7 Ridiculously Easy Ways to Boost Waste and Recycling Event Attendance

Successful events don’t just happen. Whether it’s an annual Paper Shredding Event, a community cleanup event, or a new event for this year and whether you only have a few weeks to plan or many months – your events’ attendance depends on how you’re promoting event awareness.

While the ways you can promote your events are unlimited; unfortunately, your time and resources are not. That’s why it’s important to find the most effective and easiest ways to reach as many residents as possible.   

How to boost attendance at your waste and recycling event:

1. Create a Facebook event – and boost it!

Did you know that 8 out of every 10 online Americans (young and old) were using Facebook in 2016? The number is expected to rise even higher for 2017! By creating an event page on Facebook, you not only connect with that audience but also encourage them to share it with other residents and allows you to communicate with potential attendees. Additionally, Facebook sends event notifications to remind
everyone who RSVP’d that the event is coming up.

If you have a budget to work with – opt to boost your event through a Facebook Ad and target it to everyone within your community. Boosting your event allows you to reach residents who are likely interested in attending but are not aware of it yet.

2. Dedicate a page on your website for the event with all the information. Make it easily accessible from the homepage.

This is the central hub that will contain all the details about your event. If your event falls under a current website page (i.e. HHW Collection Events are considered part of the HHW page), make sure you place the event details at the top so residents don’t miss it.

Include images and highlights of past events, benefits about why your residents should attend, what they will expect, and the link to your Facebook event if you have one. Make sure your page is easily accessible from the homepage, which can be as easy as adding a link or image ad.

3. Add the event to your e-mail signature and voicemail

For each e-mail and phone call that you receive from a resident, think of it as a way to spread awareness about your event. For example:

• Email signature: E-Waste Collection event from 9AM-4PM on Friday March 17, 2017 at 123 Oak St. For more information click here (and hyperlink the message to your website page with the event information)
• Voicemail: E-Waste Collection event from 9AM to 4PM on Friday March 17 at 123 Oak St. For more information, visit our website at www.examplecity.com (this is one reason why your event information should be easily accessible from your website homepage)

4. Include an ad to materials you are already sending out

If you’re already sending out calendars, newsletters, brochures, or any other type of materials to your residents (regardless of either electronic or print format), use that to your advantage and include an ad and deliver the event details right to their physical or virtual mailbox!

5. Host a giveaway for those who do attend.

People like to win things so use this fact to encourage your residents to attend your event. It can be as simple as if they show up and participate, they get a raffle ticket for a chance to win.

Budget-friendly prizes can include:

• Fee credit for utility bills
• A tour of a recycling facility that is normally not available to residents
• Tickets to a local city-held event
• A gift basket – that you can put together

6. Send event notifications to your residents using Recycle Coach – and encourage them to tell their neighbors

Reach your residents with a single click! Recycle Coach allows you to send custom, real-time notifications to all residents who are signed up to receive them.

Remind them again closer to date and let them know to tell their neighbors, friends, and family. You’d be surprised how many people you can reach through word-of-mouth.

7. Add the event to Recycle Coach’s collection schedule
   

Make it easy for residents and put all the information in one place – such as their mobile phone! With apps accounting for almost 90% of mobile media time (with the rest spent on websites), provide information to your residents where they are looking for it.

The Recycle Coach mobile app allows your residents to access their trash and recycling schedule for your municipality – as well as any events you’d like to add to the calendar. Residents can access this information 24/7 through their smartphone.

For the 10% of residents not using mobile apps? Recycle Coach has a responsive web app for your website!