How To Create Blog Relay Connect American Cancer Society

We've all been hit hard by COVID-19 in many different ways, as this pandemic has grown to have consequences we never imagined. One of these consequences, unfortunately, was having to cancel or postpone all of our originally planned, in-person Relay For Life events. While this has been tough for all of us, there are some creative solutions to make your event virtual and bring Relay online. Below, we have compiled some things to consider when planning your virtual event, featuring some tips and tricks from different campus virtual Relay For Life events, such as Northeastern University, University of South Carolina, Virginia Tech, and many more. Here are some things we've learned from virtual events to help make yours the best it can be!

Which Social Media Platforms to Use

The primary platform Northeastern used was Facebook because it is the most widely used form of social media. Additionally, the Facebook Live feature was very helpful for broadcasting live ceremonies. Northeastern had one event lead go live on Facebook at the top of every hour to initiate a new themed hour, in addition to their ceremonies broadcasted on Facebook Live. Facebook is a really great, easy way to bring your event online for everyone to tune in and enjoy.

An alternative to using Facebook is Instagram, another widely used social media platform. University of South Carolina's Relay For Life event used Instagram to bring their event online and it achieved great success! Throughout their three day event, they uploaded videos of their virtual ceremonies, photos of top fundraisers, and much more. You can also utilize the Instagram Live feature to host different ceremonies and activities in real time. Another campus event utilizing Instagram is Virginia Tech. Check out VT's social media campaign leading up to their event on Instagram for some inspiration on how to build your virtual Relay For Life event!

One important thing to keep in mind with hosting live ceremonies is that there is a lag with live video. Additionally, ensure that these live videos remain posted on your Relay's Facebook page for others to watch if they could not tune in live. These are just a couple different methods of hosting your virtual event, but don't be afraid to be creative with it and explore other platforms, such as YouTube, Kahoot, and many more.

Use a Social Media Calendar to Plan Ahead and Stay Organized

Utilizing a social media calendar to outline what content will be posted, when, on what platform(s), etc. is a very simple, yet important way to ensure your virtual event runs smoothly and stays organized. Delegating which leadership team member is posting each content item ensured all content was uploaded in a timely manner and was accounted for. Additionally, one way to plan ahead and ensure each post is shared on time is to schedule your posts on Facebook and other social media platforms.

Another way to stay organized and on schedule is to pre-record any video content when possible. You may want to utilize Facebook Live to broadcast any ceremonies, but it helps to have any other video content recorded and edited beforehand for easy uploading. Even if your event is planning on hosting ceremonies or speakers live, it may be helpful to pre-record videos in case technical difficulties arise and you are unable to host live content. Additionally, posting videos on your event's social media accounts leading up to your event is a great way to build up your online audience prior to your event.

How Long Should Your Virtual Event Be?

There are a couple different options of how to format your virtual event. One option, which was Northeastern Relay's event format, was to host the event for a couple hours all on one day. This allows your event to flow from one ceremony to the other and to keep it similar to the standard Relay For Life event format.

Another option for event structure is to host your virtual event over a span of a few days, a format used by Virginia Tech, University of South Carolina, and several others. This event format keeps your content more spread out, but requires participants to be engaged for less time each day. You may want to consider having a different theme for each day of your event to make it more interactive and engaging. For example, University of Iowa and University of South Carolina had a three day "Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back" themed event.

One thing to keep in mind regarding event length is if your event length is shorter, it will have to be more content heavy, but can still be very engaging and interactive. Additionally, if your event length is longer, consider ways to ensure all participants stay engaged through the whole event. Either way, feel free to make it your own! The format that worked for one virtual event may not work for yours, which is completely natural. Choose the event style that will be the most successful for your Relay!

How To Incorporate Online Fundraising

One great way to fundraise online is through Facebook Fundraisers. You can connect your Relay Dashboard to your personal Facebook page, and encourage your team captains and participants to do the same. This is such a simple, accessible, and effective way to fundraise. During your virtual event, share your Facebook Fundraiser to reach people engaged in your event. Also, share this resource on how to connect your Relay For Life fundraiser to Facebook with your participants during your virtual event!

Additionally, ensure you are using the ACS FUNdraising app. It's a very simple, effective way to keep track of your fundraiser and share it right from your phone. Text your fundraising link to others from the app! This is a super quick and easy way to share your fundraiser right from your phone.

If you want to get more creative with your fundraising, which is always encouraged, consider trying pledge fundraising. For example, for every X Amount of dollars you raise, you have to post an embarrassing picture of yourself, or do 10 pushups, or post a funny video of you lip-syncing a song. Make it your own! This is a really easy and fun way to raise money. Post about your fundraising pledge at the start of your virtual event and continue to post your updates and content throughout the event.

Make Your Content As Interactive As Possible

Since we're all quarantined and stuck at home, host some kind of physical activity during your event, such as zumba, yoga, and more. It'll keep everyone active and engaged in your event, and it's good for all of us who are stuck at home.

Other great ways to make your content interactive is to host live trivia or Kahoot to keep everyone engaged, or host a scavenger hunt online. Have participants search for past social media posts, videos, etc. on one of your social media platforms. Not only will this keep everyone engaged, but will encourage your participants to learn new things about Relay For Life and The American Cancer Society that they may not have known before.

One great example of some fun, interactive content is Grand Valley State University's Tik Tok contest! This received some really great interaction and it's super fun and creative. Making your content as interactive and creative as possible will drive your engagement and encourage your participants to get involved.

Here are a few other quick tips and suggestions on how to enhance your virtual event:

If you already have items donated to your event, host a live auction online
Encourage your ELT to be involved. If others see your ELT engaged, everyone else will want to get involved
Utilize Instagram fundraising boards! It's a very quick and easy way to raise money through another social media platform outside of Facebook
If you need some virtual event inspiration, check out some other virtual events! Here's a schedule of virtual events to tune in and show some support, and get some inspiration, too!
Make sure all content stays up post-event to ensure those who couldn't attend live are able to engage
Follow as many campus Relay For Life social media accounts as you can prior to your virtual event to learn from them and get some inspiration for your own event
Have a couple of your ELT members participate in your life audience to comment and drive engagement

If you have any questions on how to run your virtual event, feel free to reach out to the National Campus Leadership Team (NCLT)! We are more than happy to help and would love to see all of your events succeed during this tough time. Stay safe and happy Relaying!