Talk to students
So, the coaches are booked, the posters are up and you’re putting together your entry for our video competition. But how will you make sure you get bums on seats? It’s time to get out there and start talking to your students about why they should come to #demo2012.
Top tips for talking to students
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Set targets within your team. Agree how many students you will talk to in an afternoon and feed back at the end of the day.
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Listen first. Officers at City College Norwich have been asking their students what matters to them and what change they would like to see before they even mention the demo.
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Go to where your students are. Don’t just have a stall in your students’ union – go to where your students spend their time. Knock on doors in halls at tea time, speak to students in the canteen and get your demo publicity on the screensavers in libraries. Officers at Stanmore College have been going into tutorial sessions to promote the demo alongside their lecturers.
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Publicise what other students are saying. Students are far more likely to listen to their peers than to the union. UWE are displaying why their students are coming to the demo in order to build support.
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Talk to students in groups – nobody wants to come on their own! Get students to come along with their mates.
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Give students a range of ways to get involved. Your seasoned campaigners will want to get involved in different ways to students who are new to campaigning. Leicester are holding meetings, activist training and banner making sessions which will appeal to different kinds of students.
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Make it easy to buy tickets. Selling tickets online is great but make sure you can sell them to students when you’re out and about too. If you’re bringing students along to Activism 2012 (registration still open by the way), sell them tickets on the way down.
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Keep the message broad. Let students make the demo about the issues that matter to them. Leeds have done this brilliantly on the #demo2012 page of their website.
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Talk to clubs and societies. Contact the chairs of your clubs and societies and ask if you can come along to their meetings to get students booked onto your coach (keep your eyes peeled tomorrow for an exciting way in which your performance societies can get involved…)
How are YOU mobilising for the Demo?
Lots of you have been letting us know what you’re getting up to, so keep the good ideas coming in! Unions in The North are definitely in the lead at the moment so come on South, tell us what you’re up to! Drop us a line at campaigns@nus.org.uk.
Don’t forget, you can access all the demo briefings here and download adaptable materials here.
4 WEEKS ‘TIL THE DEMO