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When you are planning an event and getting ready to announce it to the world, be sure to think big picture. Now is the time to be proactive, rather than reactive. People plan out their weeks and months — so get on their radar sooner rather than later.
Some examples, if you are planning a theater production, give your audience ample time to ‘save the date’ and plan a date night. What about planning a 5k race? Give people time to register and get in shape. If you are hosting a conference, give people ample time to save money/get approved by their boss, register, and coordinate travel.
When it comes to marketing an event, just like the general planning of an event, you’ll want to think backwards. You’ll also want to think about your target audience. How far in advance should you promote your event? How will your audience hear about your event? Where do they learn about upcoming events in their area?
What is a target audience? Your target audience is a particular group within your target market characterized by behavior and demographics, whom the company expects to buy your product or service. (Learn more about target audiences with my blog Figuring Out Your Target Market + Audience) When thinking about your event, to determine your audience you’ll need to think about who will benefit from attending your event.
Once you have established some answers about your audience, you’ll be able narrow down what marketing channels to use for your marketing.
There are a variety of ways to get your message out there, but you want to make sure you are putting your message where your audience will find it.
You’ll most likely want an online presence, such as a website. Depending on the size of the event, you may also just want to use a Facebook Event. Your website should have all the information they will need: date, time, location, how to register, about the event, and WHY they should attend the event.
When creating a website, be sure to have a simple vanity URL you can direct people to — such as ‘rebeccaleighdesigns. com/marketingevent’ — if you do end up just having a Facebook Event you can setup a redirect with a vanity URL, so it is easy to access and remember. Be sure to include this URL on all marketing materials to direct people to one place!
Beyond setting up a website, online can be an oversaturated. Be sure you are strategic about using it and your audience is online. Where does your target audience hangout online — social media? Websites, if so, which ones?
You’ll want to consider your budget and if paid advertising is an option to get your marketing in front of your audience. Connect with websites where your audience hangs out to get banner advertisements or sponsored posts.
Another option for online marketing is email marketing. This is a great option if you have an email list already invested in you and your business. According to Hubspot, 39% of marketers found that email marketing tools were the greatest contributor to event success.
Print is not dead! But don’t waste your money on print marketing if it doesn’t work well with your target audience.
If you are hosting a local event print can be a great option. Consider print flyers for high traffic areas. If there is a local newspaper, consider paying for a print advertisement.
If you have a physical mailing list, you could also do print mailers. Keep in mind, costs will add up with print and the actual mailing. A great way to see if this (or any marketing) works, is to create unique discount codes to track how people find you.
Now you know the audience and you have the marketing channels you are going to use it is time to get to work!
Human nature is to wait until the last minute — deadlines make people act. Structure your marketing timeline around determined deadlines. Deadlines can be around discounts/price increases, VIP experiences, etc. Once you have deadlines determined begin thinking backwards on how you can promote the various special offerings. It helps to put together a promotion timeline to help stay on track for marketing.
It is time to start spreading the word! Your community near and far can help share your event. If your event is local, consider local community calendars you may have access to with places such as the library or chamber of commerce. Start thinking a little further out of your “community” to other organizations and places that may share your event, such as online website for 5Ks/races.
And don’t forget to personally invite your network (friends, family, colleagues)! Give them an easy way to share with their network as well, a flyer, graphic, or 2-3 sentences about the event. Make it easy to share!
A great way to communicate periodically with your market is sending emails reminding people before prices go up. On your website you can add place for people to register to get reminders and updates about your event.
Pro tip: don’t lower event tickets later — always start with the lowest price first and go up. Don’t offer discounted prices at the door or people will wait until the last minute to purchase. This will encourage people to get tickets earlier so you can monitor sales and if you need to change your marketing tactics.
For each of these pushes for special offerings, consider special digital graphics highlighting the deal or special flyers. You’ll want to keep the overall look and feel of your marketing collateral uniform but be sure you are highlighting the why someone should buy/register now.
Make sure your marketing has a comprehensive look and feel. When developing your website, flyers, digital advertisement, etc., you’ll want to use the same colors, logos, fonts, and messaging. Repetition and consistency will help potential attendees remember your event.
Did you know? Studies have shown someone needs to hear a message 14 times before they will act based on that message.
If you have a team — be sure you are all sharing the same message and pointing people to the same place. Remember that simple URL? Put it everywhere. For print materials you can also use a QR code to help people access your website quickly.
What is a sponsor? Sponsors are companies (or people) investing in an opportunity to build or raise their brand awareness through financial support or in-kind value such as providing services, prize donations, or even providing a venue.
Sponsors can provide more than just financial support. Sponsorship, when done correctly, creates an opportunity to build relationships. Sponsors can help broaden your reach if the organization already has connections with your target audience.
Sponsors can help offset the cost associated with hosting an event. Let’s think about budgets — the overall budget and the marketing budget. Would it be helpful to connect with an organization, provide some advertising for them, and get some financial support? Perhaps it will offset the cost of t-shirt printing or paid social media advertising. If you need help securing a location, maybe you could work out a deal with a place to share your experience hosting at an event at their location for a discounted rate if they sponsor your event.
Sponsorships and partnerships are a great opportunity to be creative, just make sure each party fulfills their end of the bargain and there is a signed agreement.
In general sponsorships can be a great opportunity to help with events. Don’t be afraid to ask! You’ll never know who will say yes. You may not get a financial sponsor, but a volunteer to help at your event.
The day of the event has arrived, but that doesn’t mean it is time to stop promoting! Especially if people can still attend! Keep everyone engaged with an event hashtag to use when they share on social media. You can also encourage your attendees to follow you on social media for event updates or share premium event updates via email to those in attendance. Collecting emails with registration is an easy way to grow your email list with a clear segment of those interested in your events.
After the event, be sure to connect with your attendees for a post event survey to learn what worked and what did not work. Remember to use the feedback to review, reflect, and make changes as necessary.
And of course, don’t forget to revisit your SMART goals to see how your event stacked up!
If you are looking for project management, marketing, or graphic design assistance for an upcoming event, let’s chat!
