You can’t shake your supporters hands in person, but here’s some of the best ways that we’ve found will rally the community around your ride to fight MS!
The 2020 MS Brissie to the Bay has gone virtual - so how can you reach out to your supporters if you (or they) can’t get out of the house?
Be a Social butterfly
Obviously, social media can help you reach out to your friends, family and wider community. If you don’t want to fill up your feed with your updates, make an event or a group specifically counting down to your 30 for 30 Challenge! That way, your close friends and family don’t have to keep up with every. single. update. They can just see the highlights or the most amazing achievements in the lead up to June.
But, of course, everyone is on the socials. How do you stand out from the pack and get people revved up for your ride?
- Set challenges before your challenge
Getting someone to support you can be difficult if you don’t know exactly what you’re supporting; so, to get everyone inspired for your 30 for 30 Challenge, you can set up mini-challenges to incorporate in to your training!
Give your supporters some options to sponsor a distance or fitness goal like $50 per 75km or $30 for 50 burpees in a week – and make sure you prove it! Try using Instagram and Facebook Live or stories to show that you are a person of your word! - Go left field
Nobody remembers the normal, everyday things that happen: but you would remember that time you sponsored someone in the ride to fight MS and they dyed their hair green!
Lean in to the wild ride, and do something that your team of supporters would never expect their donation to get. You don’t have to grow a mullet or wax your legs (but you can!).
Promise to send a thank you video with a dance to a song of your supporters choice, send photographic evidence of doing your training in a costume, or give them a coupon that you’ll clean their kitchen on a date of their choosing if they donate over a certain amount (it would take a pretty big donation for me to do that!) - Remind, remind, remind!
Everybody’s had that moment when they see something that they’d love to support, but they can’t get to it today, or there’s no room in the budget that month… That means every single one of your supporters will scroll past your post on Facebook or Instagram, maybe they’ll even like it – but it will get lost as soon as their finger flicks and they scroll past it!
Maybe once a fortnight consider sending out a post giving some highlights of your training from the last two weeks and what’s ahead to get everyone to rally around the next stage of your training.
Don’t forget direct messaging, emailing of sending a text is the MOST effective way to get a donation – everyone gets busy and forget to commit to supporting, but the intention is there - a gentle reminder never hurt anyone!
Go back to the old ways
While everyone is getting their updates on the world from smartphones or another screen; one way to stand out is to get old school: if you personally write out some letters asking for support, with why you’re doing it, you’re sure to stand out with a physical piece of mail, as opposed to getting lost in the churn of the daily scroll through the newsfeed.
And we don’t mean that you have to head out to the post office to buy stamps, you can reintroduce yourself to the neighbours with a note popped in their letterbox (or meet some of them for the first time… from a safe social distance!). Who knows? You might even convince them to join your team and do their own 30 for 30 Challenge!
Of course, if you don’t know those on your block very well, asking them for money straight up is a bit cheeky: we’ve got some posters on our Downloads page that you can fold in with a little note about why you’re doing the 30 for 30 Challenge, what it means to you, and how they can get in touch with you for more information and pop in to their mailbox. Even if they don’t sponsor you, you might just get to know the neighbourhood a bit better than you already do!
Get a corporate sponsorship
We don’t mean getting into a glass boardroom on the top floor and negotiating a deal (although, if you’re lucky enough to be that connected, go ahead!).
If you’re not already competing with your team from work – get your work mates to back your challenge, or if you can get your department onboard for a fundraiser like a virtual zoom karaoke night (which may involve paying people NOT to sing…).
Or if you have a bit of banter going with the barista at your local cafe, ask if they’re open to having a jar on the counter – you’d be surprised how many ten and twenty-cent pieces can add up over a week – even doing a little quid pro quo by sending your neighbours or your work team to pick up their coffee there, and negotiating a finders fee from every coffee/muffin/sandwich sold if they mention your ride!
For more virtual fundraising ideas, make sure you keep up to date with the MS Brissie to the Bay blog for tips and tricks on supercharging your fundraising page!
As always, please check the latest public health updates from the relevant authorities, keep to the left when riding on the road and stay safe!
