7 Killer Secrets to Successful Event Marketing

Events do not always have to be budget-drainers. They can also be big money-makers for the business. But for that you do not just need to devise a killer event but also market it well enough to ensure the maximum outreach.

In-person customer events have proven to be extremely advantageous for businesses and entrepreneurs are seen to spend more than 25% of their B2B budget for these. Thus, events are a crucial part of the marketing mix for most businesses today.

Here are some of the marketing tips and tricks to make you event a success beyond doubt.

·         Set Goals That Are Realistic -ROI is not something that you take into account after the event. Rather it is something that you should start right from the onset and continue measuring it till after. Thus don’t limit the goals to just attendance model and registration in case of the event.

 You should get into the revenue impact and pipeline. You should put up a model at the earliest to understand the sensitiveness of the ROI of the event on various metrics. For example, if your event achieves a high percentage of wrong attendees then the event cost will rise up without any effect on ROI. You also need to stay prepared for the risks and worst-case scenarios which will help you to mange those times without any issue. All these will help you to benefit from your marketing efforts.

·         Set Up an Exciting Event Website – You can just put up a landing page and contact info on the existing web page. But a standalone website for the event focuses on the SEO efforts and branding of the event itself. Ensure that you come up with a memorable domain name and incorporate clear Call-to-Actions which make it easier for the visitors to reach the Registration Page.

·         Inbound Marketing Techniques are a Must – This one is a necessity especially in today’s age of digitalization. This involves the production and distribution of personalized content through a plethora of channels. Buying ad-space and email lists are not just expensive but also ineffective in many cases. So create content that relates to the issues faced by your audience. This is definitely going to grab their interest. What’s more, events also give you the opportunity to create consumer-generated content that is bound to appeal to your potential customers.

·         Share with the Media – A Press Release is a great way to achieve the attention of the audience. With the formal press release, you can invite the local media to be a part of the event. You can also spark the attention of the influencers, brand ambassadors and new supporters. This is especially true when the event goal is to invite the influence people and spread awareness.

·         Provide Social Proof – To sell your event, you have to showcase how worthy your conference or event is and there is no better way to do that than you past attendees. Highlight the testimonials, share pictures of raving fans and past events to make the world aware about how worthwhile your past event has been.  You can also add a counter button to the website if the registration amount is substantial to provide proof. All these will help to set the stage, build expectation and trigger excitement among your prospects.

·         Include Social Media in Your Event Marketing and Blog – Being active on the social media prior to, during and after the event is essential of the event success. As events occur in real-time, use the social networks to engage live. Use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Google+ and schedule posts and use hashtags to ensure maximum engagement. Similarly blogging will help to focus on the utility, purpose and motive behind the event and also boost the organic search results for the same. This will also provide content to be promoted through the social media. You can also tag in guest bloggers for this.

·         Follow-up – Once the event is done, you should always take a look at the leads and checkout those who deserve a follow-up. You have to take care of these leads. Appropriate event follow-ups help you to steer clear of competition and keep yourself fresh in the minds of your potential clients. Plan the follow-ups prior to the starting of the event. Email follow-ups should be designed and written well, offers must be determined from early on and call downs should also not go unplanned.

Now that you know the secrets of successful event marketing which is also a crucial part of event management you should get started and ensure that your business makes the most out of this investment.