Effective marketing plays a crucial role in boosting attendance and enhancing the attendee experience for your organization’s event, and a well-rounded marketing strategy can significantly impact the success of your event. From creating compelling content to utilizing your social media channels, there are a multitude of strategies to explore. Here are additional tips to consider when marketing your next event.
Create compelling web content. Utilize digital marketing tactics like designing a user-friendly and visually appealing event website that provides all necessary details for attendees. Write informative articles related to the event’s theme or education content and use engaging graphics, images, and infographics to convey important information in an easily digestible format. You can even record short videos with volunteers, speakers, and staff to make your website personable and engaging for those who are interested in your event.
Spark conversation on social media. Create anticipation for your event by posting countdowns and teasers on social media. If possible, collaborate with thought leaders and influencers in your industry who can help promote your event to their followers. Use your social media channels to respond to audience comments, engage in discussions, and answer questions about the event—don’t just make it a one-way ad billboard. Additionally, you can even use the “poll” feature on certain social media platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram to gather insight from your audiences about what aspects of the event they anticipate the most.
Engage speakers in your efforts. An assured way to engage attendees is by encouraging speakers to share exclusive content related to their session on your organization’s social media platforms to build excitement. Highlight the speaker’s professional experience and industry expertise to demonstrate the caliber of education and content at the event.
Circulate content after the event. Keep the conversations going well beyond your event and reach a wider audience by sharing post-event highlights such as photos and videos to generate excitement for future events. Encourage event attendees to share content to their social media pages to attract new attendees or members.
Send out a post-event survey to attendees. Receiving feedback on your organization’s event is critical to its evolution and improvement. Share a post-event survey with attendees to better understand what aspects of the event worked well and what elements they most enjoyed. More importantly, be sure to leave room for constructive feedback by asking questions about what your organization can do to improve the attendee experience at future events. As a bonus, you may even be able to analyze the feedback from this event and gauge the needs of members to help your organization create new benefits to address current challenges.
By implementing these strategies into your event marketing plan, your organization has the potential to increase attendance and create an enriching and valuable attendee experience.
Gina Brennan is a senior marketing coordinator at Smithbucklin, the Chicago-based association management and live-event design company. This article is reprinted with permission from Smithbucklin’s Our Perspectives content hub.
