25 Marketing Strategies for your Youth Projects and Venture

Many of you have project ideas you want to kick off the ground. Some of you have already launched some ideas. The need to market your project, venture or organization is something that cannot be ruled out as it is necessary to promote what you do and get support. We believe that as you seek for opportunities across the globe to enhance your skills, further your work or gain relevance, some marketing strategies will be a good help for your projects or ventures.

Marketing Strategies

The following is a list of twenty five ways to market your Project - as identified by Ashoka's Youth Venture. Some of these options may be more relevant to your Venture than others. This isn’t an exhaustive list; be creative and keep developing new ways to let people know about your Venture!

1. Create a website for your project. This can be done free through Wordpress or Blogger.
2. Write a newsletter that you send out periodically—by email or regular mail—to update people on your Project’s activities.
3. Keep a blog about your project. Write frequently - once or twice a week - on any activities around your venture.
4. Keep a bulletin board with up-to-date information about your project.
5. Develop a logo that people will recognize and associate with your project.
6. Create T-shirts, pens, and other merchandise with your name and logo.
7. Create posters and ask permission to hang them in your school, at local businesses, and around town.
8. Set up informational tables during school lunches, in student unions, or at community events. Create a large sign with your logo for your table.
9. Distribute your business cards whenever you can.
10. Learn how to talk about your project—then tell everyone about it!
11. Use testimonials. Ask someone supportive for a quote about your Venture and then include that quote in flers, newsletters, and other promotional materials.
12. Create a video that highlights your Venture’s activities. You can post this video on your website, show it at events, and distribute it to supporters and potential supporters of your Venture.
13. Hold events that appeal to many types of people.
14. Write a press release whenever big events or activities occur and send it to local newspapers, TV stations, and other types of media.
15. Invite local newspapers to your events.
16. Advertise upcoming events on the local radio or in local newspapers.
17. Publicize events and meetings on your school’s morning announcements or in your school’s newspaper.
18. Call people directly on the phone to tell them about upcoming events.
19. Use free classified ads on the Internet or in local newspapers.
20. Take pictures at all of your events. These pictures may come in handy later when you’re creating fl yers and brochures.
21. Connect with already-established organizations that would be willing to talk about or support your project.
22. Send flyers and brochures through email or regular mail to as many people as possible.
23. Barter your service/product for other services/products that your project needs.
24. Mail postcards to community members to advertise your Venture and request donations.
25. Offer gift certificates or coupons for free or reduced-cost products and services.

Culled from Ashoka's Youth Venture "Dream It. Do It." Action Kit.