Promoting an Event

How to get the word out about any WMI event: an open house, a class, a work day or a public event. One person can do all of it. For the words to use, start from Standard Descriptions and Boilerplate; for colors, fonts and the logo, see Brand Guidelines.

To be confirmed: who holds the logins for the WMI Facebook Page, Instagram, Nextdoor, Canva, Eventbrite and Google Business Profile accounts, and who to ask for access. Ask admin@waukeshamakers.com in the meantime.

Where to post

Where	What	Who it reaches
Facebook (WMI Page and a Facebook Event)	Event, feed posts, Stories	Local community, friends of members
Instagram	Feed post, Stories	Younger audience, visual discovery
Nextdoor (WMI business page)	Post	Waukesha-area neighbors
Discord #general	Message	Current members
Wild Apricot	Email to members	Current members (volunteer help, inviting friends)
Community calendars	Event listing	People actively looking for something to do

Post from the WMI Page or business account, never from your personal profile.

Timeline

When	What
2 weeks before	Create the Facebook Event and submit the event to the community calendars (below).
About 1 week before	Make the graphics. Post the first announcement on Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor and Discord. Send the member email.
A few days before	Post a second round with a different angle.
Day before or day of	Post short reminders on Facebook and Instagram Stories.
Day after	Post a recap with photos and the date of the next event.

Step 1: Make the graphics in Canva

The WMI Canva account has the brand kit set up, and saved templates for recurring events. Duplicate the template, never edit the original.

1. Find the event's template in the team designs and make a copy.
2. Update the date and time. Check the logo, the address and any "Free" wording.
3. Download as PNG.

Make two sizes:

• Square, 1080 x 1080: the main graphic for Facebook, Instagram and Nextdoor posts.
• Facebook Event cover, 1920 x 1005.

If there is no template for this kind of event, start from the brand kit so the fonts and colors match.

Step 2: Create the Facebook Event

1. On the WMI Facebook Page, go to Events and choose Create Event, In Person.
2. Fill in the name, date and time, the address (2111 S West Ave, Unit 58, Waukesha, WI 53189), a description, the cover image and a category such as Community or Workshop.
3. Set tickets to Free (if it is free) and visibility to Public.
4. Share it on the Page, and ask members to click Going or Interested, which pushes it to their friends' feeds.

A description that works for most events:

[Event name] at Waukesha Makerspace

[Two or three sentences: what happens and who it is for.]

Free. Open to everyone. No experience needed.

[Day, date | time]
2111 S West Ave, Unit 58, Waukesha, WI 53189
waukeshamakers.com

Only describe what will really happen. Open houses are tours and conversation only: no equipment demos or hands-on activities for visitors. Do not promise "try it yourself" unless the event is a class or workshop designed for that.

Step 3: First announcement

• Facebook Page: post the square graphic with a short caption: what it is, when, where, and the event link. Then post in the Facebook Event too.
• Instagram feed post: same graphic and caption, plus a few hashtags (#waukeshamakerspace #makerspace #waukesha #waukeshawi). Instagram captions are not clickable, so update the link in the WMI bio to point at the event page and say "Link in bio".
• Instagram Story: the graphic with a Link sticker to the event page.
• Nextdoor: post from the business page with the graphic, the address and the link.
• Discord #general: tell members about the event, ask them to invite friends, and ask for help on the day if the event needs it.

Step 4: Member email (Wild Apricot)

Send an email to active members from Wild Apricot admin (Emails, New Email). Use it to ask for help (giving tours, answering questions, or simply being in the shop working on a project) and to ask members to share the event link with friends. Keep the ask small: "Even 30 minutes makes a difference. You don't need to sign up, just show up."

Step 5: Second round

A few days later, post again on Facebook and Instagram with a different angle. Most people did not see the first post. Pick one:

• Spotlight the space: one interesting piece of equipment or one area of the shop.
• Speak to the curious: "Been curious about Waukesha Makerspace? This is your chance to walk through the shop and see if it's a fit."
• Use a real photo of the shop or members working, instead of the graphic.

On Nextdoor, only post again if the first post has dropped out of sight, and never twice on the same day.

Step 6: Reminders and recap

• Day of (late morning to mid-afternoon): an Instagram Story with "Tonight!" and the link, and a short text post on the Facebook Page.
• During the event: take photos of people touring, talking and working, so you have material for the recap and the next promotion.
• Day after: post one to three of the best photos on Facebook and Instagram with a thank-you and the date of the next event.

Community calendars

Many sites list local events for free. People who browse them are looking for something to do, so a listing can bring in visitors who have never heard of WMI. Submit about two weeks before the event.

Calendar	Notes
Facebook Events	Most important, because members share it.
Eventbrite	Free for free events. Listings show up in web searches for local events. Create the event, add a free "General Admission" ticket, publish.
Patch.com (Waukesha)	Add the event on the Waukesha Patch calendar, category Community or Education.
GMToday.com / Waukesha Freeman	Look for the community calendar or "Submit Event" form. If there is none, email the event to the editorial desk with the subject "Community Event Submission: [Event Name] [Date]".
City of Waukesha calendar (waukesha-wi.gov)	Look for "Community Calendar" or "Submit an Event". Low traffic, but adds legitimacy.
Lake Country Family Fun	Family-friendly events only.
Google Business Profile	In the WMI business profile, Add update, Event. The event then shows on the WMI Google Maps listing.
Meetup.com	Optional. Running a WMI group costs money; instead, ask organizers of existing local maker, DIY or tech groups if you can share the event with them.

Every listing needs the event name, date and time, address, a short description, a photo and a link to the event page on waukeshamakers.com.

Tips for better listings

• Always include a photo. Listings with images get far more clicks.
• Say "Free" prominently if it is free.
• Include parking information.
• Keep it scannable: short paragraphs and bullets.
• Give it a name people want to click. A themed name ("Holiday Gift-Making Open House", "Make Something Saturday") draws more interest than a plain title.