Hosting a successful event or conference is only the final piece of the marketing puzzle that culminates on the big day. Help your customers connect the pieces and generate genuine buzz and excitement for your event with our five essential tips.
PRE-EVENT ANTICIPATION IS CRUCIAL FOR SUCCESS
The venue is booked, guest speakers are planned, and a stunning array of digital media is in place to captivate the audience. There is only one thing wrong in this idyllic scenario, a distinct lack of feverishly excited event-goers. Behind every fantastic event or conference is a targeted marketing campaign based solely on generating some pre-event excitement. Replicating the same success with your own event is vital to achieving a packed auditorium.
An analysis provided by MarketingProfs highlights just how crucial pre-event marketing is to your company’s customers. Their statistics showed that “96% of attendees look for information prior to attending an event, and 90% continue that search post-event”.
Virtually everyone is looking for detailed, visually impactful content about an event they’re attending before they arrive. Saturated newsfeeds, declining email sign-ups, and expensive traditional advertising media shouldn’t put you off the idea of spreading the goals and values that will make your event stand out above others. There are several ways you can capture your customer’s attention, ensuring a successful event.
5 TIPS FOR DRUMMING UP PRE-EVENT EXCITEMENT
If you are not sure where to start in the vast sea of digital marketing, the following five tips will supercharge the success of future events. Just make sure you can house all those excited attendees!
1: PICK AN INFLUENCER TO PROMOTE YOUR BRAND
Social media platforms like Instagram are a fantastic avenue for promoting your brand. If you are excited to share a new product launch at your event, why not find an influencer with millions of followers and a like-minded attitude to help build some excitement? The same approach can be tailored to Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Identify celebrities or famous personalities in your industry who share similar values.
Build upon any newly developed relationships by also asking those brand patrons to speak at your event. Customers will be able to recognise a link between the pre-event information your guest provided and the real world examples they show off at the event itself.
2: CONNECT WITH YOUR AUDIENCE
Connecting with your audience cannot be forced; instead, start small and build your information updates from a simple tweet to a complete breakdown of event activities. Any pre-event marketing should be viewed as a journey.
Start by leaving teasers or snippets of information to pique intrigue amongst customers. Reward faithful followers or regular customers with exclusive details, using their loyalty to generate anticipation. It doesn’t just have to be customers either; there are bound to be rival companies operating in your industry.
Lighthearted, jovial tweets or funny short videos between similar companies can build excitement for all customers, regardless of where their allegiance lies. If you are working with other businesses at the same event, why not see if together you can build a collective audience? Mutually beneficial marketing campaigns can make spreading your message or brand significantly easier.
3: SPREAD YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS
Different demographics favour particular social media platforms. Assuming you know the details of your consumer base well, pick the platform that resonates with your primary audience. That’s not to say other sites cannot be utilised, but your updates should always start and end with your leading social media platform.
To drive complete exclusivity, creating entirely new accounts specifically for promoting an event adds the ultimate air of intrigue. A marketing strategy of this type needs time to build a following. If your event is in a matter of months, you risk missing out on a wider audience by running an exclusive account. The influencers in tip one are an excellent means for promoting new, event-only social media accounts.
4: DELIVER A CONSISTENT MESSAGE
Whether it is the logo, tagline, or the calibre of guest speakers, consistency is king when it comes to building pre-event excitement. Even the quality of your written or visual content will be under intense scrutiny from loyal fans. If you want your event to represent the hallmark of quality, your pre-event marketing material should be designed with the same attention to detail. A more casual event is also perfectly acceptable, but make sure that the overall style of the event is still representative of your business or brand and your consumer base.
5: THINK OUTSIDE THE MARKETING BOX
Fortune favours the bold; a phrase that rings true with digital marketing. Push notifications and aggressive targeted ad campaigns subject online customers to a continual bombardment of information. Cutting through a saturated newsfeed and genuinely captivating an audience requires a strategy that doesn’t try to grab attention through standard channels.
Opting for non-traditional targeted marketing proves hugely beneficial for building pre-event hype. Try sending long-standing customers an exclusive goody bag packed full of pre-event merchandise, or engaging Twitter followers with a task that earns them rewards they can redeem on the day. Spreading a hashtag you want to be associated with the event fulfils this purpose brilliantly too.
