Effective advertising for your SCA event increases attendance — and it can improve the experience for our populace!

Event stewards need good attendance in order to cover the costs of renting the site, buying food, etc. We want active participation in competitions, classes, and training sessions. We need to get the word out when volunteers are needed. And a lively audience makes for a more successful demo.

At the same time, attendees need to know what to expect — and what they should bring from home. A newcomer who shows up for their first SCA feast without a feast kit will be in a very difficult position.

This is a guide for event advertising, with an emphasis on the process in An Tir and a solid social media campaign — things I learned the hard way so you don’t have to! Do you have additional advice for event planners? Email webfolks@dragonslaire.org with your suggestions.

First: Know the Rules

What kind of Event?

The An Tir Calendar Policy helps to break this down (link to An Tir Library), but here is it in a nutshell:

The exception to the rules = “activities” or “functions”. There is only one rule — announce “activities” to your local group in the way that works best for your populace. (And one exception to the rule. DO publish the time/location for official business meetings on the Branch website.) This category also includes informal classes or workshops, social hour, practices, demos without a site fee, demos at events hosted outside the SCA (a Renaissance faire, for example), guild meetings, and event planning sessions. In Dragon’s Laire, what works for our populace? The official Branch website, Facebook Page, and Facebook Group.

A special case: social media. Social media is an essential part of advertising any event in our internet-savvy world, but by SCA policy, Events-with-a-capital-E must first be announced on an Official SCA website or newsletter. (See the SCA Social Media Policy.) In the Kingdom of An Tir, your first step is announcing your event in the Kingdom Calendar. Plan ahead so that you have plenty of time for your Facebook campaign!

This (account, page, event) is held and managed by (region name), a branch of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. and is considered the Official channel of this group here. Questions regarding its content should be directed to (event steward’s email) or to socialmedia@sca.org. Inclusion of external links do not indicate implicit nor explicit endorsement of any content or products.

People interacting with the (account, page, event) must adhere to the SCA Core values, behave with courtesy, honor, chivalry and respect, even in times of inevitable differences of opinion, and comply with SCA policy and modern law. The SCA prohibits harassment and bullying of all individuals and groups. Hate speech is not tolerated in the Society. Hate speech is speech or symbols that offend, threaten, or insult individuals or groups, based on race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability or other traits.

Printed site handouts (if you provide one) require this disclaimer, from the SCA Policy on Harassment and Bullying — a statement which must ALSO be printed out and displayed at the entry gate to every event:

THE SCA PROHIBITS HARASSMENT AND BULLYING OF ALL INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS.
Participants engaging in this behavior are subject to appropriate sanctions. If you are subjected to harassment, bullying or retaliation, or if you become aware of anyone being harassed or bullied, contact a seneschal, President of the SCA, or your Kingdom’s Board Ombudsman. 

Online classes that will be recorded: (from the SCA Social Media Handbook):

On the channel hosting recorded material/classes: 
All content is claimed to be owned or licensed by the content creator or presenter and shared by their consent; they retain any copyright or hold any copyright licenses and are fully responsible for content. We will remove content that violates SCA rules and regulations. Inclusion of external links do not indicate implicit nor explicit endorsement of any content or products.

Virtual meetings/classes/events that are being recorded must include the following advice in their advertising and descriptions: 
Please note that, by participating, you are agreeing to be recorded and granting permission to have the
 video posted to SCA Social Media Channels.

Not-So-Light Reading

The relevant policies incorporated into the guidelines above can be found in these documents:

– An Tir Kingdom Law, section V (link to An Tir library website)
– An Tir Calendar Policy (link to An Tir library website)
– An Tir Calendar Procedures (link to An Tir library website)
– An Tir Webminister’s Policy (link to An Tir library website)
– Social Media Policy of the Kingdom of An Tir (NOT on the library website, find it in the files section in this group)
– SCA Governing Documents, Corpora section II & Corporate Policies section VI (link to PDF)
– SCA Policy on Harassment and Bullying (link to PDF)
– SCA Social Media Policy (link to PDF)
– SCA Social Media Handbook (link to PDF)
– SCA Webminister’s Handbook (link to PDF)
– SCA Non-Member Registration F.A.Q.s (link to PDF)
– SCA Release Forms Handbook (link to PDF)

An Introduction to Each Platform

Working with the An Tir Kingdom Calendar

You begin this process on the An Tir website, by filling out an Event Information Form (EIF) — click the Event Request Form link on the right sidebar (direct link here) to submit the form online. Do this as early as possible, as soon as your event has a location and Event Steward. Everything else — access to editing via the Kingdom Calendar, eligibility to publish an ad in the An Tir Crier, and permission to set up a Facebook event — has to follow this step.

