Cool Commentary on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
Social Media has drastically changed the world of fund raising – a perfect example is the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. What started out as a friend-to-friend challenge, turned into one of the most successful and expansive fundraisers we have ever seen!
It all began with friends and family nominating each other to do silly, random challenges, if they did not wish to complete the challenge they were requested to donate to a charity of their choice. Then a local man from Yonkers, NY challenged his nominees to dump ice water over their head or donated to ALS – and it stuck!
So why do people love the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge? Because it’s funny, different, and amusing; it rides on our competitiveness (who uses the biggest bucket, who puts on the funniest show, who pays up, etc); and makes the nominee the star of the show!
What can we learn from the challenge? Audiences are no longer interested in basic content; they want to be engaged and to become a part of the content. This is a point that we often make to our clients: you need to take chances and spice things up. As seen with the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, you will never know what just might go viral. Donors are on social media: so it is no longer just about embracing the moment – it is all about capturing and sharing the moment.
“When I post pictures at events we plan at Cappa Crucy my friends always ask me how they can get tickets to the next one” -Shelby
Social media can sometimes seem like a daunting task. A first step to entering into this digital world could be having a live social media wall at your event. You will come up with a unique hashtag for your event (#bestpartyever) and people that use it will have their posts seen on the screen. This also creates a hybrid event, where your guests don’t need to physically be there to participate. They can post and donate from a far, even if that means on their couch binge-watching Netflix shows. One of our trusted vendors, VeeKast, provides interactive screen content at events including social media walls. They also have fundraising thermometers, slide shows, and live silent auction services with text-to-bid. These are some simple ways to add in technology and social media to your event to change it up & increase engagement, without breaking the bank.
Contact us for more information on VeeKast or how to socially enhance your fundraiser! Lastly, I nominate YOU to share your successful social media stories or ideas with the #CappyCrucyCommentary on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter or comment below!
