Promoting open houses

[Walkman]

We're having ours the 27th.

I've some ideas and plans about getting people there, but I'd like some input from those that have done this before on what has been the most effective in driving traffic to the event. I've done promotion for trade shows and Vegas-style events in the past, but this is a bit different.

One advantage we have right now is our location. We're a pretty closed-off valley in the Rockies and only about 100k population, so there's a good, old fashioned close community spirit here. And with a lack of news (one of the top 10 safest places in the US), I know I can get some stuff in the paper.

Thanks y'all

[SDF_Specialist]

You can't go wrong with flyers at grocery stores and laundromats.

[Cadet Tillett]

Have your cadets spread the word at school/work/wherever.  Word of mouth from a friend will bring in more recruits than anything else.

[0]

We just got the material yesterday which co-incided with out open house we had already scheduled.  

You can't go wrong with flyers at grocery stores and laundromats.

We've tried to avoid posting our flyers in these locations as much as posible so we don't cast so wide a net that unsavory characters arrive.  We instead do word of mouth and have the cadets hand flyers out to friends that they think will be interested.

[jimmydeanno]

CAP members talking to people about CAP is going to be your most valuable recruiting method, whether it is one-on-one or talking to a group.  Having an information booth at select locations is going to be a better method than plastering flyers in random locations throught the city.  However, well placed flyers can be a beneficial tool just to help build awareness.

The things we like to look at are;

1) How many people are we actually trying to recruit?  Often times people recruiting for CAP are just trying to get anyone and everyone.  This isn't always the best strategy.

2) What are our squadron needs?  Do we not have enough pilots?  Do we only have 3 cadets?  Do we just need general staff members (admin, personnel, etc)?

3) Where should we focus our energy?  What areas can we advertise in that will get the most effect for our effort?

3) What can we do in those areas to bring attention?  How are we going to advertise?  Are we going to set up an information booth in a few areas on a few different days?  Are we going to place flyers?

Just as with any advertisement, remember who your audience is - what are you specifically trying to recruit? Cadets, Pilots, etc?  Cater your advertisement of your open house for those specific people...

The grocery store you'll probably get mommy type senior members and some cadets of those mommy types if they happen to be the type to stop and read the bulletin boards at the grocery store - I know I never have... 

Advertisements in conjunction with boots on the ground at schools may help too.  Talk to the guidance counselors, we've had a few cadets refered to us from them.  The kid says "I'm interested in joining the military" guidance counselor says, "Why don't you try CAP, it has some benefits and can help you reach your goal." (I know, some schools say, "The military, what in the world do you want to do that for?!" but we're lucky.)  Many schools do morning announcements - if you have some cadets in those schools, you could have them advertise it there and have the cadets a the POC.

Unfortunately IME, senior members are better recruiters than cadets because they can think of things that people want to hear.  They can talk to the Parent of the potential cadet and get them sold on the idea (scholarships, activities, education, discipline, leadership, resume, etc) which the kid doesn't care about at 12, but can recognize that the kid wants to hear about orientation flights and ribbons and such.

"Oh, I see your a parent of a 12 year old - we all know that school isn't what it used to be and our program may help them become better students, build self-esteem, develop leadership traits, gain a respect for civil responsibility, and instill a sense of discipline."

"Oh, he's too young to join the military and I'm too old."

"On the contrary, he is the perfect age to join our VOLUNTEER organization, and unless you're dead, you're not too old.  We don't have any military obligation, we're all civilians, we're just trying to make our community a little better."

short converstation insues about cadet program and some things adults can do... 

Why don't I give you this information packet and you can come out to our open house on the 27th, it'll give you a better perspective of what we do, how you could help us and you could see if it's something you're interested in."

Wham! You've got two warm bodies at your open house.

I think one of the key things is to keep it "low pressure" don't make them feel as though they are going to go to the open house and be required to sign-up.  Stress the "get more information about us" part and the "good opportunity to ask more questions."  You figure, if you get 50 people to come to your open house and you recruit 15 of those, that's a huge success.

For your news outlet idea, an actual article about something you guys did will help people to read it.  For example, publish an article about some SAR training and at the end put a "The Cache Valley Composite Squadron will be having an open house on October 27th at 7:00pm"

Have you looked into running an advertisement on your local public access TV channel?  Most are starving for stuff to put on there - I'm sure they'd be more than willing.

Tell your members that there is an open house on the 27th.  You laugh, but there are MANY squadrons where communication like this doesn't happen and your own members don't show up to it, talk to them before hand, help them come up with talking points to get people interested in CAP.  They'll usually bring at least one guest with them.

