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We’ve had some difficult years making expeditions and personal goals happen recently. The pandemic, conflict, a shift in global politics, and cooling economy have conspired to increase the size and number of hurdles, however there are ways to mitigate them that you might not have thought of or be familiar with.

 

You may well have signed up to an ocean rowing race, to run the Marathon des Sables, or even to take on the mighty Everest – however with the current fiscal uncertainty, it’s hard to see how you can possibly fundraise if the outdoor and charity sector is struggling as we believe it might be.

 

We’ve certainly seen and felt it from where we are and have had to make changes to the way we do things. However, it is also a time for utilising the development we crave so badly from the outdoors and adapt it when life throws you an unexpected curve ball.

 

So, I’ve assembled a short list of ideas on how you can maintain awareness of your expedition to get new people behind it and increase the likelihood of making it happen.

 

1.     Try making a podcast

 

Unsurprisingly, podcasts are a good way of increasing awareness as they allow people to passively listen and stay updated on our endeavours. Podcasts are great as they can be shared really easily and listened whilst on the move.

 

My personal preference is that podcasts should be lively, engaging and funny, yet ‘crunchy’ – with a time limit of around up to an hour otherwise you risk boring the audience.

 

Check out the Zoom H4N pro recorder to record it and Adobe Audition to edit it.

 

2.     Run a webinar

 

Broadcasting your message through the internet can help people feel involved in your cause and give them access to unique insight about the challenges of it.

 

You could run the webinar as a presentation about an element of the expedition that has really tested you (such as a training session), a ‘show-and-tell’ of the equipment you’re using or even just an opportunity for people to ask you questions in a live forum.

 

You could perhaps charge a fee to see it and use the money to help pay for the expedition, buy needed equipment or donate to a charity that you support.

 

Check out Zoom, Prezi and OBS to make a start.

 

3.     Write an article

 

The great thing about article writing is that it lasts online for as long as you want it to and makes you easier to find online amongst the sea of noise. If the subject you’re writing about is something quite niche, it’ll make you even easier to find.

 

If you’re looking for support from outdoor brands for your expedition, they may request examples of your writing to see if you’re the sort of person and expedition they want to align with. The sooner you get started, the better your writing will become, and you’ll build a library of different articles that Google can share when people inevitably search you out.

 

See Squarespace and Grammarly and for inspiration.

 

4.     Improve your website

 

Asking people to go on your website and give you their honest feedback can open you up to issues you hadn’t even considered.

 

If you’ve not even got a website yet, this could be the perfect time to familiarise yourself with how they work and set one up. At first, it’ll feel daunting to put something out with your name on for the world to see and judge (trust me – I know that feeling well). The business sector calls this the ‘minimum viable product’ (MVP – read about it in more depth in ‘The Lean Startup’) which you then iterate until you’ve got it the best for you and the audience.

 

Squarespace, Wix and Pexels should be near the front of your list.

 

5.     Get your social media platforms looking slick

 

If you’re like me, spending time with the ‘usual suspects’ (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc) can feel like emptying your time into a huge black hole. However, it does practice you in concisely getting your message across, writing in an authentic manner (contrasted to the hordes of disingenuous adventure, travel and lifestyle accounts out there) and understanding what the ‘feel’ of your expedition is all about.

 

Before you approach any companies, it is worth getting your platforms looking strong and consistent, so that they match the narrative you’re trying to get across to the companies.

 

See Hootsuite and the plethora of social media platforms out there!