| Here are some of the things
you can do:
Build on word of mouth
- Become an expert at explaining and summarizing what Laughter
Yoga is all about and speak to as many people as you can.
- On “D-day” invite all your friends & relatives
People need to be reminded
- Keep a sheet at the entrance where people can sign up and leave
their name, email addresses (in block letters) and/or phone #
so that you can build an email list. People need to be reminded.
Send them an email reminder a few days before your meetings.
Make business card size to give to everybody you meet
- Have them at each class for people to hand out. E.g. “seven
days without laughter makes one weak” Address, phone number
– who to contact – web site, email
- Print a business card including the key data about your Laughter
Club and hand it out everywhere you go.
Target the health conscious
- Print a small flyer and leave it on community bulletin boards
(Yoga/Dance centers, organic markets, new age bookstores, health
food stores, some fast food places, libraries, hospitals, Visitors
bureau, Chamber of Commerce…). Keep in mind that most of
them will be cleaned up either every week or every 2 weeks.
Make use of the free community calendars!
- TVs and Radios often times have a community calendar on their
website. Fax/email the details of your event to your local newspapers
(usually at least 2 weeks prior to each event) and magazines (up
to 2 months prior to the event). Your ad may read:
Run free and public workshops to generate public awareness
Create media awareness
- Laughter Yoga is very media friendly. Identify your local newspapers
(free and to buy, printed and online), newsletters (churches,
colleges, associations…), magazines, radios and TVs, and
fax and/or email them a press release (see example).
- Contact your local radio station(s) and see if they will put
this on their community announcements.
- Whenever you give an interview to a newspaper, insist that they
mention your name and contact details (tel. / website).
- Pro-actively propose articles to newspapers and insist that
they mention your contact details (tel. / website).
- Avoid dressing up in a funny way when you give interviews. People
will not identify with you. Wear a Laughter Yoga T-Shirt.
Promote your Laughter Club as an add-on value for groups
who already meet
Advertise
- Paid advertising is always an option. It has never really worked
for us and experience showed us that it only makes sense if you
are wiling to either buy bigger displays and/or run your ad for
a long time (which costs money). Clearly not something we recommend
if all you want to do is run a free and public Laughter Club.
Even with best leadership and management, there is always
a floating population in the laughter clubs. At the beginning people
often come out of curiosity. Patience is the mother of all virtues!
It usually takes about one year to get a Laughter Club established.
Do not get discouraged!
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