Big Bike Revival delivery partners promotion support hub
Once your grant funding application has been approved, the next step is to get people to turn up to your events. Whatever events you plan to run, getting the word out is essential for success. We know that getting your message out can be challenging, so we’ve worked alongside the Big Bike Revival delivery partner community to provide expert advice designed to support you at every stage of your event promotion journey.
Contents
- Event promotion essentials
- Spread the word: effective word of mouth strategies
- Eye-catching posters and flyers: design and distribution tips
- Making headlines: leveraging local press
- Social media success: amplifying your event online
- Picture perfect: using photography to promote your event
- Unleash your creativity with Canva
- Give us your feedback
Event promotion essentials
In this short video, our delivery partners explain how it is important to promote your event by using a mixture of methods that are easy for everyone to engage with. Watch to learn more about how partners have used word of mouth, social media, and posters and flyers to get people to their events.
A basic guide to event promotion
Here’s a two-page guide that explains more about the general ways that you can reach your target audience. Click on the icon to download your free guide and learn more about the basics of event promotion:
Spread the word: effective word of mouth strategies
When it comes to getting people to find out about your event, you will achieve a lot of success by going out into your community and connecting with people.
Don’t underestimate the power of word of mouth. Tell everyone you meet where, when, and why your Big Bike Revival event is taking place, and why it will be so great for them to attend! Our research tells us that word of mouth is consistently the most popular way that people hear about Big Bike Revival events.
Word of mouth is probably the easiest, cheapest, and simplest way to get your message across.
A basic guide to word of mouth promotion
Read this two-page guide for more advice about who to reach out to, how to contact other groups, and general top tips about how to make the most of word of mouth.
A basic guide to word of mouth promotion
Read this two-page guide for more advice about who to reach out to, how to contact other groups, and general top tips about how to make the most of word of mouth.
Eye-catching posters and flyers: design and distribution tips
Posters and flyers help you reach people in your local community who don’t follow you or use social media, allowing you to tap into a brand-new audience.
It’s easy to include all your event information on a poster or flyer, and they are perfect for handing out to a large number of people so that they can take them away.
You can hand them out in person, drop them through letterboxes or staff in-trays, or even leave them in local hotspots where people are likely to pass and pick them up.
We put posters at our surgeries and I get so many calls from them. Doctors will send people to enquire about our learn-to-ride sessions.
A basic guide to using posters and flyers
For planning tips, location ideas, and other essential advice, read this two-page guide to making use of physical resources.
Big Bike Revival posters template
You don’t have to create your own Big Bike Revival poster from scratch. We’ve made a poster template that you’ll just need to fill in with your event details. Click the link to download your template and start editing.
Big Bike Revival posters and flyers examples
Are you stuck on what to include on your poster? Get inspiration from these poster examples created by our delivery partners.
Making headlines: leveraging local press
Getting the news of your event into the local paper is a great way to reach new audiences, attract more people to your events and tell people about your organisation.
Local newspapers are always looking to write about events in their area. Most of these media will have local event listings that you will be able to have your event included on, and you may even be featured if your event is appealing enough to them.
A basic guide to local press promotion
Read our two-page PDF guide to media promotion to boost your chances of getting your event in local press. The guide includes planning tips, advice about how to write a press release, and how to invite journalists to your event.
Big Bike Revival events in the local press
Here are some examples of how Big Bike Revival events have featured in local media:
- York-based charity Everybody’s Cycling in the York Press: York charity Everybody's Cycling joins 'Big Bike Revival'
- Tame Valley Mountain Bike Association in the Tameside Correspondent: Get on your bike for a wheel-y great way of seeing the Tameside area
- Preston Pedals Community Hub in Blog Preston: Preston Pedals running free cycling events through June and July
Social media success: amplifying your event online
A great way to spread information quickly and cheaply is through social media. Social media has become a powerful tool for promoting events in today's digital age.
With millions of people using a variety of platforms, it allows events to reach a wide audience and encourages engagement.
We have created a WhatsApp group and we send messages telling people when the ride is.
A basic guide to social media promotion
The many opportunities to use social media to promote your event may seem overwhelming and first but don’t worry. Cycling UK has created this handy two-page guide to give you an introduction to how best to use social media.
Download the guide for straightforward advice on how to increase your followers, what platforms to use as well as what and when to post.
Remember to use the #BigBikeRevival hashtag and tag Cycling UK in all your posts.
Big Bike Revival social media post templates
Cycling UK has created a variety of social media post templates for you to use across platforms.
Header images
Share posts
Quote cards
Big Bike Revival social media post examples
Here are some great examples of how Big Bike revival events have been promoted via social media.
Picture perfect: using photography to promote your event
Using great photos can encourage people to come along to your upcoming events. The best way to showcase your events is through engaging imagery. Photos can also encourage people to attend when they see people ‘like them’ enjoying cycling.
A basic guide to taking photos at your event
Read the two-page guide for how to plan and take a great photo at your next Big Bike Revival event.
Examples of good photography
Here is an example of a good photo taken by one of our delivery partners.
- Not posed: YES
- With their bikes: YES
- Action shot, head on: YES
Examples of not so good photography
Here is an example of what you should avoid when taking photos at your event.
- Riders too far away
- Can only see the back of people
Unleash your creativity with Canva
Cycling UK provides delivery partners with a range of templated promotional material, such as posters and social media images, that can be edited using a free online design tool called Canva. Watch this tutorial video to learn how to use and customise templates in Canva.
Give us your feedback
If this page is missing advice to help promote your event or if you've got tips that will help your fellow delivery partners, please contact your cycling development officer. Alternatively, you can let us know what you think by completing this feedback form.
We need our delivery partners to share their content with us to build this community resource and help the Big Bike Revival create more happier, healthier and greener lives through cycling.