Create posters and flyers Expand Creating your own posters and/or flyers is a great way to reach a local audience. Read on for guidance on what to think about when designing print publicity to make sure your event stands out from the crowd. Be clear, concise and creative with your design and event information. Remember to include: > Event name - try to be concise and give your event a name that helps explain what it is. > Date and time - of when your event takes place, it is best practice to give a start and end time. > Event info - A brief description, which covers what the event is and who your event is for i.e. young, old, all welcome etc. > Booking info - Information on how to reserve a place i.e. ‘book your place via the contact details below’ or ‘no need to book – just turn up on the day'. > Contact details - Contact name, telephone number and email address. > Links - Your group website or Facebook page, if you have one, so that people can look you up. > Accessibility info - Include a line that invites people with accessability requirements to get in touch for more information on the venue and event. See the Disability and Access - Events Checklist (coming soon) for more guidance on how to make your event open and accessible. > A photo - Make sure any images you use are clear and dynamic, something that will catch people's eye and draw them in. > Logos - Include any necessary logos such as your group logo and funder logos, which are usually best placed at the bottom of your poster/flyer. > Get Creative Festival branding - Download poster/flyer templates and logos here. Design tools - Canva is a great app and website that you can use to create eye-catching posters and flyers without having to purchase design software. It is free to use and has a wide range of poster templates and practical advice to help you create professional-looking publicity for your event. Where to display/distribute your print publicity - Talk to public venues in your area, such as your local community centre, library, doctors surgery and shops/cafes to see if they can help distribute your print publicity and display one of your posters. Struggling with printing costs? Approach your local printer to see if they do a special rate for charities and/or local community projects. They may even be interested in covering some of your printing costs in return for having their logo on your flyer - it's worth an ask.
Contact local media Expand Local newspapers, community magazines, radio/TV stations and social media are a great way to spread the word and build up local contacts: Download the ‘Making the Most of your local Broadcasters Toolkit‘, created by Voluntary Arts and the National Operatic and Drama Association, to give you practical advice on how to engage with your local radio station. Make use of the Voluntary Arts Festival template press release, which includes top tips on how to approach local press and get your event noticed This resource also includes an example press release and template to help you get started. Search online for local ‘what’s on’ sites - In most cases it is free to add your event to local listing sites, especially if your event is free and for the community. Some community and lifestyle magazines that you generally have to pay to advertise in, also have a free online listing, so it is worth checking.
List your event with Voluntary Arts Festival Expand If you haven’t already done so, add your event to the Voluntary Arts Festival listing page for FREE. It doesn’t take long to add your event and once your details have been submitted it should be verified and go live on the Voluntary arts Festival website within 2 days. Once live on the website, you will have access to a unique URL that you can include on print and online publicity to direct people to more information about your event. We’ll be sending lots of people to the Voluntary Arts Festival webpage between now and May, so make sure you’re on it!
Spread the word on social media Expand Social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter (your own, and the Voluntary Arts Festival ones) are a great way to generate interest in your activities and create a buzz in the lead-up to your event. Twitter - If you’re mentioning your event on Twitter, be sure to link with Voluntary Arts Festival on Twitter and tag your tweet with #VolArtsFestival so we can help you spread the word. Facebook - Post details of your event on the Voluntary Arts Festival Facebook page so we can connect with you and share your event. Social media support - Download the Voluntary Arts Briefing ‘Creating engaging content for social media‘ for some practical guidance on how boost engagement with your group and/or event on social media.
Voluntary Arts Festival branding Expand Voluntary Arts Festival Poster Template - Download this as a Jpeg or PDF and save to your computer. You can create marketing materials with this Poster template using a range of different programs and apps, such as - Microsoft Word, Adobe In Design, Adobe Photoshop, Canva etc. Please use what works best for you. Once you have created a new document, A4 - A3 is the recommended size for a poster and A5 or A4 folded, is the recommended size for a flyer, simply insert the Jpeg or PDF Poster Template, expand to fit the document size, and lay your text/images over the top, before saving and printing. If you need any help regarding posters/flyers for your event, or would prefer these branding resources in another format, please get in touch to see how we can help. Voluntary Arts Festival logo - Prefer not to use a Poster Template? We have created a series of Voluntary Arts Festival logo strips that you can use on your print and online event publicity. When using these, please ensure the text on the logo strip is large enough to read and that you don't distort the logo when re-sizing: Voluntary Arts Festival logo strip CraftBomb / Voluntary Arts Festival logo strip Woollen Woods / Voluntary Arts Festival logo strip If you would like these branding resources in another format, please get in touch.