How do we promote this event?

[MMM]

#46710 |

How do you think we should promote or advertise this event in order to attract enough hikers to participate? Do we need to be anywhere beyond AlpineZone.com, or do we think we will attact enough hikers via this website?

I think we should strive to effectively get the word out there without losing our grassroots, hiker community origins. But do we want anyone beyond the hiking community to be aware of our event (i.e. via the media)?

[RJ]

#48573

That is a tough question. I would like to stay within the grassroots level as long as possible. If, however, we are a month away from the event and we still do not have enough people, we can then reach out beyond the hiking community via the general media (i.e. newspapers, WMUR, etc). We could also write an article for some of the hiking magazines explaining our hike and asking for volunteers.

[Greg]

#48574

We should certainly keep this thing as ‘grassroots’ as possible. Feel free to refer family and friends who are hikers to this forum and the upcoming Web page. Believe me, word of mouth goes a long way.

AlpineZone is currently seeing over 7,000 unique visitors per month. This will surly increase as the skiing season draws near (traffic can double in the winter). Hopefully folks stopping by to the skiing forums above will see this forum and check it out to learn more about the event. I also suspect there are a lot of lurkers on these boards that don’t actively post – just have a look at some of the threads’ view counts. In the mean time spread the word.

The AMC Hiker’s Journal board may also be a great place to promote this but I’m a bit reluctant to post anything there as I’ve gotten some flack for posting links to the site in the past. There are a bunch of other boards out there where this event can be promoted, but again I’m taking a hands-off approach.

Any other thoughts?

[Frodo]

#48575

Word of mouth does go a long way. I have been spreading it and have gotten about 20 hiking friends to verbally sign on. I also think that when we do decide to start spreading the word officially, we should use the many online bulletin boards, (Alpinezone, AMC, RMC, Lexicom) and if we still don’t have enough support next Aug, we could move to more drastic methods (newspapers/magazines)

[RJ]

#48576

Experience has taught me as of late that hiking boards can be informative, yet they can also deteriorate into petty squabbling rather quickly without warning. Before we post on other hiking boards, lets have all our logistics voted on thereby eliminating the “Troll’s” ability to pick a fight. If everything has been “lock-down” so to speak, their only option is to do the hike or not.

[Alpinista]

#48577

Word of mouth in the hiking community will certainly help the most with this event. The key question is: do you want the word out to get as many people involved as possible or to capture the interest of the media? If it’s the former, I would say BBS’ such as this one will do the trick. If it’s the latter, I would alert The Associated Press in Concord, NH, about a month ahead of time.

The AP has what is known as a “daybook,” which is a listing of public and newsworthy events that goes to just about every TV, radio and newspaper in the state.

I wouldn’t worry too much about a flock of media. It is logistically very difficult for to lug a TV camera up to a summit. My guess is that the media actually going along on a hike would be confined to an AP reporter and a scribe from the Union Leader. The rest of the media, if interested at all, would be content with shots from the valley below.

Gee, can you tell I’m in the media? 😉

[Lisamarie]

#48578

When it gets closer to the time you can put something on the Off Season Sports Forum on Epicski.com. The Boston area gym I work at does a good deal of hiking, so I can put up some info. Of course, flyers at stores like Bob Smith’s or EMS is another option, depending on how big you want to make it.

[pedxing]

#48579

Ill post a link at some of the boards I visit often enough to not look like a promoter coming from the outside.

I’ll sign up for one of the unclaimed peaks at some point.

I notice on the AMC board that someone is talking about taking a flag to Katahdin. Has anyone heard about flag raisings palnned for other states? (If notification goes up in enough places, perhaps it will catch on elsewhere).

[Greg]

#48580

Thanks pedxing. If everyone helps spread the word, the message will get out there.

Actually, it looks like it already has as almost half the peaks are accounted for!

[Frodo]

#48581

Even though things have been going extemely well after only 2 days, we should still go into phase II. This is just the first wave of initial supporters, and things will very likely slow down with just a few people signing on every now and then over the next few weeks. We also can’t have too many supporters…….

[Greg]

#48582

Does anyone think it’s worthwhile to post this event in VFTT’s new Trips / Events forum? It’s already mentioned in Q&A and we don’t want to be redundant, but the new forum is a better place to ‘announce’ it.

[Frodo]

#48583

I think it is a good idea to post there, but I personally think that we should wait a week or so, concidering the post about the event is still there.

[Mediahound]

#48584

Greetings,
I am planning to write a column about Flags on the 48, but postings here are equivocal about the general attitude about publicity.
I’d like to chat with a hiker(s) planning to do one of the 48 and also generally inquire whether it would be OK to mention the mountains that aren’t yet spoken for in my column…
Cheers, and hope to chat with one or more of you soon.

[Greg]

#48585

@Mediahound wrote:

…whether it would be OK to mention the mountains that aren’t yet spoken for in my column…

Welcome Mediahound! I suppose it would depend on where your column appears. Who do you write for? Again, I think that the consensus is that this event should be kept as “grassroots” as possible. I think the goal is to avoid a big media circus (no offense) while still getting the word out. There are currently only 7 peaks that still need support, so I think we’re in pretty good shape. Any other thoughts?

Of course it would be neat to have some coverage of the event, but I imagine nobody wants CNN flying helicopters through the WMNF that day. Maybe I’m wrong? What are others’ feelings?

[Mediahound]

#48586

Thank you fo the kind welcome, Greg.
I write for The Telegraph, which serves Nashua and towns from the Mascenic to Pelham/Windham and on up to Bedford. Obviously we also cover statewide news.
My plan is to file a column for Friday’s edition that basically lets readers know about the event – the wheres, whys and such – and shows them an example of a mountain they could climb (one I climbed, by no coincidence) if so inclined, along with general hiking stuff.
Much of my work time is spoken for, so I’m not certain about coverage on the day itself, but whatever I do won’t involve helicopters or tracked vehicles.

[Author]

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