Organizing a flash mob

November 15, 2016 4:09 AM

I would like to organize a flash mob for Inauguration Day. Special snowflake details below the fold.

In addition to doing real activism, I'd like to organize a ukulele flash mob for the day and time of the inauguration. I'm starting to realize there's more leg work than I initially thought.

- Assembling a group for noon on a work day is challenging.
- I'm still waiting to hear from the (indoor) location to find out if we can get permission to assemble there.
- While Massachusetts is a solid blue state, the local ukulele groups are fairly apolitical, and I suspect the guy running the main ukulele meetup is conservative (has made comments about "political correctness run amok"). I'm not sure how to recruit people online for this reason.

With these things in mind, how should I try and organize something like this?

posted by pxe2000 to Society & Culture (9 answers total)

Are you already aware of the Million Woman March on DC Inauguration Day? Liking that and posting there might get you a lot more feedback.

MeMail me if you'd like more connections. There's a lot of mobilization going on.
posted by fraula at 6:49 AM on November 15, 2016

If I were you, I'd create an event on Facebook and send out links to that page, and try to get attendance that way.
posted by hydra77 at 8:04 AM on November 15, 2016

Response by poster: hydra77: I did, but I didn't have much of a response. Any idea how to make this look better? (I know this is a ways off, but if there's a way I can make a more effective invite, that would be great!)
posted by pxe2000 at 8:20 AM on November 15, 2016

Pantsuit nation?
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 9:06 AM on November 15, 2016 [1 favorite]

Hi pxe2000, I took a look at your event. Some thoughts - The image at the top didn't speak to me, and looks cut off (sits way too low on the window to tell what it is). Can you get some Ukelele graphic up there, or try your hand at a invitation graphic?

(Click on 'related events' in the sidebar to see what other invites are doing. This will help with ideas.)

Also, I get that you're trying to make this a flash mob, but I'd put the location in there. I'd even put the exact location, in order to encourage bystanders to come out too. Or you can change the name to a Ukelele-Sting-In (play on sit-in). You'll still surprise enough people. (or maybe not?)

I don't know the specifics of marketing with facebook, but I hope you've invited all your friends (personal friends, not just from your music page). I'd also work up an event flyer that you can maybe get out to various ukelele groups. Maybe there are local beginning uke classes where the students might be interested in attending.

Also, keep in mind, that this event is a ways off - I wouldn't expect people to commit until after the new years. Keep promoting, but beware that people who commit now might forget, and people who might come won't commit until after Jan 1.

If you're local to Boston, try posting to Rooster and/or NextDoor?

Is there an Alt Weekly newspaper in the area you can run an ad in? Or student papers?

What about the music schools at the colleges and/or high schools in the area?

Figure out a way to shuttle them all to your facebook event page (tinyurl?), and get them to like it and/or even show that they're 'interested'. I find lots of events through my friends marking something as 'interested' on facebook.

Good luck, and don't lose faith!
posted by hydra77 at 10:15 AM on November 15, 2016

*String-in not Sting-In.
posted by hydra77 at 10:35 AM on November 15, 2016

Response by poster: Thank you so much for your input! I'm working on finding a better graphic. My one concern with posting the location is that we still haven't gotten clearance from where I'd like to hold this, and I'm worried that the location will rescind permission if I post the location before we officially get the go-ahead. Is this something that should concern me?
posted by pxe2000 at 11:28 AM on November 15, 2016

Maybe at least include the city and general area? You can say that the exact venue will be announced closer to the date.
posted by hydra77 at 3:04 PM on November 15, 2016 [1 favorite]

Take a look at Facebook ads - you can run one for around $5, and target groups very specifically (put "ukeleles" and "activism" in interests, within a couple of miles of your area, etc).
posted by Gin and Broadband at 2:17 PM on November 16, 2016 [1 favorite]