Website
Every society has a page on yourunion.net/societies. This is by far the most viewed page on the website, and is the first place new students go to find out about societies, so make sure your page is kept up to date.
See our website help page for tips on how to use your page.
If you don't have access to edit your society page, ask UnionWeb@. Please email from your society's email address, and mention your committee role and personal St Andrews email address in your message.
Creating your campaign
Think of your publicity as a campaign. Spread your message over lots of media, don't just focus on Instagram or Facebook.
Who are you communicating to? What are your goals? Think consistency, simplicity, and separation (don't post everything at once!).
Take a note of what worked and what didn't, so you and your successor knows for next time.
Once an event has started, try to cover it in real time. While it might not help attendance at that specific event, it can help to raise the profile of your society overall.
Printing
The Union has facilities to print posters, tickets, and wristbands. We can also laminate things. See the Services page.
Posters
Posters are a great way to promote your event. Make sure to include:
- The event name,
- The date and time,
- The location,
- The price,
- Where to find tickets and contact you,
- Your society's name,
- The phrase "Scottish Registered Charity, number SC019883" -- note that the third character is the number zero, not a letter.
- The Union logo and the logo of the venue, which you can find on the Brand page.
Remember to keep it simple -- the best posters are the ones where you can get all the information at a quick glance.
Your posters can go:
- On noticeboards in Rector's Café and Sandy's Bar: Ask reception to stamp them before you put them up.
- In frames in the Union toilets: Leave ten A4 posters at reception, along with a note of where they're for, and your contact details. Posters are distributed on Mondays and up to 2 societies per week can be featured if their event is happening within the building.
- In large format around the Union building: If your event is open to everyone and on the building, you can email SADesign@ with at least one week's notice. The posters cost £18 to print at A1 and £28 for A0, and can go up for a maximum of two weeks.
Digital displays
For some large events, we can put adverts on our digital displays. Make sure to follow the same design guidelines as the posters above!
The required formats for the different displays are:
- In Main Bar: 72dpi, full colour 1360px (w) x 765px(h), RGB, JPG or PNG format.
- Images on billboards around the building: 72dpi, full colour, RGB, JPG format 1080px (w) x 1920(h). File should be delivered in landscape with content rotated 90° clockwise.
- Videos on billboards around the building: H.264/QuickTime (.mov), 25 fps, <40MB, 1080 x 1920 portrait or, if at lower resolution, at the same aspect ratio. Encode without an audio stream (silent audio streams are not supported).
- In Main Library: See the library advertising policy.
In person
- Stalls and bake sales: The piazza can be booked for free if you'd like to hold a stall to advertise or sell items. If you're selling items and need a cash float, ask UnionFinance@.
- Freshers' and Refreshers' Fayre: Watch out for an email around July or December for details about getting a stall.
Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are great ways to advertise.
If you're holding an event in the Union, invite Your Union Events as a co-host to your Facebook Event for extra reach. You can also share it with groups, such as Class of 20**, and Events in St Andrews.
The Union's Instagram account is available for takeovers — email SADesignmail@ if you're interested, and have a look at the takeover guidelines. You can also share your posts with the account in a direct message, so we can share it to the Story.
Societies can use the Union's YouTube channel to upload videos or host livestreams. Ask SAdesignmail@.
Calendars
Add your events to the Union calendar and the University calendar. Events on the Union calendar may also be included in the weekly sabbatical email.