Event Marketing - The Only Guide You Need to Promote Your Event

Have you ever organized an event and struggled to attract attendees?

Or maybe you've managed to get people through the door, but they weren't quite the right audience, leaving you disappointed with the outcome?

If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. Many event organizers have found themselves in the same boat, faced with the challenge of creating a successful event that draws in the right people and delivers a great experience.

The good news is that you can overcome these challenges and achieve your goals with the right event marketing strategies.

In this article, we will share our comprehensive guide to event marketing, covering from pre-event launch strategies to post-event launch strategies to get the best out of your event.

Let's get started.

A. What is event marketing?

Event marketing is a strategic approach that involves using live or virtual events to promote a brand, product, or service. It encompasses two main aspects:

• Using marketing tactics to promote events and
• Leveraging events as a part of the overall marketing strategy

Whether you're organizing a product launch, conference, trade show, charity fundraiser, or any other type of event, event marketing plays a crucial role in ensuring its success. It's all about capturing the attention of your target audience, creating anticipation, and delivering an exceptional event experience that aligns with your overall marketing goals.

B. Why should you have an event marketing strategy?

Let's be honest; getting attendees even for a free event is hard these days without proper promotion. That's why you should have an event marketing strategy tailored to give you maximum visibility.

Here are the reasons why you should have an event marketing strategy:

1. Increased attendance and event success

As mentioned above, getting people to attend events can be challenging. But when you have the right event marketing strategy, you can leverage multiple marketing channels.  For example, social media, email marketing, and content marketing to get sales for your event.

This is how it works:

➡️ Spreading the word with a perfect strategy + Driving traffic = More sales.

When you reach a wider audience, you can attract more attendees and make your event successful with higher engagement and participation.

2. Enhanced brand exposure and awareness

Hosting an event provides an excellent opportunity to increase your brand's visibility and create awareness. With a solid event marketing strategy, you can leverage sponsorships, partnerships, and branding opportunities to showcase your brand to a targeted and engaged audience.

This gives attendees a memorable experience with your brand, making them more likely to remember and recognize it long after the event.

3. Engagement and relationship building

One of the best things about events is connecting with attendees directly. By interacting with them during the event, you can establish personal connections, answer their questions, and address any concerns they may have.

This direct engagement helps build trust and loyalty, fostering deeper relationships with potential customers, partners, or industry influencers.

4. Lead generation and conversion

Events serve as excellent lead-generation opportunities. With a well-planned event marketing strategy, you can capture attendee information through registration forms, contests, or other lead-capture techniques.

This allows you to collect valuable leads that can be nurtured and converted into actual customers or business opportunities. Plus, face-to-face interaction at events increases the chances of converting leads into real business.

5. Market research and insights

Events provide a valuable platform for gathering market research and gaining insights into your target audience. Through surveys, feedback forms, or interactive sessions, you can directly collect attendees' feedback, opinions, and preferences.

This information helps you better understand your audience, refine your marketing strategies, and make informed business decisions.

C. Types of event marketing strategies

Now you know the benefits of having an event marketing strategy. Let's understand the types of event marketing strategies you can use to spread the word.

Here are the important event marketing strategies:

1. Social media marketing
2. Email marketing
3. Content marketing
4. Influencer marketing
5. Public relations (PR)
6. Paid advertising
7. Event listing websites
8. Collaborations and partnerships
9. Referral programs
10. Offline marketing

D. Key event marketing strategies for all the event stages

Creating an impactful event marketing campaign involves following a well-defined process. Here's an overview of the different steps involved:

• Pre-event launch
• Event launch
• Post-event launch

Let's look at them one by one:

1. Pre-event launch

Here are the steps you can take to build anticipation and generate buzz for your pre-event launch effectively:

a. Develop a comprehensive event marketing plan

To ensure a successful pre-event launch, define your event goals, target audience, and messaging strategy. Clarify the purpose of your event and what you hope to achieve. Consider your target audience's interests, preferences, and demographics to tailor your messaging effectively.

Identify the most suitable marketing channels for reaching your target audience.

This may include social media platforms, email marketing, content marketing, and public relations. Each channel has its strengths and can be used to engage with different segments of your audience.

b. Build a captivating event website and landing page

Create a dedicated event website that provides all the information about your upcoming event. Ensure that the website is visually appealing, user-friendly, and mobile-responsive. Highlight your event's key features, benefits, and unique selling points.

Include an easy-to-use registration process and a clear call-to-action for attendees to purchase tickets or RSVP to the event. Ensure the registration process is seamless and requires minimal effort from potential attendees.

Or you can simply create an event registration with Ticket Generator without any issues.

c. Designing effective tickets

Design tickets that provide essential event details and create a visually appealing and professional impression. Consider incorporating your event branding elements, such as logos and colors, to maintain consistency and enhance brand recognition.

Include essential information on the ticket, such as the event name, date, time, location, and ticket holder's name. Consider adding a unique QR Code or barcode to validate tickets at the event entrance.

With Ticket Generator, you can choose from hundreds of templates to design your ticket. It also comes with a customization option that allows you to customize according to your branding needs.

💡You can read more about designing secured tickets here.

Consider offering different ticket types or tiers to cater to various attendee preferences. This could include options such as general admission, VIP passes, or early bird discounts. Clearly communicate the benefits and features of each ticket type.

