9 Easy Ways to Promote Your School Holiday Shop

By Kids' Kastle Holiday Shoppes on November 15, 2024 / Holiday Fundraising, School Fundraising Tips

9 Easy Ways to Promote Your School Holiday Shop

At Kids’ Kastle, we know how exciting (and a little overwhelming) planning school holiday shops can be! Whether you’re a seasoned PTA member or new to organizing school fundraisers, promoting your holiday shop is key to its success.

Don’t worry— promoting your school holiday shop can be simple, effective, and achievable for every school. Dive in to 9 ways to promote your school holiday fundraiser that will make it the talk of the school!

1. Spread the Word About Your School Holiday Shop Early

The earlier you promote your school holiday shop, the better! Start sharing details 4–6 weeks before the event, if not sooner. Send home flyers in backpacks, include announcements in your school’s newsletters, and post updates on the school’s website.

Early communication ensures parents and students can mark their calendars and get excited about shopping for gifts! Get the hype going on social media and with posters on the windows so no one can miss it when they come to visit or pick up their child.

2. Leverage Social Media for the Best School Holiday Shop Promo

Social media is one of the easiest ways to promote your school holiday shop in 2024. Use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X to share posts, countdowns, and sneak peeks of the items students can buy.

You can also create a Facebook event for your holiday shop to keep everyone in the loop. Encourage parents to share posts with friends and family to spread the word even further. Make your posts sharable, have easy to read graphics, and don’t be afraid to tag people who are interested.

Bonus: partner with local businesses so they will cross-promote your school holiday shop fundraiser on their feeds.

3. Send Reminders Regularly with School Holiday Shop Details

Life gets busy, and sometimes parents need a little nudge. About a week before the holiday shop, send a friendly reminder email or text blast. Mention the dates, times, and location of the shop, and include a brief list of the items available. Make this a weekly reminder during the final month countdown – we all know how easy the holidays can distract us!

Tip: Attach a budget envelope or shopping checklist for students to bring to the event. Parents will appreciate the extra help in planning.

4. Promote Your Holiday Shop with Eye-Catching Posters

Bright, colorful posters are a great way to capture attention in hallways, classrooms, and common areas. Include the shop’s name, your theme for the year, dates, times, and a brief description, like: “Find the perfect gifts for family and friends at affordable prices!”

You can even make this a fun project by involving students in designing the posters. The more involved students and the PTA are, the more word of mouth your holiday shop will get. Plus, local businesses may be willing to pitch in supplies or help promote the shop.

5. Host a Kickoff Event to Get the Holiday Shop Started

Why not start your school holiday shop with a little fanfare? Host a kickoff event or assembly to build excitement. You could show off some of the gift items, explain how the shop works, and highlight how this school fundraiser supports the school.

A kickoff event is a fantastic way to answer questions and get everyone looking forward to the big day. Plus, it gives everyone a chance to ask their questions and prepare so there are fewer hiccups or confusion the day of – win-win!

6. Holiday Shops Should be Reminded During Morning Announcements

Morning announcements are perfect for quick reminders about your school holiday shop. In the days leading up to the event, share fun facts about the shop, highlight popular gift ideas, or give a shoutout to volunteers helping to make it happen. Mix it up so students and faculty don’t just tone it out, but find new reasons to get excited.

For example:
“Good morning! Don’t forget, the Kids’ Kastle Holiday Shop opens this Friday! Come pick out amazing gifts for your family and friends! Our theme is ‘winter wonderland’ so dress your winter best while you shop!”

7. School Holiday Shops Should Be Festive

Set the scene by decorating the holiday shop area in your theme of the year. Festive decorations like string lights, garlands, and holiday music can make the shopping experience feel extra special for students.

Parents and volunteers can also dress up in holiday attire to add to the festive atmosphere. When students have fun, they’ll want to spread the word to their friends. Pick a theme to easily get attention and one that is friendly for every winter holiday celebration.

8. Engage Volunteers - They Are the Magic Behind the School Holiday Shop

Your school holiday shop will shine with the help of parent and teacher volunteers. Ask for their support early, and encourage them to help promote the event. Volunteers can talk it up during parent-teacher meetings, sports events, or even while chatting in the carpool line.

More buzz means more shoppers, and more shoppers mean a more successful school fundraising promotion! Ask your volunteers what they need and make it easy for them to get involved.

