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As an event organizer, there is no better feeling than selling out your event. However, that’s easier said than done. While booking an influential speaker or a coveted venue is certainly a winning move, ultimately, the success of the promotion of your event can be measured by how many people are in attendance.
Getting your target audience to pay for tickets or even, sometimes, participate for free can be a struggle. Hitting the target number of participants can be particularly difficult for speaker sessions, conferences, trade shows, networking sessions, and other non-entertainment events.
Moreover, because of the pandemic, events are no longer the same. You may have been forced to cancel in-person sessions and instead host virtual events, which requires new skills.
That being said, using the right promotional strategies will make a difference when it comes to garnering attention for your event. In this post, we’re summarizing actionable tips for promoting your event virtually. Let’s dive in.
Unless you’re a pop sensation like Taylor Swift, announcing your event a couple of hours before it starts is hardly going to work. Ideally, you should start thinking about promoting your event at least 2-3 months in advance.
Slowly unveiling different speakers and other compelling details are cornerstones for building anticipation. Once you get the ball rolling, make sure you maintain the hype by constantly feeding your target audience tidbits and interesting insights into the event.
Whether you are planning an in-person or digital event, you must create an exclusive event page. Today’s internet-savvy audience is likely to search for anything and everything online before committing. So you can imagine the consequence of your event not having any online clout.
An event page is a way to persuade people to sign up for your event. From keynote speakers to unique offerings, we suggest sharing all relevant information with prospective attendees. Every event page should include a sign-up or registration link. You can further establish the credibility of your event by including your sponsors and partners on the page.
There’s no question that strong copy plays a key role in generating publicity for your event. But words alone aren’t enough. To catch a prospect’s eye, you need to invest in high-quality graphics. You can use visual content to effectively promote your event on different platforms.
In the same way that even movies with an all-star cast release teasers and trailers, you should always give your audience sneak peeks of your content. For example, a fast-cut video about the event or a small video showing the venue can raise awareness about your event in several ways. Giving previews will generate buzz and build anticipation.
With social media and other new tools popping up, don’t underestimate email marketing. Leverage your email lists to inform your subscribers about your upcoming event. Carefully curating subject lines and email content is key to incite subscribers to open your email. A/B testing is a good idea to determine what kind of email content is resonating with your audience. Also, personalizing emails and including CTAs can further encourage recipients to open your emails.
Social media is a powerful promotional tool for reaching a wider audience, especially for a digital event. You’re missing out on a great opportunity if you do not use the various social media platforms to your advantage.
Instagram started as just a photo-sharing app but has quickly evolved into an essential platform for marketing. As previously mentioned, it’s crucial to generate buzz for your event. And there’s no better platform than Instagram for that.
From conducting Polls on Stories to producing creative Reels, Instagram holds great promotional potential.
Do not overlook Facebook when it comes to promoting your event on social media. Facebook is a powerhouse platform offering a multitude of options to boost event promotions. Start by creating an event page and make sure you fill out all the relevant details, including images and videos.
LinkedIn is probably not the first platform that pops into your mind when you think of promoting through social media. However, LinkedIn is one of the most popular social media platforms for professionals. If you don’t already have a profile on LinkedIn, it’s time to make one. Next, create a new LinkedIn group to connect with like-minded people that will be interested in attending your event. If you are struggling to nurture connections, we suggest using LinkedIn automated messages to save time.
You can only go so far with free social media tools. That’s why social media ads are necessary to take your social media promotion to the next level. Ads on Facebook, Instagram, and even LinkedIn promise worthwhile returns.
You have worked hard to get the best speakers and panelists for your event. But your work doesn’t end here. You should encourage speakers to take it upon themselves to promote your event to their followers on their platforms. In fact, we recommend making self-promotion a part of the contract so that there is no misunderstanding.
Influencers with a dedicated following can do wonders for the success of your event. Reach out to influencers relevant to your industry and consider collaborating with them on your event promotion. In some cases, making such influencers a part of the event can significantly boost your registrations.
Social media contests are another great way to incentivize your target audience to sign up for your event. You can offer free tickets to your followers in exchange for reposting your event on their platforms or tagging their friends. If you invite a well-known speaker to your event, you can also consider organizing an exclusive meet and greet.
A press release is one of the most cost-effective ways to gain publicity for your event. Also for a virtual event, a press release can help generate buzz. When writing a press release, you should stick to mentioning important details only and keeping it concise. Be sure to write intriguing subject lines so that your press releases don’t end up in spam. Send out press releases to digital media outlets and online event directories as well as traditional media outlets.
If you frequently host events, you should always ask the attendees to leave testimonials. These testimonials can be extremely helpful for compelling prospective audiences to register for your future events. In addition to written testimonials, try to get video or voice testimonials, which are a lot more interactive.
There is a fine line between constantly updating your target audience about the upcoming event and spamming them. You don’t want to overwhelm or turn off your audience with excessive information. It would be best to pace your efforts and gradually increase your promotional content as it gets closer to the event.
Even when you have an extensive network or a popular brand, rallying up registrations is never easy. You may be offering a top-notch experience, but your event will fail to garner attention without strategic promotional measures. Hopefully, the aforementioned tips will help you create interest and hopefully attract a big audience for your upcoming events.
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