Hosting a successful event for your business can do a myriad of things for a company’s reputation, especially if it grows to be a must-attend event in your respective industry. Attendees are constantly trying to find events worth their time, ones that typically have the right combination of business, networking and educational opportunities.
Attendance is essential as large numbers increase the chances of industry giants attending which is something that will get around to those not at the event. The best thing that you can do is be proactive about marketing your event. Check out these tips to help create a successful event marketing plan.
Set goals for the event
Each event has a different goal so marketing to attendees to help reach that goal is imperative. This could be to generate sales so sending out invites to those in the sales funnel would be most effective. Another goal is to establish a startup as a name in the industry which will require a large attendance by those in a niche. Building the right email list is important as marketing this event over time is important rather than bombarding potential attendees a month from the event. The right event marketing plan is dependent on the goals an organization has for an event.
Design an immaculate event website
The one thing that needs to be high-level throughout the year is the event website. A website that looks outdated can lead visitors to think the event might not be held this year or that the event is unprofessional.
Keep the content as updated and fresh as possible like announcing new key note speakers or new program information. The goal of the website should be to increase registration as well as inform potential attendees about details of the event. Do not try to make this website too complicated as the goal at the end is to drive visitors to register.
Have a content marketing plan
While SEO is a great marketing tactic for your events, it can take time to rank high for the phrase “best tradeshow for those in finance,” for example. The best thing to do in the short term is to express the value of your event via content such as a blog posts, digital guides, and more. Do not only promote this via articles but rather vary your content strategy by adding video or podcasting to the marketing campaign. The best thing that can be done in the content is showcase the knowledge that will be on stage at the event.
Flock to social media
Using the right hashtags in your social media strategy can help get your content in front of the right people in your industry. Using social media is not only free but allows for a company hosting an event to engage with current attendees, as well as those that are thinking about attending. Creating a hashtag for your own event also allows attendees to engage with each other, and serves as a way for them to create a community. These in-depth discussions are the beautiful things about using social media for an event.
Creating the right event marketing plan can take an event to the next level as it will increase the quality of attendee. Target industry giants with the goal of making your event one that nobody can miss with a clear conscience!