Event Marketing 101

The Summer is a great time to host a concert, trade show or event, but it can mean that you may be competing with other events or show for attendees. How do you make your event a show-stopper? Read on for tips for making the most of your Summer Event Marketing:

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Number one, define your target audience. The better you understand who you’re looking to attract to your show, the more effectively you can reach them. Understand who your ideal attendees are and why they would want to come to your event. Once you have a clear idea of their persona and motivations, you can tailor your message and the channels you target accordingly. 

KISS - Keep it (super) Simple. There are a lot of distractions online, make sure you have a landing page that’s concise, and includes all the essential details a show-goer would need to know: date, time, location, speakers/performers, agenda/schedule, registrations/ purchase links. Maintain their excitement and keep the momentum going through the registration/path to purchase, by ensuring you have engaging visuals and obvious calls to action (CTA). Take advantage of platforms like Eventbrite, Meetup , or industry-specific directories to reach potential visitors 

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Events are social, it would make sense to promote them through Social Media too. With your understanding of your event attendees, select the platform most relevant to your audience: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, or TikTok. Create content for your visitors to “snack” on and get excited about - teasers, behind-the-scenes, speaker/performer highlights, or countdowns, can get great reach leading up to your show. Consider using event-specific hashtags to create a buzz online. Expand your organic reach with targeted paid ads to push your show message out beyond your existing followers.

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If you run multiple events, or annual shows, leveraging attendee email addresses with an Email Marketing campaign can be extremely effective. Share upcoming event details with past attendees, let them in on “early access” offers, send save-the-date reminders and follow ups to make sure your event is top-of-mind.

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Create unique content for your event, whether it’s blog posts or articles for a conference or trade show, or videos to get potential visitors excited about the event, make sure whatever you create add value for the visitor. Consider working with influencers or industry experts to amplify your reach. Partner with related Industry organizations or Sponsors and cross-promote your event through their channels, it’s okay to lean on your friends for support! 

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Engage your audience! Don’t just broadcast to them, encourage sharing and user-generated content. Host a Q & A session with a speaker or performer, or drive engagement through polls or contests. Get you audience to share the event for you.

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If organic media is like diet and exercise, paid advertising is liposuction or Ozempic, both will ultimately yield results, but one will work much faster. As a Marketer, you have to decide whether the cost per acquisition makes sense for your event. Channels like Google ads for paid search (text) ads, or display are great at driving awareness, as are social media ads targeting specific user interests and behaviors, but there are costs associated and measurement with optimization is key to making sure you’re getting the most out of your spend. 

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Use analytics tools to monitor all of your website traffic, ad performance, and engagement, and be flexible enough to pivot based on the insights your discover. 

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At the end of the day, there’s no one specific tactic to drive ticket sales or registrations for your event. A coordinated approach combining engaging content, targeted advertising, strategic partnerships, with data-driven adjustments will maximize your event’s visibility and attendance. Break a leg!