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Promoting Your Campus Event

The following information is intended for internal use only by members of the South Seattle College community.

The Communications & Public Information Office is available to help support and promote your on-campus and online/virtual events. To ensure you reach your target audience, students, faculty and staff are encouraged to consider promoting events using any or all of the methods listed below. Promote early and often — and allow at least three to four weeks for maximum publicity and to ensure resources are available to you. For high profile events, please contact us for guidance.

For any questions about how to promote your event, please email the PIO/Communications Office at ty.swenson@seattlecolleges.edu. 

Before You Begin: Gather Details for Your Event

  • Identify an event leader from your team who will be the point person for your event and/or a designated person from your team to handle all promotion for the event.
  • Before finalizing a time and reserving a space on campus, check the Events Calendar to ensure your event won't conflict with another that would be of interest to the same audience.
  • What size audience do you expect?
  • What type of venue will best suit your event? (classroom, meeting room, theater, Zoom meeting, etc.)
  • What support services will you need? (catering, campus safety, audio/visual set up, etc.)
  • What is your call to action? What are we trying to get the audience to do?
  • Who is your target audience for this event? Who is the event for? 
    • Current students, prospective students, staff, faculty, community members, all of the above, etc. 
  • Will the event be open to the general public, or is it intended for the campus community (students, faculty, staff)?
  • Will you need disability accommodations?
    • Disability Services provides access, resources, and academic accommodations for students with disabilities. They are happy to consult with your team when you are planning an event to ensure it is accessible.
    • Is your space wheelchair accessible with access to restrooms?
    • Do you need an interpreter or captioning for a participant?

Criteria Needed to Promote an Event

  • Event title
  • Event description
    • Event descriptions should be comprehensive but to-the-point
    • Why should someone attend – what will they gain?
    • Formatting should be easy to read, use bullets. Don't make the reader work through a dense wall of text to understand the event! 
  • Date(s) & time(s)
  • Physical location for in-person events
    • Reserve a space on-campus by creating an event in 25Live (see online promotion below)
    • Outdoor events should provide a back-up indoor location in case of rain/snow
  • "Join this event" URL for online/virtual events
  • Point person for your event and/or a designated person from your team to handle all incoming questions
    • Name, title, email, phone
  • What promotional materials are needed?
    • Digital flier/poster or photo for virtual/online events
    • Physical flier/poster for in-person events
  • URL to register or RSVP if attendees are required to reserve their spot
  • Cost to attend if applicable
  • When do you want to start promoting your event? 
  • When do you want to end promotion of your event?  

Channels to Promote Your Event

Now that you’ve dialed in the specifics for your event, it’s time to explore ways to promote it.

Website Events Calendar: All event organizers are encouraged to add their event to South Seattle College’s online Events Calendar to allow participants to learn more and RSVP. Events added to this calendar also appear on South’s website homepage under “Important Dates.” Adding your event will ensure your event does not occur at the same date and time as another and help other organizers plan their event(s).

South uses 25Live, an online calendar and scheduling system, to add events to the Events Calendar. In order to create an event in 25Live, staff and faculty must first complete the 25Live User Training in Canvas (please contact Matthew DiMeo, South Seattle College 25Live Administrator, at matthew.dimeo@seattlecolleges.edu for access). 25Live offers the opportunity to list and provide details for your event. To create your event, log into 25Live and complete the “Event Form.” For a step-by-step guide on how to make an event publish to the Events Calendar, see our How to Make Events Appear on the Website Calendar Through 25Live guide. 

News Center Story: PIO has the ability to publish stories to the News Center with information about your event. News Center stories are reserved for large, campus-wide events, or events which span multiple dates. If you would like to request a News Center story, send a draft of your story to the PIO/Communications Office at SouthComms@seattlecolleges.edu. 

SSC News & Updates Canvas Course: PIO maintains a course in Canvas (student course management system) to relay important information to students. Students must self-enroll in this course in order to receive updates to their Canvas dashboard. If you would like to promote your event through Canvas, please email the PIO/Communications Office at SouthComms@seattlecolleges.edu with a draft of your message.

Email to SSC Students: PIO/Communications has the ability to send emails to all current students at the college. If you would like have your event considered for an email to all students, send a draft of your message to the PIO/Communications Office at SouthComms@seattlecolleges.edu along with the date you would like to send your message.

  • Please Note: If you are promoting an event sponsored by the Student Life Department, please email David Westley, Program Coordinator, at david.westley@seattlecollege.edu to send your email to all students.

