After you’ve found and booked the perfect speaker for your next event, it’s time to think about how you will market your event, whether it’s happening in person or virtually. It’s important to market your event effectively to receive a good return on investment by having as many people as possible attend and become more familiar with your brand and services. Here are the top 9 ways to make the most of upcoming events and maximize their exposure.
1. Create an event homepage.
Whether directly on your website or a Facebook event, have a centralized event page that outlines the details of your upcoming event. On the event page, be sure you succinctly answer questions such as: who is speaking, what will the speaker be discussing, when and where is the event happening, where can viewers access the content online, and will the content be available on-demand after the event is over. We published an informative blog post that details the most important details about an event to share with attendees. Think about using a form for registration even if the event is free. Forms are a great way to grow your email marketing list.
Make sure you are using tracking links when linking to the event page so that you’ll know what channels and tactics brought your event to the attention of the most potential attendees and you’ll know where to focus your marketing efforts the next time you host an event.
2. Send emails about the event.
Make use of your existing contacts by sending an email about your upcoming event. If your event will touch on different topics and you’ve segmented your email list, consider sending targeted invitations via email that advertise your event in the way that segment would be most interested in. Ensure that the subject lines of your emails will interest the respective segments of your audience.
3. Produce a promotional video.
Create a video trailer or preview that you can share on social media to generate buzz about your upcoming event. Tweets with videos get 10x the engagement of tweets without videos. If it’s a pre-recorded virtual event, you can share short, engaging segments that don’t give away too much. Otherwise, you can ask the speaker(s) your event will feature to send you short promotional videos for the event. Keep in mind that depending on the speaker, if you know that you want them to make a promotional video for your event before you book them, let your booking agent know so it can be a term of the agreement. For inspiration, watch this promotional video with Scott Hamilton, who was featured in one of our Finding Happiness webinars earlier this year.
4. Consider bringing on a partner or sponsor.
Consider bringing on a brand as a partner for the event, especially if it’s virtual so that you can combine your audiences and increase the reach of the event that way. Earlier this year, we partnered with the team at Delivering Happiness to deliver a webinar series that was marketed through both companies to expand reach. If you’re hiring a speaker, bringing on a partner or sponsor could also be a good way to end up with a larger budget for the event.
5. Have your network share the event.
Ask your employees, family members, and friends to share the event details with their networks and anyone they know who may be interested in attending. The more people you have talking about your event with their networks, the more people your message is reaching and the more likely you are to have high attendance. Create customized visuals and messages to fit the different people who may be posting about your event. The easier you make it for others to promote your event, the more likely they are to do it!
6. Create a hashtag.
Make a hashtag to build anticipation and so that attendees can engage in real-time during the event. You should also seriously consider live-tweeting during your event, and, at a minimum, have someone from the company monitoring social feeds in real-time to respond to relevant and timely conversations surrounding the affair.
7. Design promotional visuals.
Produce compelling visuals to post alongside the marketing for the event to make those communications more visually appealing. The importance of graphics is underscored by the fact that 65 percent of all people are visual learners, according to the Social Science Research Network. Tweets with images are 94% more likely to be retweeted than tweets without images, according to HubSpot’s social media scientist Dan Zarella. If you have a limited amount of time to make an impression on someone seeing your content, you can use that time more effectively by using graphics than you would if you used text exclusively.
8. Explore buying paid ads.
If you have room in your budget, think about buying ads on social media platforms and through Google to help more people hear about your upcoming event. When buying ads, be sure you have a clear idea of what type of person you’re targeting, what fields they might work in, and their age range. Having an idea of who your target audience is will help you more effectively reach them.
9. Remind, remind, remind!
Don’t be afraid to post on your social media about the event multiple times. Announce it several weeks or even months out and remind your audience so they don’t forget.
Implement these tips for marketing an event to maximize its exposure and it is sure to be well-attended and talked about. Whether you’re new to event planning or an experienced pro, AAE Speakers is here to help. Contact us today to ensure the success of your event!