💡You can read more about the event ticketing strategies here.

d. Leverage social media and influencer marketing

Utilize social media platforms to create buzz and generate interest in your event. Develop a social media strategy that posts engaging content, interactive polls, and behind-the-scenes sneak peeks. Use relevant hashtags to expand your reach and encourage user-generated content.

Collaborate with influencers or industry experts with a strong online presence and a following that aligns with your target audience.

Engaging with influencers can amplify your event's message and broaden its reach. Work with them to create sponsored content, participate in live streams, or host giveaways to generate excitement and interest.

e. Aligning with an event ticket management platform

Consider using an event ticket management platform to streamline the ticketing process and ensure a smooth experience for both you and your attendees. These platforms offer online ticket sales, registration management, and attendee tracking features.

Choose a ticket management platform like Ticket Generator. It has a lot of features, such as customizable ticket options, secure ticket check-in, and real-time reporting.

Integrate the ticket management platform with your event website and landing page, allowing attendees to purchase tickets online easily. This eliminates the need for manual ticket processing and reduces the risk of errors or double bookings.

2. Event launch

Here are the strategies that you can follow to make the event more interesting and memorable:

a. Deliver excellent customer service

Providing excellent customer service is key to keeping your attendees happy and engaged. Whether it’s answering their concerns or providing clear information about the event, it’s important to keep attendees informed.

Responding promptly to attendee inquiries or concerns through email or social media shows that you value their feedback and are committed to providing a great experience. You can also provide clear information about the event, including the agenda, speakers, and any logistical details. This helps attendees stay on top of what's happening and plan their day accordingly.

You can also engage with attendees on social media by responding to comments and messages. This makes them feel heard and valued, and they're more likely to promote your event to others.

b. Create engaging event content

Creating engaging event content is necessary to keep attendees interested and motivated throughout the event. Leveraging technology and interactive elements can enhance the attendee experience exponentially.

Gamification is a trendy way of creating a competitive and engaging atmosphere. It can be incorporated through the event app or during the session, where attendees can participate in a contest or win prizes.

Using live polling during sessions allows attendees to give real-time feedback or ask questions. This involves them more actively in the session and prevents boredom and disinterest.

Incorporating interactive sessions or workshops allows attendees to participate and learn actively. This not only educates them but also creates a memorable experience. Another way to create engaging content is by having keynote speakers who are leaders in the industry. It allows attendees to gain new perspectives and valuable insights.

c. Harness the power of networking

Networking is an essential part of attending events. Attendees want to connect with like-minded people, learn from them, and create new business opportunities. Networking opportunities should exist both before and after the event.

Pre-event mixers allow attendees to meet new people before the event and build relationships that they can later continue during the event. When attendees arrive, you can encourage them to connect with each other through an event app or community platform.

This creates a sense of community around the event, and attendees are more likely to engage and participate.

Creating interactive sessions or workshops allows attendees to participate in small groups and learn from experts or facilitators. You can also host a post-event social gathering to allow attendees to cement the connections they made during the event and build new ones.

d. Capture engaging visuals and user-generated content

Creating Engaging visuals is crucial to capturing the event atmosphere, highlighting the experience's unique aspects, and displaying the brand’s story. Hiring professional photographers or videographers can help capture memorable moments during the event and create valuable content for future use.

You can also encourage attendees to share their experiences on social media using event-specific hashtags. This helps create buzz and provides attendees with a simple way to capture and share genuine moments from the event. 

Furthermore, user-generated content is an affordable and unique way to promote the event using real people's real experiences. It also creates brand ambassadors who are more likely to promote your brand to their network.

e. Create a secured ticket check-in process

Creating a secured ticket check-in process is an important aspect of event planning to ensure attendees' smooth and efficient entry. With Ticket Generator, you will get a secured ticket validator app. It helps you validate the tickets and allow attendees who have the original tickets.

This ensures security and eases the process of ticket validation for your attendees too.

E. Post-event launch

After the event concludes, it's essential to continue engaging with attendees and leveraging the event's success:

1. Host a debriefing meeting

Organize a debrief meeting with your team to identify what worked well and what needs improvement. This helps strengthen your planning process for future events and ensures everyone is on the same page.

You can use Ticket Generator's report and analytics feature to get detailed information.

2. Engage with attendees on social media

Continue to engage with your attendees on social media by responding to their comments and messages and sharing highlights from the event. This helps keep the event fresh in their minds and encourages them to attend future events.

3. Repurpose event content

Repurpose the event content, such as presentations, videos, and infographics, into blog posts or social media graphics. This helps you extend the value of the content and provides additional avenues for attendees and potential customers to engage with your brand.

4. Recognize key contributors

Identify any individuals or companies that played a significant role in the event's success and publicly recognize them through social media, blog posts, or other channels. This helps build relationships and encourages others to participate in future events.

Conclusion

You now have a clear plan of action after being provided with the latest trends in event marketing, suggestions for rethinking your strategy, and an overview of the modern tools available for revamping your offline and online marketing efforts.

Now it's time to get started with an event ticketing platform like Ticket Generator to get the maximum out of efforts. Start planning and creating your first 10 tickets now, but cost? No, it's on us.