Advertising for specific online events (eg. chats)

How does a nonprofit get the word out about specific events?

[geckofuel]

Hi. I run a fairly small non-profit site that focuses on science and we regularly host chats with fairly well known scientists and philosophers (e.g. David Chalmers, Stuart Kauffman). My question is this: what is the best way to get the word out about specific events like this? We have an advertising budget under $1000. What type of advertising would be successful?

PS. I wasn't sure where to post this questions. The marketing world doesn't have a "general" marketing forum.

[lorax]

I'd advise you to contact the on-line science journals and tell them when and where, visit the science discussion groups and invite a few members over (lurk for a bit till you know who's who and who's more likely to take you up on the offer). I'd also suggest you put a notice in any print material you can find, and on-line event calendars related to science. Perhaps even stop by another discussion group and ask if it would be ok to announce.

[chrisforeman2]

Go to www.dejanews.com

Do searches using the event topics and names of speakers.

This should produce a list of newsgroups were you can post information for nowt.

Chris

[martinibuster]

Just throwing out an "Out of the box" thought:

Do commercial web sites ever do pro-bono advertising?

I know that a number of large online properties are starved for advertsing and have plenty of unused capacity. This unused capacity is filled up with those in-house "Subscribe to us" skyscrapers and banners. Or else it is filled up with bartered ads (no money is exchanged, only a service).

Get in touch with an in-house sales person and see if you can sweet talk your way into receiving a pro-bono ad.