Project Purpose & Objectives
The purpose of this project was to elevate the Rexburg’s Favorite Things social media through event promotion, social media management, and digital marketing. My goal was to create awareness of experiences that connected local businesses with the community while creating excitement for these annual events. Some of these events include Dancing with the Rexburg Stars, and the Rexburg’s Favorite Things Christmas Market.
The Project
Events Promoted and Work Produced
Dancing with the Rexburg Stars
Dancing with the Rexburg Stars was the first event that I was able to be a part of. This event was to raise money for the Madison School District. I helped work with a team to post creative, engaging content to draw the crowd in. However, my main job for this event was to photograph the event to be able to use those images as content for next year’s marketing team. This event was a huge success throughout the community, and we were able to raise over $13,000 dollars for the school district. Seeing the community come together and support a common goal reminded me of all the good that local support can do for a community.
Rexburg’s Favorite Things: Christmas Market
The Christmas Market was the center of this project, and I worked hard to help make it happen. My main role in this event was to get the word out and create fun, engaging content to draw the community in.
To do this, I created ads, videos, social media posts, and infographics. I highlighted vendors, showed off fun, little details about the event, and got people excited. .
One of the most exciting and creative parts of this event was the scavenger event that was involved. We hid envelopes with coupons and prized around town which drew people to those businesses and got them interested in and interacting with the Market.
The turnout for the event was amazing and we were so amazed at how rewarding this event was. One of the best things that came from this event for the social media, was all of the photos, videos, and content that was created that day that can be used for future marketing of the event.
Stocking Project for Foster Children
The Stocking Project for Foster Children was an initiative to provide foster children in southern Idaho with a Christmas stocking. My role in this project was to get the word out for this event through social media and paid ads. I created videos and posts that informed people of where and when the event would be, and how they could help this cause. The response that we got from the community was amazing and something that still inspires me.
Challenges
One of the biggest challenges I faced while doing the marketing for Rexburg’s Favorite Things was that their social media accounts hadn’t been used or active in years. This created issues in increasing engagement and interest in our events. Even though I would post engaging content consistently and target our target market, our social media never reached the level of engagement I was hoping for.
Another challenge I faced was being a part of so many different events at once. Between Dancing with the Rexburg Stars, the Christmas Market, and the Stocking Project, there was a lot to juggle. To make sure that I stayed organized, I had a planner where I would write all meeting times, social media posts, ads being ran, and events down to make sure I didn’t miss anything.
Project Processes
- Research and Plan: Before I started marketing or posting about an event, I would research and analyze the data specific to each platform and audience. This allowed me to create the best content calendar and posting strategy possible by strongly targeting our main audience.
- Content Creation: I took and edited photos and videos to be used on the social media pages. I designed informational posts to be used to market through targeted ads. I wanted our audience to feel drawn to the events, so I also made sure that all posts and ads felt personal and purposeful.
- Managing Social Media: I used tools like Meta Business Suite to schedule posts, run ads, and keep track of analytics and data. I also made sure that I was active in the group Facebook pages and responded to questions, comments, and concerns.
- Collaboration with Businesses: I worked closely with vendors and local businesses to make sure that all events ran smoothly and were marketed through all channels available. Communication and teamwork were a big part of what made these events so successful.
- Adjusting Based on Results: I paid attention to what pieces of content were performing well and would adjust our content calendar and posts accordingly.
Overview
Throughout this project, I was able to gain hands-on experience in event management, event marketing, and social media management. I learned three major lessons during my time volunteering with Rexburg’s Favorite Things.
Working on Dancing with the Rexburg Stars taught me the importance of teamwork and clear communication. I learned that when planning events, this is one of the most important factors because otherwise, no one would understand what was going on.
The Rexburg’s Favorite Things: Christmas Market was my main focus when volunteering with this company. I was able to be involved from start to finish and see my ideas come to life. I was able to create ads, organize scavenger hunts, and promote the event as a whole. I loved being able to see families and businesses sharing the Christmas spirit with one another. With this project, I learned how to balance creativity and organization to get the even marketed in fun ways while still being informative.
The Stocking for Foster Care was a more personal experience for me. Being able to promote such a meaningful project truly showed me the power of community and service. We were able to get so many people to come together and bless those foster children’s lives through service. This project will always hold a special place in my heart.
Insights & Takeaways
Working on these projects taught me life lessons that I will take with me wherever I go.
- Good Content Matters: Consistently posting high-quality, engaging content is the best way to build interest and get those in the community involved.
- Community is Important: Working with local businesses and the community taught me how special and impactful projects like this can be.
- Preparation is Key: Making sure that all of your content is organized and able to be posted smoothly is essential to running social media and digital marketing ad campaigns.
- Be Flexible: Adjusting your original plan or idea does not mean that you’ve failed. It means that you are learning, growing, and finding a better path to success.
Conclusion
Working with Rexburg’s Favorite Things was an amazing experience I will never forget. I was able to bring events to life, bring communities together, and spread awareness of great causes, like Madison Education System and Stocking for Foster Care. I loved being a part of a company that brought good everywhere it went.
Not only did I get to serve others, I was also able to gain invaluable insights into social media and marketing. This project taught me about planning, teamwork, and creativity. I am so excited to take what I learned and use it in my future career and everyday life.