will help them get fit.
If you're feeling really ambitious, make your own Monster video, you could show off your training and demonstrate how you're up for the challenge, or you could use it to highlight your fundraising, especially if you are doing something unique! Let us know what you come up with and we'll look to feature it.
5. Create your own Maggie's Monster diary and invite others to read about it.
It's simple to create a blog to keep people posted on your progress and attract other team members using a service like TypePad, Blogspot or WordPress.
6. Send a Press Release
The Monster Bike & Hike is an incredible event and every year we are moved by the stories of why people are taking part. Some of you will be taking part for very personal reasons, others as motivation to get fit, we know there are a good few of you doing it as a team-building exercise and all of you are doing it for a great cause and because you'll get to visit a beautiful part of the countryside.
As Monster participants you are all ambassadors for Maggie's and we really appreciate you spreading the word about what you are doing for Maggie's and telling people what it is we do.
One way that you can go a step further in spreading the word about Maggie's and the Monster Bike and Hike is by approaching your local paper or company magazine, intranet and website to see if they would be interested in featuring you. It's a chance for you and your team to tell your own story - perhaps they would be interested in a before and after feature!
Download a template press release that allows you to get your story across, along with details about the event, the event history and Maggie's.