What is an event if there are no guests or attendees? Not much, aside from a costly venue rental.
That’s why, no matter what kind of event you’re planning, having a promotion strategy to get people in the door is essential for success.
Fortunately, you can create a solid event marketing strategy in just a few simple steps. We’ll go over what an event marketing plan is and the key components that will assist you in increasing ticket sales and attendance.
An event marketing strategy and timeline are outlined in an event marketing plan. Consider it your road map for all of the tools, tactics, and channels you’ll use to promote your event and meet sales and attendance targets.
So, how exactly does event marketing work? It all starts with a solid understanding of your target audience and where they hang out so you can effectively promote your event across multiple channels (e.g., social media, email, radio, print). It also considers the types of content you’ll create to raise awareness and ultimately direct prospects to your event.
One frequently asked question is how far in advance you should promote your event. The precise timing is determined by the size and nature of the event. For example, an annual business conference might be promoted 6-12 months in advance, whereas a monthly seminar series would have a much shorter promotion window.
Here’s an example of how you might structure a sales or networking event promotion timeline:
Pre-launch (12-16 weeks before the event): Define event goals, construct your event website, organize your sponsorship program, and produce press releases.
Launch (8-12 weeks in advance): Launch email marketing and paid digital ads, as well as promote the event on social media.
Post-event (1-2 weeks after the event): Distribute event updates, information, and highlights through email, social media, your blog, and/or event website.
You should always have a mechanism to gauge success for each event you throw. While ticket sales and attendance will most likely be your primary goals, you may also want to utilize your event to introduce a new product, generate leads, or enhance client retention. To ensure that your event marketing plan corresponds with your long-term goals, consider all of these critical indicators while developing a promotional strategy and budget.
An event website or landing page is necessary since it is where visitors hear about your event and eventually sign up to attend. It should create your event’s identity and include important program ad registration information. Make sure your site is simple to use, has a clear call to action, and is mobile-friendly so that a huge section of your audience does not fall through the cracks.
Without being overly salesy, good material allows you to connect with your target audience and build continual enthusiasm about your event. Make it simple for people to recognize the value of attending your event by presenting a clear vision of its objective and value proposition, and consider what type of material will work best for each marketing channel. Do you want to broaden the reach of your content? Consider writing guest blogs in collaboration with industry professionals.
Social media is an excellent tool for promoting and building community around your event. Begin with your audience in mind, as with any social media campaign, and develop fascinating and entertaining material that people can’t help but share. Focus on the social platforms that are most relevant to your audience, and don’t forget to develop an event hashtag so that people can easily locate, follow, and share your event.
When it comes to paid advertising, your top social platforms are an obvious place to start. However, you should also consider retargeting advertisements, pay-per-click campaigns, and display ads on other related websites. While paid advertisements place your event in front of a lot more people, you’ll need to monitor results and change your promotion approach to get the most bang for your ad money.
Because it allows you to create a 1:1 relationship with people, email may be a valuable weapon in your event marketing armory. Indeed, according to 40% of marketers polled by Bizzabo, email is the single most successful method for advertising an event. So why not put it to use for yourself? Use your database to notify existing customers and subscribers about the event, and build up an email campaign to nurture prospects and registrations before and after the event.
Event outreach allows you to reach a larger audience and increase attendance. So, as soon as your event is announced, begin seeking sponsorships to generate momentum. Then, work with sponsors to develop marketing strategy and ensure they have the resources they need to promote your event. After all, they have a vested interest in the success of your event.
Even in this day and age of information overload and digital media, a press release may be a useful tool for informing people about your event. The correct press release, targeted to relevant media sources with clear and distinctive event details, may generate a lot of interest in your event.
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