Every week we send out an email newsletter (thanks Constant Contact!) to thousands of subscribers (mostly in the Boston region). We also send out a "day of" event newsletter.
Our newsletter promotes our events — the big once-a-month Mass Innovation Nights product launch parties and the smaller weekly Innovation Breakfast drop-ins, as well as the occasional special event like our upcoming reunion cruise! We profile the products launching with us. We have a crowdfunding opportunity of the week. Ads for our sponsors and event hosts. Then it offers "Other events you might like" (partner events), and "But wait, there's more" – special opportunities for our readers (awards, pitch contests, accelerators, etc.)
We work with several special partner organizations to promote their free or low cost events and opportunities for innovators and entrepreneurs. Not one of our regular contributors? Think your event or opportunity fits? Here's what you need to know.
In general, many of our partners send us social media-ready copy (a selection of tweets/posts/statuses makes it easy for us to be able to send out more than one tweet for them to our 11,000 social media buddies!) Best case scenario — we get your newsletter copy by Wednesday or Thursday for the coming Monday. You can even use our handy form!
If you get our newsletter, you'll see that our events section is a very simple format:
- Event title
- When: date/time
- Where: Location (business/host/address and sometimes only the city)
- What: One line description (and not always if the event title says it all)
- Link and 1-2 words (like "Free", "RSVP now", 18+ or Tickets required.) If there is a special discount for MIN-friends, BONUS!
If the partner sends us stuff that isn't an event — like an awards program, or an opportunity for joining an accelerator, etc., then we get a paragraph of copy and a link and sometimes an image.
We do accept advertising for more expensive events and conferences and related products but most of our newsletters ads are our event sponsors.