Helpful hint for Branches with paid internet domain service: the EIF form and Crier both require a steward’s email. Uncomfortable sharing your personal info with the world? The Webminister can set up an event steward “alias” email — a non-personal email address that forwards to your personal email account behind-the-scenes. In Dragon’s Laire, this will be a @dragonslaire.org address. If you do this, MAKE SURE to watch your spam folder. Follow the instructions from your personal email provider train their system to send messages from dragonslaire.org to your INBOX. This may include actions such as “add contact”, “favorite”, “important”, “not spam,” etc.

You must log into the An Tir website and have Event Steward access to edit (update) your event on the Kingdom Calendar. Event stewards can learn more about how to register for an account and get access to their event at: https://antir.org/events/calendar-faq/

At present, the Kingdom Calendar only allows STEWARDS to have editing access to an event page. This starts out as the Branch Seneschal and then is later assigned to the Event Steward. You can request this change by going to Members: Manage Events on the Kingdom website, after you log in, and following the instructions to email the calendar deputy (calendar@antir.org). There is no official provision (at this time) to allow the advertising person to assist the Steward. One work-around is to tell the Kingdom that your advertising person is a “co-steward” who needs access.

Helpful hint: The person with calendar access is assigned and/or changed MANUALLY by kingdom volunteers — not a quick process. Please give them as much advance notice as possible!

How much detail should the Kingdom Calendar have? Ideally, it is good to have all of the information there. This is the preferred practice in An Tir, and you should comply if possible. By SCA policy, however, the event announcement (the info required for the EIF form & Crier) is the only thing that event organizers MUST publish at the Kingdom level. Additional event details might be included on the Kingdom Calendar, or you might include a link to the official Branch website event info — as long as an Official SCA website has all of the information.

Submitting to the An Tir Crier

SCA/An Tir policy requires an ad in the An Tir Crier for every event with official Court business — which includes giving out awards. Don’t miss this important deadline for our printed Kingdom newsletter!

Submit your advertising copy for Branch events more than 2 months in advance, so it can be advertised in the month prior to your event. For example: an event held in February needs to be published in January’s issue, and you must submit your information by December 1st. You can choose to send your event in earlier and get additional months of free advertising. (A side note — by policy, events without court business do not HAVE to be published in the Crier. But every Branch must have at least 1 event per year that’s in the Kingdom newsletter.)

If you’re working on a Kingdom event, it should be published for two months in advance. Send in your Crier ad copy 3+ months in advance.

Helpful hint: look at other groups’ advertisements in the newsletter for examples of how your event copy should look. Find the newsletters here: https://www.sca.org/resources/publications/

WARNING! The Crier submission form has been acting up. Watch the Kingdom events website for updates — look at the links in the right-hand info bar.

In the interim, here are the instructions:

Event notices must be emailed to criereditor@antir.org, and must include the following (feel free to copy and paste into your email):

Event Copy Requirements
· Has an EIF (Event Information Form) been sent to Calendar? This is required for copy to be published in The Crier, even Level 2 events. See Calendar Policies here: https://bit.ly/2xing6f
· Name of the event
· Date of the event
· Open and closing hours of the event. This is the time when the populace may arrive and when they have to leave. e.g. Friday 2 pm - Sunday noon
· Name of the sponsoring branch. Please identify your branch by Barony, Shire, Canton etc
· Is there a secondary or co-sponsoring branch?
· Name of the co-sponsoring branch (if applicable)?
· Who is the primary event steward and what is their contact information? SCA name and e-mail contact are the only things required. Do not include modern name or phone number
· Are there additional co-stewards?
· Please list the additional stewards and any contact information you would like published. Emails are not required but helpful.
· Gate fee for the event only. For feasts, please include any break down for fees. Class or other fees should be mentioned in the copy body only. Please use the following format: Adult non-member $..."
· To whom should checks be made payable?
· What is the name and street address (if available) of the site?
· Would you like to provide directions to the site? NOTE: If there is no street address available, directions are required.
· What are the directions to the site? (NA if no directions are being provided). Directions are nice if GPS directions need to be more specific.
· Please enter any additional copy you would like included. (E.G. Event Description) Use this space to highlight key things for your event (tourneys, champions, merchants etc) as well as site specific things e.g. discreet..."

