Start with the University Calendar


One way to start promoting your event is to get it on the University Calendar on the Winona State website. That does a couple of cool things. First, it makes sure those who are visiting our website for events have the opportunity to see it. Second, it makes sure MarComm knows about the event and has the opportunity to highlight within our university channels. Third, it moves it right to social content on the University Instagram because every Monday during fall and spring semesters, we publish a graphic on our Instagram Stories that showcases what's happening that week -- which reaches a large portion of our student audience. 


To get it published on the University Calendar, submit a "Promote An Event" ticket on OneStop and include the event's time, date, location, ticket information, link (if applicable), and description. 


Create a Facebook Event 


If the event is public and open to the Winona community, as well as our campus community, consider creating a Facebook event to build awareness. 


Best practice is to create the event from an official WSU Facebook page rather than a personal account. Before you create one on your own, consider reaching out to MarComm through OneStop or email to see if it hits the criteria to be hosted from the main university Facebook page which would hit a larger audience. 


To create a Facebook page, you'll need: 

  • Photo or Graphic: One that represents your event that is eye catching, clear (not blurry), and can be cropped to 1920 by 1005 pixels while maintaining enough context for the photo to still be impactful. Consider finding a photo that shows people's faces and is inviting.
  • Event Title: Pick a title that is inviting, clear, and short. Consider how the title and the cover photo will work together. If the cover photo is a graphic that includes context and some event details, there might be more freedom in the title to make it attractive or include a Call To Action (CTA). If the photo is a general picture and doesn't give much context, the title will need to give a little more explanation on what it is. 
  • Event details: Location, time, date, ticket prices, and a description that clearly answers what to expect, why people should come, and what people might get out of coming (are there prizes or experiences they might have?).
  • Add Collaborators/Co-hosts: Adding other departments, partners, or the university Facebook page as co-hosts will help boost how wide of a net the event reaches by tapping into audiences that are following other pages.  


After you've published the event, get the momentum going by posting on any applicable department Facebook pages and inviting people within your network that might be interested. 


You'll also want to plan a series of Facebook posts within the Facebook event to generate interest and remind people to attend as the event draws closer. 



Collaborate with Relevant Partners


Facebook events can be co-hosted by multiple pages/groups. Invite any departments or clubs that are partners in your event as co-hosts to reach their Facebook followers. 


If you don't have any of your own department accounts, there is no need to start a Facebook page just to promote an event. 

Reach out to other departments or clubs with similar interests or goals, and ask if they will help promote your event on their social media accounts. 


Also, the WSU Social Media Team reviews Promote an Event requests on a weekly basis. If an event meets certain editorial criteria, it may be promoted on the main WSU Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat channels.



A General Promotion Timeline


5+ Weeks Out

Create a Facebook Event



4 Weeks Out 

Share your event on Facebook with a "Save the Date" type message, including the time, date, location and reason to attend.  

Share your event on any other social media channels your department/club has access to. 


2-3 Weeks Out

Mix in posts about the upcoming event alongside your usual types of social media content across all your social media channels. You want to build up interest in your event, but not bore people who aren't able or don't want to attend.


Share fun details about the event, such as: 

  • a behind-the-scenes look at preparation or set-up work
  • short video features of someone helping with the event
  • what people can expect at the event
  • information about the topic in general through related blog posts, videos, statistics or other commentary
  • photos or videos from last year's event


If you require pre-registration, make this clear in your social posts and remind people of the final registration date. 


1 Week Out


Continue sharing fun details, and also start posting reminders about the time, date and location. Consider sharing posts on your own personal social accounts, or encouraging people to you know to help promote the event on their social accounts. 


If you require pre-registration, do not continue posting about the event after the registration window has closed or the event is full. Send reminders to the registered individuals through another platform, like email, rather than on social media. 


This will avoid getting people's hopes up about an event that they are too late to register for. 


After the Event


Thank everyone for attending and share your successes. You could also post a photo album or video capturing the highlights of the event.