Email to Staff & Faculty: PIO has the ability to send internal emails to all current staff and faculty members at the college. If you would like to send an email sent, send a draft of your message to the PIO/Communications Office at SouthComms@seattlecolleges.edu along with the date you would like to send your message.

Tuesday Tips Weekly Student Email: Each week during the quarter students receive a Tuesday Tips email to their inbox with information about upcoming events, deadlines and resources for students. To include your event in this weekly email, please email Mica Hunter,
Completion Coach/Student Success Specialist, at mica.hunter@seattlecolleges.edu.

Note about Districtwide Emails: South’s PIO does not have the ability to email students, staff or faculty from the other colleges. If you believe your event should be open to everyone in the district, please let us know and we can discuss options. (insert dept. email)

South Seattle College currently maintains the following social media channels; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn.

If you would like your event promoted on South’s social media channels, please email the PIO/Communications Office at SouthComms@seattlecolleges.edu with all the information about your event including any promotional materials (digital fliers, graphics, photos). All promotional materials should be in JPG file format. For maximum publicity, please email at least two weeks before the day of your event. Please specify in your email if you would like a Facebook Event created for your event (reserved for large, campus-wide events).

International Programs: If you would like your event promoted on Seattle College’s International Programs social media channels (Facebook, Instagram), please email IntlSocialMedia@seattlecolleges.edu.

Seattle Colleges District: If you would like your event promoted on Seattle College’s social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), please email Andrew Svec, District Communications, at andrew.svec@seattlecolleges.edu.

Bulletin Boards: Bulletin boards can be found across campus, both inside buildings and in exterior locations. All literature must be approved and dated before posting. South Seattle College reserves the right to deny posting, distribution or display privileges if information is commercial, obscene or unlawful.

Bring all postings to one of the following offices for approval:

  • Student Life Department: JMB 135, (206) 934-6755
  • Communications/PIO: OLY 130, (206) 934-6873
  • Georgetown Campus Main Office: Building C, (206) 934-5350

Posting Guidelines:

  • Fliers are only allowed on designated boards.
  • Do not use staples or tape to attach materials to the boards.
  • Fliers may be posted for up to two weeks, after which they will be taken down.
  • Fliers may be posted for up to two weeks, after which they will be taken down. 
    • College groups may request an extended posting time up to a quarter. Approval depends on content of the flyer. 
  • All college group flyers must have a non-discrimination statement included.  The abbreviated version approved for flyers is located at https://www.seattlecolleges.edu/about/annual-public-notice-non-discrimination. 
  • While most bulletin boards are for general use, certain boards are reserved for departments. Please do not place your flyer on department-specific boards without that department’s permission.
     

Chalking on Sidewalks: Using chalk to write promotional messages on campus sidewalks is permitted. South Seattle College reserves the right to remove messages if information is commercial, obscene or unlawful.

Word of Mouth: Encourage your friends, family, coworkers and students to promote the event through word of mouth. Event organizers are welcome to contact individual instructors to ask permission to speak to their classes directly.

16th Ave Readerboard Signs: South Seattle College maintains two digital readerboard signs on campus, one at the south entrance and another at the north entrance. Space is limited, messages are set-up on a first come, first serve basis. Important campus messages will take precedence over all other messages. Event messages can be displayed for up to two weeks.

If you would like your event’s information displayed on the readerboards, please email the PIO/Communications Office at ty.swenson@seattlecolleges.edu with all information about your event, including the dates and times you would like your message displayed.

Local Media Calendars: If your event is open to the public/community members, you may request your event be sent to local online event calendars in West Seattle and other communities we serve. Please email the PIO/Communications Office at SouthComms@seattlecolleges.edu with all information about your event, including any digital fliers, graphics or photos to submit your event to these calendars.

Press Releases: PIO is the primary media contact for journalists, serving as a resource for information and story ideas about the college. If you are promoting a large event that is open to the public/community members, please contact the PIO to discuss whether a press release to promote your event to local media and new organizations makes sense.

Community Outreach: Consider reaching out to potential audiences off-campus if your event is open to the public/community members. Local schools, industry contacts, nonprofits and clubs often seek out activities for their students and members, who can be enthusiastic participants at college events.

There are many offices, departments and groups at the college which serve a specific population of students (ex: transfer students). Contact the office, department or group below to learn more about connecting with their student population.