Publishing on the Branch Website

Always copy your local Webminister on imporant emails — like your newsletter copy and major updates to the event. They can use this to update your event’s presence on the Branch website. If you want to be more involved and you’re willing to use WordPress, you can also ask for an account with editing access to your event page.

In Dragon’s Laire, our Webminister, Máenach na Cailled , maintains pages of information for all our regular events, with URLs (internet addresses) that never change from one year to the next. You can email your information and updates to webfolks@dragonslaire.org to simultaneously inform the Webminister, SMO, and their deputies.

Setting Up a Facebook Event Page

It is important to get the event “hosted” by the correct Official Facebook page, so it’s best to get help to set up your Event. Your Branch Social Media Officer should set up pages for events hosted by the Branch. The officer/deputy will take care of the required disclaimers when they set up your event, make sure the visibility is set to Public, and typically will include the year in the title for any recurring annual events. In Dragon’s Laire, just email your request to webfolks@dragonslaire.org. If you are working on a Kingdom event, ask the Kingdom Social Media Deputy (socialmedia@antir.org) if they want to set up your Facebook event or delegate this to your local SMO.

Ask the SMO to make you a “co-host”, which gives you permission to update and post to your event. (More about co-hosts from Facebook.) You’ll have to be Facebook “friends” first, then the SMO will initiate the process, and finally you will accept their “invitation” from Facebook. Event stewards (who are already co-hosts) can use the same process to add their advertising person as an additional co-host.

There are no hard rules about “activity” or “function” pages, but it works best to follow the same process. This increases the visibility of your event AND gives you some extra help, first in setting up an event and then in managing any internet “trolls.” Some populace Facebook Groups do allow YOU, as a member, to set up a group event. Or you can make an event from your own personal page. But remember to include the disclaimer(s)!

Helpful hints: A common mistake, if you set up a Facebook event yourself — is the visibility set to private or public? You CANNOT change this once you save the event! You can change everything else after the fact, but NOT the privacy. Link to more instructions from Facebook.

Other Social Media Platforms

Dragon’s Laire currently has an official presence on Facebook (link to Official Page), Instagram (link to feed), and YouTube (link to channel), plus an unofficial Discord (email webfolks@dragonslaire.org for an invite). The SCA also recognizes Twitter (X), Pinterest, Meetup, and TikTok.

If you want to extend your advertising beyond Facebook, please reach out to your local officers for help.

You can also share links to the Branch website or the Kingdom Calendar event using your personal accounts on social media platforms — perhaps you’ll share to the An Tir unofficial Discord server?

Printing a Site Handout

Some events have so much going on, they benefit from a one- or two-page handout that people can pick up when they check in at Gate. Printed signage is also useful on-site! Focus on maps for large events, a schedule grid if there is a lot going on, or other essential “day of” information.

Balance your printing costs against the use of on-site signage, and remember — QR codes can be included to direct people with cell phones to more detailed information on the event website!

Optional extra. Suggest some Instagram hashtags for people who upload photos of your event. Advertising doesn’t have to stop when the event does — people who see their friends’ photos after the fact might be inspired to come to our next event.

Public Demos Need a Different Strategy

All the guidelines above focus on advertising an SCA event to people who are, by and large, already part of the SCA. They know what the Kingdom Calendar is and how to find it online. They might be paid members who get the Kingdom newsletter in their mailbox. They are part of your populace group on Facebook.

None of this is likely to reach the general public! Think about who your “target audience” is and the media they are likely to encounter. Then reach out to them in their own space.

