Event promotion is key to driving ticket sales, but how do you get the word out and make your gathering desirable to the right crowd?
Here we share 6 ways to help increase visibility and create buzz around your next big occasion and bring in registrants.
You may already take part in writing a blog for your business, but if you don’t, now is the time to start. By blogging, you share your knowledge with others interested in your field and show them that you know your stuff, making yourself into a thought leader in the industry.
If you don’t already blog but you know someone in your trade who does, ask to guest blog on their site. Write some content relevant to their business followers while plugging your upcoming event, or include a call-to-action that leads them to more information about registering.
Once you have a blog post, it's time to share it on social media (often!).
Social media isn’t just for showing the world what you ate for dinner. There are several different ways to promote your event on social media including:
If you’re using guest speakers, invite them to talk up your event to their followers. They may have a blog or have a great following on social media. Don’t be afraid to ask them to help you with your event promotion. After all, the more people that attend, the more eyes and ears they will have on them during their presentation. Everyone wins!
You may have businesses sponsoring your event, and they’re a great resource for promoting. Chances are you have similar networks, but there will be many contacts they can touch on that you don’t have access to.
An easy way to get your sponsors involved is to create a social media cheat sheet for them. Come up with several tweets and Facebook statuses that they can easily copy into their feeds and share. They will have a simple way to help you promote your event in the style and verbiage you prefer.
If they are willing to help out, be sure to mention them often in your promotions and tell everyone how great they are.
Having early RSVP’s can give you peace of mind that your event won’t be a barren one. Just make sure you are giving out a reasonable rate while still making patrons feel like they are getting a deal.
Ask the venue to cross promote with your event. You can offer to mention them in your tweets and posts in exchange for a mention on their upcoming events page or putting up your event poster in their space.
Once you have used all of these great ideas to build awareness of your event, go back and see what's working. Find the avenue that has drawn the most attention and drive it home.
If Facebook is bringing in the most leads, then buy some Facebook Ad space and really increase your reach. If your blog is gaining attention, then keep at it by updating with new event details.
You can't have a memorable event without attendees, and we hope that the above tips help to jam pack your next event. Any tips you have used to bring in the RSVP's? Tell us all about it in the comments!