Two weeks before their inaugural Solar Fest, programmers at Howard County Recreation & Parks were questioning whether or not to cancel the event.
Just 13 registrations had come in since event registration opened on March 2. The event – a one-day celebration of astronomy, science, engineering, and the arts, complete with crafts, games, and more – was promoted through rack cards and fliers. The event was also featured in the Spring/Summer activity guide that is mailed to all county residents.
The cost for the event was just $5 and attendees were required to preregister.
On June 29, with time running out, Anna Hunter, Marketing Director of Howard County Recreation & Parks, placed a targeted ad on Facebook to boost the Solar Fest event page. The ad targeted men and women within a 25-mile radius of Columbia, MD., covering all of Howard County. In order to cross with more potential parents and the program’s largest Facebook demographic, women 35 to 44 years old Hunter selected to specifically target men and women between the ages of 28 and 50 years old. The ad also targeted people in the specified area who had an interest in outer space, STEM fields, astronomy, or telescopes.
Nine days and $45.16 later, registration was up to 100 people and an additional 66 people registered on-site the day of the event.
The Facebook ad reached an audience of 4,144 people and it garnered 288 clicks – all for less than $50.
According to Howard County Recreation & Parks, a post-event survey found that 37.5 percent of attendees learned of the event through Facebook, and 95.83 percent of attendees said that they would likely return for the second annual Solar Fest.
Making It Work For Your Program
To learn more about paid Facebook posts, check out the extended article in the LERN Digital Library.
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