Promoting Events
So you’ve been tasked for promoting events at short notice… We sourced suggestions and tips on how to promote an event with limited time from our evvnt Communications Manager Natalie.
In an ideal world, event planning should take place over several months. But sometimes circumstances can work against even the most organised event manager by forcing you to promote an event in a short space of time.
How to Promote an Event at Short Notice
1. Define your target audience
“Firstly it depends who you are trying to attract… Who is your target market and what is your aim? If you are focusing on existing clients try a direct mail campaign. Or if you are trying to find new customers then use forums on event genre or social networks like Facebook and Twitter. It’s best to develop a relationship with your intended market first.”
2. Pick up the phone
“Get in contact with potential event attendees… Use a combination of SMS marketing, E-mail marketing and Social Media to promote your last minute event. Events are social, so start a conversation! Mobile ad campaigns or mobile banner ads on relevant websites would also allow you to target your audience at a price. Facebook or Instagram are great for paid advertising as you can target your demographic very easily.”
3. Use Video
“Video is a great for getting your message across and can be a cost effective way of getting people’s attention. You could place videos in a targeted Email campaign, on Instagram or Facebook, and upload to your website. Using a video from your previous event gives great insight to potential event attendees of what to expect. If you are going down the avenue of producing flyers then you can create a QR code which links to your video.”
4. Work out who attended last time
“Another effective way is to contact people who attended the last event and ask them for referrals. It might not have occurred to them to spread the word! If your event is ticketed, past attendees may be interested in recommending by sharing the details on social media for the chance of a free ticket. Connecting with your past attendees is a very necessary part of ensuring your event grows.”
5. Follow-up or send reminders
“Put together an invitation that you can embed into an email and send to your customer bank, as well as to other organisers so they can forward on. Send out e-vites, SMS reminders and Facebook event notifications. Repeat throughout the run up, again 24 hours before and on the day of your event.”
6. Use listing sites
“List your event on multiple websites that would grab the attention of your target market. This is a heavy task but will help you to maximise the exposure… Using evvnt is a great event marketing solution as we do the hard part for you! You can monitor your promotion with our reporting and analytics too.”
While it can be stressful to have to promote an event at short notice there are many ways to ensure you are successful…
Check out evvnt for a cost effective solution to marketing your events using SMS, Email, Listings, Social Media, Ticketing, Link Tracking and an RSVP page… Create an event marketing campaign for every event!
Give us your suggestions of how to promote an event by commenting below or tweet @evvnt with your advice.