How My Messy Event Promo Became Less Awful
Okay, lemme tell ya about how I totally botched promoting our local tree-planting festival last year before figuring some stuff out. Felt like shouting into a void, seriously.
First thing I did? Panic. The flyers looked ancient, like my grandma designed ’em. Super tiny green text on beige paper. Zero people noticed ’em posted downtown. Total flop.
Then I figured, “Hey, social media blast!” So I spammed Twitter and Insta with walls of text about “sustainability objectives” and “environmental stewardship synergy”. Fancy words, right? Big mistake. Crickets. Likes? Maybe 5. One was my mom.
Felt pretty dumb. Needed a reset. Went and talked to folks at the farmer’s market. Like, actually talked to real humans holding reusable coffee cups. Asked what actually made them show up to local events. Heard loud and clear:
- “Pictures! Where are the real pics of people having fun?”
- “Is there free stuff? Coffee? Seedlings? Anything?”
- “Tell me fast. Who? When? Where? Stop with the essays!”
- “Is it actually fun? Or just a lecture?”
So this year? Totally flipped the script.
Step one: Snapped tons of photos from last year. Found the best ones – people laughing planting trees, kids high-fiving, someone juggling seed packets (no idea why, but it worked). Focused on pure fun.
Step two: Ditched the essays. Made posts super short:
- “PLANT TREES & EAT DONUTS! 😄”
- “SATURDAY! OAK PARK! 10 AM!”
- “FREE coffee + baby trees while they last!”
Stuck actual event date/time/location right upfront, bolded it. Made sure every flyer had massive pictures of the free seedlings offered.
Step three: Found partners people actually know and like. Not big environmental agencies nobody heard of. Local bakery? Yes! Coffee roaster down the street? Yes! Mentioned them clearly: “Donuts courtesy of CITY BAKERY! Coffee by BEANS DOWNTOWN!” People trust that.
Step four: Stopped trying to save the planet in one post. Seriously. Just pushed the fun, the freebies, the local connections – the “green” part was just obvious in the photos (trees!) and actions (planting!).
Result? Way, WAY more buzz. Posts got shared. People tagged friends saying “Free coffee Saturday! Let’s go!” Walked downtown and saw folks actually reading the flyers. Biggest win? My kinda snobby cousin actually came, dragged by his kids who saw the free seedlings pic online. Called it “not as painful as expected.” High praise.
Basic checklist I finally hammered out:
- Giant clear pictures showing actual fun
- BIG NAME DATE TIME PLACE, impossible to miss
- FREE STUFF? SHOUT IT OUT
- Partner with cool, known local spots
- Stop lecturing, start inviting
Seems simple? Maybe. But dang, easy to forget when you’re drowning in jargon. Drop the lecture, show the party part, and people eventually show up. Worked for my little tree thing, anyway.
