5 Ways to Promote Your Next Event

Marketing strategies sometimes need a little refreshing. As event planners, we’re always looking at ways to tweak how we go to market. When outlining your next event marketing plan, these five simple yet highly effective strategies should not be overlooked.

1 – Affordable Advertising

Let’s face it, your advertising budget can (and will) deplete fast. So, plan your ad campaigns carefully. Where will you get the biggest bang for your buck? Most online advertising campaigns (google adwords, Facebook and LinkedIn, to name a few) will allow you to target your audience by region, keyword searches, and interests. Boost your event’s visibility by aligning it with popular keyword search terms. Programs like Google Keyword Planner will help you reach the right audience. The beauty of these marketing tools is that you “pay per click,” giving you full control of your budget along the way.

2 – Content is King

Your event revolves around the content/programming it provides. It’s the reason people are attending to begin with. So, be sure your content is a top priority in your marketing messages. Promote hot topics through blog posts. Most presenters will be happy to contribution to your blog if given a by-line. Strapped for time, or don’t want to write? Take advantage of services like Adobe Spark to create beautiful, short, yet impactful communications pieces in mere minutes.

3 – Videos

A past event highlight reel is a great way to showcase your event. Not only will it show prospective attendees what your event is all about, but it might also encourage participation from exhibitors and sponsors. A recent Forbes article calls 2017 the “Year of Video Marketing.” According to the article, by 2019, videos will make up 80% of all internet traffic. That’s huge. The majority of people online would rather watch a video than read an article. If you aren’t making videos to attract people to your event, you’re missing out on a huge market.

4 – Testimonials

After each event, encourage attendees to complete a survey which includes an optional testimonial. Written testimonials can be used on websites, in brochures, and in social media posts. Better yet, take your highlight reel to the next level with video testimonials! You’d be surprised at how many people would be happy to help promote your next event based on the value they received from it.

5 – Social Media (Duh.)

Your marketing campaign MUST include a social media plan. Make sure your messages are “share-worthy”. Whenever given the opportunity to include “share” links on your blog, website, newsletters, and emails, be sure to take advantage. As you share your content promoting individual presentations, don’t forget to “tag” presenters. Doing so exponentially increases the visibility of your social media posts. Also, “tagging” sponsors and exhibitors will encourage them to share your event with the audiences. The wider the networking reach you can get, the better, so don’t hold back on the tagging! Word of mouth through social media is a powerful tool. Don’t underestimate the power of a peer-to-peer network. And, the beauty of the whole thing? It’s free.