• Will they see a printed flier at the local book store? coffee shop? game store?
• What about a display at the library?
• Can you add your event to calendars published by your local newspaper, community group, chamber of commerce, or tourism board?
• Or even pay for a bulletin board on the side of a busy highway?
• Public Facebook events can be shared with local community groups on Facebook.
• If you’re interested in video editing, a 30-second video can be used on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok — a lot of mileage for a little bit of work. Maybe you’ll make a slideshow with some text and music/voiceover?

June Faire is our big public demo event in Dragon’s Laire, and it has its own advertising team — including the newspaper, roadside billboard, and a separate public-facing website and Facebook page. The June Faire Public Relations Coordinator works with the Seneschal (billboard). other Baronial officers (Webminister, Social Media Officer), and a small team of their own to coordinate this large-scale advertising campaign.

Social Media “Best Practices”

Social media is great for generating excitement and getting the word out! But effectively using social media requires us to understand a few of its good — and bad — points.

“Best practices” are the goal we strive toward — not necessarily one we always achieve. Not every event needs the full advertising campaign. Most event stewards are too busy to carry out an an advertising campaign without some help.

Don’t be afraid to assign an event advertising person… just like you might have a feast lead, a Marshal in Charge, or an A&S class coordinator.

Combine Short Posts + a Detailed Event Page

Social media is optimized for “short format” content — it doesn’t show people all the details. Put this in-depth, “long format” content on the event webpage (the Kingdom Calendar and/or Branch website are official publications of the SCA) and then link your short social media posts to those details. You may also choose to add some details to your Facebook Event “about” tab (understand that many people will never read this page, and they will not be notified when you update it).

Social media will only show people the first 140 to 180 characters of your post or your “about” info, depending upon the platform. The rest is hidden behind a “read more” link. Nobody will read your content… unless you can hook their attention in the first sentence and get them to click the … See More.

In effect, you have ONE SENTENCE to convey a compelling message. Make the most of it! Need inspiration? Think about newspaper headlines. People who get “hooked” and who want more details can click on the event website link at the end of your post.

You can also use text inside an image to guarantee that more of the words you need people to see will be visible (see example).

Use Pictures

Online platforms are all about pictures. Facebook’s algorithm favors photos. Instagram is nothing BUT pictures. A picture with some words on it (for example, “Pre-registration is open”) grabs more attention than words alone. People are busy, and your social media posts are competing with a lot of other visual stimuli!

Images from period manuscripts and pictures from museums often allow use for non-profit purposes. Check the terms of use for the museum that holds the item/manuscript and follow their directions. Whether the museum requires it or not, it is always good to cite and link the source. I guarantee that some of your fellow SCAdians will ask you about the original!

Modern pictures and artwork by SCAdians: Make sure you have the correct permissions to use an image (link to SCA release form information). Our Barony is trying to develop a digital library of photos, by our own photographers at our previous events, with release forms on file. The SCA already has something like this (link to the Digital Scribes Program). Small changes, like cropping for size or brightness tweaks, are expected. If you are making a large change, it is polite to talk to the photographer about your plans. And always give them image credit!

Creative Commons Licenses: Are you familiar with the Creative Commons licenses (link to their website)? In short, there are 6 types of licenses that have “some” rights reserved — all of which will allow non-profits to use the images WITH ATTRIBUTION and without making any changes. (If you want to make changes, only some of the license types permit adaptation/alteration.)

Picture sizes vary by platform and use. Social media uses a variety of picture and video ratios, and one size doesn’t fit all. Below is a table summarizing the best ratios to use for each platform. Because platforms scale pictures up and down to fit everything from TV’s to cell phones, these guidelines focus on the width:height ratio.