9. Partner with Local Businesses As an Added Bonus to School Holiday Fundraiser

Team up with nearby businesses to promote your school holiday shop. Ask local coffee shops or stores to hang up posters or include your event in their community bulletins. Some businesses may even donate small items or services to support your school fundraiser. It’s a win-win situation that benefits everyone in the community!

Need more ideas? Check out how to promote your school holiday shop entirely online: How to Promote Your Virtual School Fundraiser

Make Your Holiday School Fundraiser a Success

Promoting your school holiday shop doesn’t have to be complicated. With these nine tips, you’ll create excitement, boost attendance, and maximize your fundraiser’s potential. At Kids’ Kastle, we’re here to help you every step of the way. Together, let’s make this year’s holiday shop one to remember!

Promoting your school holiday shop may seem like a big task, but with these easy steps, success is within reach. Kids’ Kastle is cheering you on—happy planning!

FAQs About Promoting Your School Holiday Shop

How far in advance should we start promoting our school holiday shop?
We recommend starting 4–6 weeks before the event. This gives everyone plenty of time to plan and get excited.

How can I get parents more involved in promoting the event?
Involve parents by asking them to volunteer, share social media posts, or spread the word at school events. Sending emails and providing flyers can also encourage participation.

What if our school doesn’t have a large budget for promotions?
No problem! Many promotion strategies, like social media posts, morning announcements, and DIY posters, are completely free. Focus on creativity and enthusiasm to make a big impact.

How can I make our shop stand out from others?
Make your shop festive and fun! Decorations, music, and friendly volunteers create an inviting atmosphere. Highlight unique or popular gifts in your promotions.

What if parents ask about the quality of the gifts?
Reassure them that Kids’ Kastle carefully selects affordable, high-quality items that kids and parents will love. Share sneak peeks of the products to build excitement.

Can we promote the shop during other school events?
Absolutely! Mention your holiday shop during PTA meetings, parent nights, and school assemblies to reach a wider audience.

What should I include in social media posts?
Share the shop’s dates, times, and highlights. Include photos of the gift items or past events. Be friendly and engaging—let your enthusiasm shine!

How can we make students excited about the shop?
Host a kickoff event, show sneak peeks of the items, and let students decorate the posters. When students are excited, they’ll encourage their parents to participate.

What’s the most important thing to remember when promoting a holiday shop?
Keep it simple and fun! Enthusiasm is contagious, and a well-promoted holiday shop can be a highlight of the school year.

How to Use Social Media for Spring School Fundraising 2024

By Kids' Kastle Holiday Shoppes on March 12, 2024 / High School Fundraising, School Fundraising Tips, Spring School Fundraising

How to Use Social Media for Spring School Fundraising 2024

Springtime is coming our way and with it comes new Spring fundraisers for 2024 – Easter eggs, special treats, Smencils, pretzel snacks, and more. This time of year, we get a lot of PTA members, teachers, and even students asking how they can better improve their high school fundraising promotion.

One of the top ways to promote your school fundraiser this year is with social media. Social media for school fundraisers is fast, affordable, endless, and can get everyone involved in the event. Take a look at some of our top tips on how to use social media to promote your school fundraiser this Spring 2024.

11 Ways to Promote School Fundraisers with Social Media

Boost Your Spring School Fundraiser on Different Platforms

The first tip to using social media to promote your school fundraiser is to use different platforms. Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok all offer different avenues, audiences, and content creation.

To pick the right platforms, you want to consider who your audience is and how you plan on promoting your Spring school fundraiser. If you are selling primarily to the community or parents, Facebook and Instagram are very popular.

For more commercial-focused goods that benefit local businesses, LinkedIn offers a good opportunity. If you’re trying to reach an audience beyond your local community, Twitter/X and TikTok offer viral opportunities and a larger audience.

Involve Students in the Marketing Creation

Content is best when it’s exciting and engaging and the best people to help with that are the students. Students who are involved in the fundraiser, marketing, tech, or art programs are a great source! And it helps them practice real-life marketing and content creation scenarios.

Reach out to other classes, grades, and student groups to get students involved. Offer tasks like writing ad slogans, sharing the media, creating videos, and more to engage everyone in the program. This also takes tasks away from the PTA and parents while giving students valuable experience and learning opportunities.

Take Behind the Scenes Videos

If you need content ideas, behind-the-scenes videos are always a huge success in promoting school fundraisers on social media. Behind-the-scenes videos are personable, easy to make, and make the audience feel a part of the action.

Whether it’s unpacking the products, showing set-up for the fundraiser event, taking videos of the planning process, or something else entirely, get people in on the action with behind-the-scenes sneak peeks.

