Social Media Takeover!

What do you get when Albany Barn, the Albany Housing Authority and the City of Albany partner to redevelop the former St. Joseph’s Academy, an abandoned school in the heart of Albany’s Arbor Hill? 22 low-cost live/work residences, and 13,500+ square feet of multi-tenant creative arts incubator, enterprise and program space called The Barn.
 
I’ve been a big fan of their work for several years – starting in 2014 when I wrote up their Excellence in Historic Preservation Award for the Preservation League.
 
This month, I had a chance to help make their annual fundraiser – the FUSION AntiGala – an even bigger success by helping with event marketing through social media.
 
I started by drafting a portfolio of social media posts to promote FUSION in a way that also highlighted the ongoing work of the Albany Barn. I developed a Facebook post with links and images for each day of the four weeks leading up to the event on October 18.
 
The posts provided background on the organization and the event, as well as sneak previews of elements of the event itself. Each post included a hashtag and included a link to purchase tickets. Posts included:

• Do you remember Rock2Rebuild™? Albany Barn evolved from this grassroots production group that held events benefiting important causes while creating opportunities for local creative talent. Rock2Rebuild’s first undertaking to raise funds for children and families devastated by the 2004 South Asian tsunami disaster attracted 2,000 people, raised over $26,000, and was voted one of the year’s three “Best Concerts” in the Albany Times Union “2005 Readers Poll.” Support Albany Barn at Fusion on Friday 10/18! #FusionAntiGala
• For the first time, #FusionAntiGala will also support work to elevate the creative economy in Schenectady, by providing funding for Electric City Barn and maker space at 400 Craig Street. The diverse artistic opportunities and professional development services for artists offered at Electric City Barn will deliver positive results for the community at large! Reserve your ticket for Fusion on Friday 10/18 today!
• #HourFoodChallenge – Diet restrictions? Transportation? Availability of fresh food? Budget? Chef and creative will consider these challenges to healthy eating – and create a dish to be served at #FusionAntiGala! Get your ticket today so you can see what they’ve cooked up! Fri. 10/18.
• SILENT AUCTION UPDATE Located in Downtown Albany, ama cocina delivers a fresh and funky twist on modern Mexican street food. Their mission is to encompass the three most important elements of life – food, laughter and love. Eat with your hands, talk with your neighbors, and think with your tastebuds. Don’t forget to relax and laugh while you’re there - they will do the rest. Bid on a gift basket and gift card valued at $100 at #FusionAntiGala.
• Are you ready for the Artist UPCYCLE Challenge? During FUSION, four artists will receive a Mystery Box of supplies ripe for upcycling! The boxes will be curated to reflect the artists and the work they do. Each artist will have 2 HOURS to create a piece – functional or decorative – to be auctioned at #FusionAntiGala. More info on the Artist Challenge tomorrow!  

To further support these posts, I developed a couple of eyecatching images for the Hour Food Challenge and Upcycle Challenge. They’re in the slideshow at the top of this post – along with the ad for CMR Communications in the program book distributed at the event.

We all know successful events don't just happen. Whether it’s a grand opening, a lecture series or an author talk and book signing - without strategic promotion, seemingly great ideas can fall flat. No one can guarantee a sizable audience for an event, but there are proven techniques to help identify and mobilize prospective attendees.

CMR Communications has years of experience in event marketing strategies that get programs in front of the right audiences and drive RSVPs through digital and traditional channels.
 
How can I help you make your next event a big success? Drop me a line and let’s make #SmallTalk!