Events have changed over the last 3 years. Before the pandemic, if it wasn’t in a conference or exhibition centre, and there were less than 100 attendees, would we even have considered it to be an event? Now, the business events we host and attend come in all different scopes and sizes including remote and hybrid, and as we move into this new era of events, our marketing needs to adapt to the changing times.
Event marketing can give you visions of something reserved for big brands with big budgets, but in reality, it’s the same for them as it is for small businesses – albeit with a smaller budget! The audience, content and style will change every time, but the basic principles are the same.
In terms of success measurement, for event marketing campaigns the statistic is generally how well attended the event is! That doesn’t mean we skip the basics of campaign planning though – you still need to know your campaign’s goals, target audience and (of course) your budget. Once that’s in place, here is the secret sauce to getting people to come to your event.
1. The event isn’t the first place you need them to go
So you are working your socks off to get people interested in the event, you need somewhere for them to go right now – that means pages on your website with plenty of information and a data capture function so that they can sign up for more information or to book their space.
2. You need to shout loudly
Don’t just rely on the people that know your business already, you need to reach wider. Social media is a great way to reach others who are influential in your industry, and have a big following themselves and encourage them to share your message. In this way, social media acts like ‘word of mouth’ marketing and your message is passed around with minimal effort and maximum effect. Online marketing and PR are also key to getting the message out to the widest reach possible. Speak to our team if you need a little help with any of this.
3. Be there in ‘real time’ before the event
Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Clubhouse allow you to go ‘live’ and talk directly to your audience in a way that webinars only offered before. Going live is a great way to drive interest in an event, and if you can get some of the people who will be speaking at the event involved, that’s even better!
Remember, marketing is reaching the right people with the right message at the right time, so spread your messages far and wide to make sure you succeed in marketing your event.
Final tip – it’s never too early to start talking about an in-person event – I’m already booked for speaking events in Summer 2024 and tickets are available more than a year in advance for big events, so start shouting now!