Share Photos of the Products

The best way to promote what you’re selling is to show what you’re selling. Share photos of the products or events you’re hosting as part of the Spring school fundraiser. This could be photos supplied by your school fundraising company or photos you and the students take yourselves.

Be sure to highlight the key aspects that everyone wants from your fundraiser. Focus on the details of sweet treats, the fun of an in-person event, or the solution a product can solve. Get creative, have fun, and keep it simple.

Remind Everyone Where the Money is Going

People want to be connected to a cause, and social media allows you to boost your cause with ease. Remind people where the money is going from your Spring school fundraiser. This can be done via photos, videos, links, or any other promotional materials.

At the end of the day, remind people why they’re getting involved and how their money makes a difference. The better people feel, the more involved they want to be.

Feature Your Top Donations and Contributors

As you start taking donations, feature your top contributors weekly or monthly. It’s important to give a big thanks to everyone who gets involved and the best way to do this is through mutual promotion on social media.

Take photos with top donors and ask them to share their contributions online. Tell a little story about their involvement, give a big thanks, and remind everyone they still have time to get involved. The more you feature those who help your school fundraiser, the more the community grows and expands.

Link to an Online Donation Shop

Part of social media for school fundraising is to make it easy. Work with your school or fundraising group to create an online shop for easy donations so people can make a contribution directly from their smartphone or computer.

If you can’t set up an online donation link, make it really easy to tell people how to get involved. School media for school fundraising promotion is all about convenience, so make it easy for people to find you and get involved.

Have a Branded Hashtag

School fundraisers do best when people know more about them and one of the easiest ways to do that online is to have a branded hashtag for the event. Hashtags on social media help people show their support and spread awareness with ease.

Create a hashtag that is catchy, easy, and sums up what your school is doing. It makes it fun, easy to find, and helps spread the word to get people engaged with the movement and the cause.

Partner with the Community

If you have partners in your school fundraiser, like a local restaurant or business, tag them online and ask them to share your fundraiser on their social media, too.

Social media lets you reach a wide range of users when used correctly. Use your community and school fundraising partners to tag those who are involved. This will show your school fundraiser to their followers and help broaden your reach without having to do so in person through other advertisement means.

Go Live

Social media promotion allows you to go live and this is a fun chance to connect even more with your community and followers. Go live during the set up, when planning, or as the fundraiser is happening. Show the fun, the hard work, and everyone who is involved.

Going live online also helps you answer questions, explain more about how to get involved, and feels personable to all who follow you. Even one go live on social media can help connect you to more parents, teachers, and community partners who want to be involved.

Show Positivity from the Students and Faculty

Remember, social media should be an extension your school fundraising efforts, so make it fun and show the support you’re gaining from the school and from the students. You want it to be fun, autnethic, and easy.

Don’t overthink it, don’t get too fancy – just embrace the theme, let the cause speak for its self, and make it easy for everyone to get involved.

Fast Tips to Promote Your Spring School Fundraiser on Social Media

Post daily
Involve the students
Be thankful
Make donations easy
Remind people to share
Respond to comments
Answer messages

Get Started on Your 2024 Spring School Fundraiser Today

Fundraising season is an exciting time of year at any school, for any grade level. The money helps with dances, technology, arts programs, sports, school resources, and more. You want to share that excitement with others and social media is the perfect way to do so.

Using our 11 easy tips to share your school fundraiser on social media, it should make promoting your school fundraiser a breeze this year. For more tips, check out 10 more ways to market a school fundraiser and 12 new high school fundraising ideas.

If you’re ready to get your fundraiser started, contact Kids Kastle in New Jersey for our 2024 Spring fundraiser catalog.

School Fundraising Dos and Don’ts

By Kids' Kastle Holiday Shoppes on January 23, 2024 / School Fundraising Tips

School Fundraising Dos and Don'ts

School fundraising is a fantastic idea for all grade levels. Students, faculty, and families get to join together to celebrate their school pride and raise money for activities, supplies, growth, and more within their school system. School fundraising is about community and achievement as much as the funds raised.

In order to ensure your school fundraiser goes off without any issues, take a look at our expert list of Fundraising Dos and Don’ts. By keeping track of what works and what doesn’t, you can better optimize your time and energy, budget, and community effort. See more success and more enjoyment with your school fundraisers by checking out our fundraising dos and don’ts tips.

