Tip #1: Executive Sponsorship
Visit.org has seen higher rates of engagement when the leadership team participates.
Invite the leadership team to sponsor an experience and cause they care about and ask them to do a one-minute welcome at the beginning of the event.
Include “Sponsored by” on marketing communications.
Allow executives to select their experiences in advance of the company.
Tip #2: Emphasize impact on the Nonprofit or Social Venture
Your employees are not just attending another internal company meeting – they’re using their time and their talents to make an impact on a nonprofit who otherwise might not have this access to your employee population. It’s also a great opportunity for the nonprofit or social venture to spread awareness of their mission, potentially generating independent engagement after the event.
Remind team members that the nonprofit receives a donation for providing this activity and the more people that volunteer, the more they receive. This means that “no-shows” have a direct impact on the donation amount the nonprofit receives.
Tip #3: Set Goals - people love a goal!
Set and share your participation goals with your staff at a company all-hands.
Encourage healthy competition between teams or departments – and then acknowledge/celebrate the team(s) with the highest turnout after the event.
Suggest a buddy registration system: this is also a great way to encourage engagement with newer employees.
Tip #4: Use Scarce Language (and maybe emojis 📣 🤝 🙋)
Drive urgency by including specific calls to action in your subject lines
“(Limited Seating!)”
“Save your spot:”
“Don’t miss out!”
“Only a few spots left!”
“Hurry, there’s limited seating!”
“Action Required:”
Depending on your company culture, adding emojis to subject lines and calendar invites can differentiate your event as a fun and engaging experience for staff to connect with colleagues and the community
Tip #5: Ambassadors
ERGs, Culture Clubs, and HR teams can be your best ambassadors, so we recommend leveraging these groups to amplify your message.
Select an ambassador for each event that will be responsible for helping to increase participation.
Reward ambassadors by upskilling them with courses, offering first access to company events, etc.
Tip #6: Recognize Ambassadors and Top Participants
Regularly showing employees that you recognize and appreciate their efforts is a simple gesture that goes a long way to make them feel valued.
Giving employees a platform to acknowledge their peers; feeling respected and appreciated by their team members will help employees become more engaged.
Weekly or monthly, nominate an individual or a department that exhibits core values.
Reward employees who sign up first or regularly participate. Reward top participants or departments with a gift card, or company swag.
Tip #7: Promote
Invite and remind employees about the upcoming experiences.
Send communications via email, newsletters, company intranets, and internal channels like Slack or Teams
View a sample invitation, one-week reminder email, and a 4-day reminder email.
We know teams driving these initiatives are often lean, and we are here to support you. Reach out to your Account Manager with any questions or to request photos, videos, sample emails, or other marketing materials to help increase employee engagement!
Warmly,
Visit.org