We mobilize for better communities all year round, but May is prime time for bicycle advocates. During National Bike Month our calendars are booked solid and the spotlight of the media and general public are upon us. We know you've already scheduled your events and outlined your outreach campaigns, but we want to help ensure you get the most out of the month that can do wonders to bolster your visibility and boost your membership.
So next week, on April 15 at 2 p.m. Eastern, we're hosting out monthly Distance Learning Webinar on a timely topic: "Maximizing Bike Month: Making May Count."
We've got three knowledgeable presenters who will share their insight and expertise.
First up: Liz Murphy, Director of Communications at the League of American Bicyclists, which has been the national sponsor of Bike Month for more than 50 years. With a background in journalism herself and the architect of the League's massive following on social media, Murphy will share:
- Highlights from the freshly updated National Bike Month Guide
- Tips on mobilizing folks on social throughout May — and beyond
- Best practices in getting media — and doing it well
- Examples of successful partnerships between different types of organizations to amplify the Bike Month message
From the organizational perspective, we're also privileged to have Serena Lehman, Membership and Outreach Director for the Cascade Bicycle Club. Since 2013, Lehman has been taking a deep and critical look at how Cascade can effectively engage both new and current members and supporters and, on Wednesday, she'll share:
- How Cascade asks people to donate or join during all of our Bike Month festivities
- What that looks like and what incentives are used
- And how that engagement extends beyond Bike Month with targeted electronic messaging
And we'll also hear from Elizabeth Williams, an entrepreneur and active transportation consultant working to empower more people to bike, walk and use transit, with a particular focus on the intersection of equity and biking. Founder of EMPACT Long Beach, a pilot project funded by The California Endowment to support bike advocacy that engages the community, empowers more residents as bike advocates and pushes for equitable resources and an inclusive environment from local government and transportation and healthcare agencies, Williams will touch on:
- Her work launching a Bike to Church Day in Long Beach, Calif.
- Steps to creating more inclusive events
- Strategies to work effectively, and in a mutually beneficial manner, with new partners and communities that have been historically underserved by bicycle advocacy
Whether it's your first or 50th National Bike Month, you'll glean something valuable — to make May count, not just during the 31 days, but for the rest of the year and beyond.