	Cover Image (Thumbnail) width:height	Post Images width:height	Video Ratio and Duration
Website (WordPress)	1.91:1 best any will work	Any	—
Facebook	1.91:1 cropping?!	4:3 best 1:1 or 3:4 ok	Stories: 9:16 and <120 seconds Live feeds: 16:9 or 9:16
Instagram	—	1:1 best 4:3 or 3:4 ok	Reels: 9:16 and <90 seconds
Twitter (X)	—	4:3 best 1:1 or 3:4 ok	Best at 9:16 and < 2 min 20 sec
YouTube	16:9	—	Shorts: 9:16 and 15-60 seconds Videos: 16:9 Live feeds: either 9:16 or 16:9
TikTok	—	—	In-app: 9:16 and 15-60 seconds Uploaded can be longer
Discord	—	Any	—

Helpful hint: Facebook event cover photos are best at a ratio of 1.91 wide : 1 high. Facebook event search loves to CROP OFF THE EDGES of your image until it fits into a short, wide box. It’s best to keep important content away from the edges. Fortunately, images in posts are forgiving — Facebook and Instagram now ADD blank bars to the sides or top of images.

Be Mobile-Friendly

Mobile devices are the primary way of using social media — and your event website will also get a lot of mobile visits, especially the day(s) of the event. Please be prepared for this by sharing files that can be opened on a cell phone!

PDF files, JPG images, and PNG images are the most universal formats. The software to view these is built into web browsers for desktops, laptops, and mobile devices. Apps, plug-ins, and downloads are required for almost everything else.

“Save the Date” Early, Remind Often

People are busy, and social media only shows them a small fraction of your posts. It takes more than one post to get the message across. The good news is, Facebook allows event hosts to write posts in advance and schedule their release. So does WordPress. Work on your own best schedule and let the platform take care of the daily grind.

Share your Event and the most important update posts directly with the populace groups on Facebook. Become a group member and do this yourself! (Link: instructions from Facebook.) Also ask webfolks@dragonslaire.org to share these to the official Dragon’s Laire Facebook Page and website. People have to see your event and click “interested” or “going” before they will see event posts.

Every post should be a complete, stand-alone message, including the name of the event. Never assume that your audience saw a previous post. Even with good engagement, it is easy for someone to overlook one small reminder. And Facebook is bad about sharing the discussion posts for an event without indicating WHICH event!

Include a link back to the main event page. People can click the link to catch up on any news that they’ve missed. Facebook posts can point to the Facebook Event Page, but please point to an official SCA website (the Baronial site or Kingdom Calendar) for ads shared anywhere else. Facebook likes to ask for logins and tracks people’s activity, causing error messages for anyone who doesn’t use the platform.

Always include the calendar date on announcements about deadlines. For example, “Pre-registration closes Sept. 15th” is clearer than “Pre-registration closes Friday”. You don’t know how many days might pass between you posting information and your reader encountering it in their feed.

Help Attendees Prepare for your Event

Be Kind to Newcomers

Always remember that any event could be somebody’s first SCA event. What do they need to know? Is there anything they should bring that will make their day significantly better? Sunscreen at June Faire. A cup, plate, bowl, and utensils for Harvest Feast. (Please try to avoid or translate jargon, like “feast kit”, when writing for the public.) Lunch for an all-day event that only serves dinner. Or tell them if they’re allowed to leave for lunch and then re-enter.

Get newcomers’ information onto as many platforms as possible! We have some newcomers’ articles on the Baronial website (link) that you are welcome to adapt, link to, or share.

Talk About Accessibility

Accessibility is important. Can a person with mobility challenges get around your site? Is the ADA parking obvious, or do attendees need to know about a separate entrance? What other accessibility considerations or accommodations does your event have — quiet space? a silent (sign language) herald?

Accessibility might affect someone’s ability to attend, and not knowing if you can “fit” into an event causes stress and uncertainty. Event advertisers help by getting this important information out to the populace in a timely fashion.

Fire Bans & Prohibited Items

If there are things that people should not bring to your event, please tell them before they arrive. No real candles (with open flames)? Are there restrictions on beverage types or containers? Is there a county fire ban in place during June Faire?

Anticipate Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions come up again and again, and answering them can suck up a lot of your time and energy. Most of these are last-minute questions, popping up when the event team is most stressed for time.

Put this information into the long format event page/website — it won’t stop all the people from asking you all the questions, but it helps.

by Caterina da Savona

with special thanks to my co-conspirators — Máenach na Cailled, Hugues de Bertoncourt, and Ciar ingen Fiachnae