Marketing your event can be a daunting prospect. Where to begin? There are many aspects of marketing that require skills from a range of disciplines. It’s no easy feat to do this on your own. Here are some top strategies to create a buzz around your event and make it the ‘must attend’ event of the year:
Before the event
Identifying your goals is the first step to take before marketing your event. Do you want to increase ticket sales, create a buzz or ideally both? Make sure everyone involved clearly understands the goals before beginning to increase your chances of success in marketing your event.
How will you measure those goals? The only way to know if you’ve been successful is to measure performance so you can learn from the experience and make any necessary changes in the future. You could measure things like paid advert performance, social media feedback and click on email rates, to name just a few.
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Lastly, you need to understand who you are targeting your promotion at. You’ll want to engage existing clients, partners, future clients and those with influence in the sector. This way you won’t waste any resources on targeting the wrong audience and can focus your efforts in the right direction. For help with the huge task of event marketing, contact an Events Agency Dublin like http://davisevents.ie/
All channels event marketing
Once you’ve set your goals and know what and how you’ll be measuring those goals, you need to start your marketing plan. An approach using all available channels is usually the best strategy.
Email Marketing – Plan your communication approach in advance and understand that different audiences will require a different email approach.
Social Media – A dedicated hashtag for your event is a must to be used in all your social media promotion. Just make sure it’s not already in use for another purpose first. Employ eye-catching visuals and animations, making sure you pin your posts too.
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Traditional – Don’t focus so much on the digital promotion that you overlook the traditional methods too. Don’t forget the power of advertising in business newsletters and journals.
Direct Mail – Some clients prefer a physical invitation to an event rather than relying on an email.
Website – A dedicated, engaging and compelling event website is another crucial element of event marketing. The website should be the home for all related information regarding the event, whether hosted on your current website or one made specifically for the event. Information that is vital to put on the site includes transport and hotel information, an agenda, list of speakers and activities, ticket details and anything other relevant information. Also, include social media share buttons to help spread the message and create that buzz you’re seeking.