You're in marketing, so I'm sure you understand most of this already.  You're right about the trade-show in Vegas difference    But advertisements in the wrong spot isn't going to do anything.

We had a member put up a flyer at a laundrymat once.  The next week we had a 14 year old with 2 children show up to be a cadet, but that thread was locked    So choose your advertising space wisely

[Grumpy]

I've been thinking of setting up a booth in a local Mall.  It would be staffed by an old dude and a couple of cadets.  Do you think that would work as far as announcing any open houses or getting recruits?  Would it not be selective enough?

Thanks,

[jimmydeanno]

I've been thinking of setting up a booth in a local Mall.  It would be staffed by an old dude and a couple of cadets.  Do you think that would work as far as announcing any open houses or getting recruits?  Would it not be selective enough?

Thanks,

Not sure if you're being sarcastic or not, but I'll assume that you aren't 

The mall, IMO, would be a good place to recruit people.  You get a good mix, parents bringing their kids out to shop (if they're spending money anyway, why not on CAP ), professionals going to the various "professional" stores, kids 12+, etc.  Not only would it build awareness, but there is a pretty diverse crowd to select from.  Heck, the cadets in uniform might even get a few "oogling" teenage girls to join (it's a joke).

As for the "selective enough" comment, I don't like to recruit "just another warm body." You may, but I pick and choose the people I actively try to recruit.

[Walkman]

The mall, IMO, would be a good place to recruit people.  You get a good mix, parents bringing their kids out to shop (if they're spending money anyway, why not on CAP ), professionals going to the various "professional" stores, kids 12+, etc.  Not only would it build awareness, but there is a pretty diverse crowd to select from.

I was thinking about just hanging out passing out open house invites at the mall. Would a table/booth be better?

[0]

I'm not sure. The booth might be better in that you could have more than just the flyers.  If you've got a laptop with flight sim you could set that up for kids to try to whet their whistle and show them a part of what we do. 

[Cadet Tillett]

I'm not sure. The booth might be better in that you could have more than just the flyers.  If you've got a laptop with flight sim you could set that up for kids to try to whet their whistle and show them a part of what we do. 

Good idee!  Throw flying at people and they will generally be more interested.

[jimmydeanno]

The mall, IMO, would be a good place to recruit people.  You get a good mix, parents bringing their kids out to shop (if they're spending money anyway, why not on CAP ), professionals going to the various "professional" stores, kids 12+, etc.  Not only would it build awareness, but there is a pretty diverse crowd to select from.

I was thinking about just hanging out passing out open house invites at the mall. Would a table/booth be better?

I think that just passing out the flyers wouldn't create enough interest unless you were talking to each individual person you handed one to.  If you can get a table to set up, it allows people to approach you to seek information, especially if you have some goodies to hand out.  DDR can always come through with this  

Also with the table you could have some articles about your local squadron, save some of the "Steve Foscett" news articles and other national articles about CAP, put them in KIOSK mode in powerpoint playing, brochures, etc.  It all depends on how much time/investment you are willing to give to it.  The handing out method would probably be easier and you could leave at a momements notice.  A table would be more prominent and with a 'sharp dressed man' standing behind the table get the attention. 

Now another factor is your ability to interact with people.  Are you able to open conversations with people with little prompting?  Can you seem non-confrontational and low pressure when handing things out and starting those converstations?  If not, a table might ease some of that burden too...

You might be able to incorporate the sponsoring a wreath from Wreath's Across America (I don't remember when the end date is so you might want to check...) as the attention grabber and segway into talking about CAP as though you weren't originally going to recruit but happen to have an open house coming up...

Just some thoughts...

[Grumpy]

I was completely serious.  By old dude, I mean anyone who is a senior member.  Problem is in my case that's me, I'm 62.

Thank you because you confirmed what I was thinking.  I believe we will go for it.

[NIN]

Ours is the 11th. I've been bringing flyers for cadets for about 3 weeks now (beyond about a 30 day event horizon, people forget even with a flyer).

I tell my cadets "The maximum effective range of recruiting is 1 meter.  Arm's length. Everything beyond that is not recruiting, its 'advertising.' "

If you haven't seen the flyers here, give 'em a shot.  They work, and they're in Word so you can modify as desired.

(I have one that incorporates a glider picture that replaces the "Take Off" one shown there..PM/email me if you want it..)

[floridacyclist]

Flightsims are great crowd-pullers. We run one every year at the fair and this time will have 2 or 3 (we now have 10 total). If there's no line, we let them fly as long as they want..otherwise it's final approach and idle power, you crash or land - your choice.