The Dos of School Fundraising

Here are our best tips on what you should be doing for your grade school and high school fundraising events. Share these with your faculty, volunteer families, and students to optimize your success. Remember, the more efficient and streamlined your school fundraiser, the more fun your students can focus on having during the school fundraising event.

1. Strategic Planning

Before starting on your next fundraiser, you want to have your fundraising strategy created. Work on a detailed roadmap that outlines your goals, target audience, and fundraising methods.

Think of what event you want, brainstorm marketing methods, write down what audiences this is geared towards, and how all students, faculty, and families can play a role. The better your upfront planning, the better success you can build towards.

2. Engaging the Community

A successful fundraising campaign involves the active participation of your local community. Foster relationships with local businesses, parents, and community leaders to get them excited about your fundraising and goals.

Their support not only contributes to financial success but also strengthens the bonds within your school community. Work with news stations, radios, businesses, and more for sponsorships to help promote you, hold space, or donate fundraising items and events.

3. Utilizing Online Platforms

Work with your tech-savvy students to establish a strong online presence through social media, dedicated websites, and email campaigns for your school fundraisers. Students who are working towards a career in tech will be excited to practice their skills and be a part of the marketing and promotion. The online presence will not only help share the word about your fundraiser with easy-to-find details, but you can also optimize it to accept online donations directly.

4. Diversifing Fundraising Channels

Avoid putting all your eggs in one basket when it comes to school fundraising. Explore various fundraising channels, including events, product sales, and donation drives. School holiday shoppes appeal to grade school students while active charity events and dances are great high school fundraising ideas. Be sure to switch up your fundraising to engage new community members and raise new interest seasonally.

5. Transparent Communication

Maintain transparency throughout your fundraising journey with all faculty, volunteers, students, and engaged audiences. Clearly articulate your goals, how funds will be used, and the impact on the school community. Build trust by keeping stakeholders informed and engaged. Always let people know how their money is being used, where the energy is going, and if you have any roadblocks along the way.

The Don'ts of School Fundraising

Even with a perfect plan in place, you want to be aware of common school fundraising pitfalls that could be detrimental to your event. Be sure to check out our don’ts for school fundraising so you can stay compliant, safe, and successful throughout your event.

1. Overlooking Legal Requirements

Neglecting legal considerations can lead to severe consequences for your school fundraiser. You want to ensure compliance with local laws and regulations governing fundraising activities. This not only protects your school but also builds credibility among potential donors. Talk to your faculty and other fundraising groups to source what you can and cannot do under your school’s umbrella to raise money.

2. Ignoring Data Analysis

Your school fundraiser relies on data just as much as any other business. If you run a continuous school fundraiser year after year, make sure to save and compare data so you optimize your school fundraising event for the most success.

Do so by seeing which businesses are most active and why; better target your marketing towards donors of the past; and see what items or events sold out. For high school fundraisers, you can have your marketing and tech students help compile the data and create new marketing strategies.

3. Relying Solely on Traditional Fundraisers

Virtual events, online auctions, and crowdfunding campaigns can breathe new life into your school fundraiser. You don’t need to stick with traditional ideas like dances, car washes, or bake sales.

Explore how new technology allows for virtual holiday shoppes, online auctions, 48-hour movie streams, and more. Take into account how virtual fundraisers can maximize your budget to allow for more fundraisers a year.

4. Neglecting Donor Recognition

Donors appreciate recognition for their contributions, especially in local communities. Implement a robust donor recognition program to express gratitude to those who pitch in a high or consistent dollar amount.

Personalized thank-you notes, acknowledgment in newsletters, and public recognition events all play a role in fostering lasting donor relationships. Make sure to work out advertising and sponsorship deals to allow your fundraiser to go further.

5. Inconsistent Marketing

Consistency is key in the world of fundraising. Maintain a cohesive marketing strategy across all channels. From social media posts to event promotions, presenting a unified front strengthens your brand and resonates with your audience. Be sure your school fundraising event has a color scheme, clear message, and recognizable promotion.

You’re Ready to Begin Your Easy School Fundraiser

Mastering the dos and don’ts of school fundraising requires a thoughtful and strategic approach. By incorporating these principles into your campaigns, you not only enhance your chances of success but also create a positive impact on your school community. You can easily integrate students into your fundraising planning and have them aid you in your marketing, ideas, data, and more.

Explore new fundraising ideas, school holiday shoppes, and more with the help of Kids’ Kastle. We’ve helped schools fundraise easily and effectively for years, taking out all of the stress so you simply have the joy.

School Fundraising Tips