Event Promotion

This page provides resources to help you promote your departmental event to the audiences you want to reach. You'll find tools, channels, and best practices to help share your event with the Dedman College and SMU communities.

These recommendations are most effective once you have defined the basics of your event—what it is, who it’s for, and key logistical details. Having a clear understanding of your audience and goals will make promotion more focused and effective.

Whenever possible, begin promoting your event several weeks in advance to build awareness and encourage attendance. If your timeline is shorter, you’ll also find guidance here on how to share your event quickly and effectively.

Best practices for promoting your event

  • To add your event, go to the  and click "Sign In" in the top right corner to log in. If you do not yet have access, check with your department administrator, they might have access already. If you prefer, you can submit your event using and our team will add it for you.
  • Once you submit your event, it will auto-populate on the SMU Events calendar, your website’s events list, and the Dedman College event feed.
  • If details for your event change, update the listing instead of creating a new one.
  • Make sure to tag "Dedman College" and your department before publishing the event.

TV Displays Overview

Several Dedman College-affiliated building have digital displays available for promoting your departmental events. Please follow these guidelines when submitting:

  • All slides must be submitted by a representative of a Dedman College department/program or an officer of an SMU student organization.
  • Slide must clearly indicate the sponsor of the program. Departments must include their official lockup, centers/labs/student orgs must include their name and/or logo.
  • Slide must be for an event with a set end date.
  • Submit your slide at least one week prior to your requested start date.
  • Slides will run for a maximum of 15 days.
  • Individual course promotions are not permissible unless they are constructed on Dedman College's approved template.
  • Images must be horizontal/landscape orientation (9:16 aspect ration).
  • Slides must be submitted as .jpg, .png, or .pdf files.
  • Submit your slide .

For authorized users, additional documentation is available to learn more about using the signage service.



Designated bulletin boards are available throughout Dedman College buildings for posting printed materials.

 

Posting Guidelines:

  • Materials must be placed only on designated bulletin boards.
  • Posting on walls, doors, windows, or other surfaces is not permitted.
  • All materials must comply with university policies and community standards.
  • Items that are outdated, improperly placed, or in violation of guidelines are subject to removal.
  • Departments are responsible for maintaining and removing their posted materials in a timely manner, no later than three days after the conclusion of the event.

 

Additional Posting Guidelines for Other Non-Dedman College Buildings:

  • All materials must comply with university policies and community standards.

  • Is this an event faculty and staff would be interested in? Have you reached out to them? Email them or tell them in faculty and staff meetings.
  • Is this an event for students? Can faculty and instructors share the event with their students via email or through and encourage them to attend? Have you considered asking faculty to provide an incentive for students to attend, such as extra credit or a related assignment if the event is relevant to the class? The earlier you coordinate this the more likely students would attend.

  • Select the social media platform that best aligns with your audience. Facebook can be a good channel for reaching faculty and staff, while Instagram is typically more effective for student audiences.
  • Consider posting about your event one to two weeks in advance, with a follow-up reminder during the week of the event. This gives your audience time to plan ahead.
  • Last minute posts are less likely to generate strong engagement, so early promotion is encouraged whenever possible.