How do you promote an event successfully?
In the quest to uncover the most effective strategies for event promotion, we asked ten professionals, including CEOs and CMOs, to share their successful tactics. From an adaptable approach for flexibility to combining traditional and cutting-edge tactics, these leaders provide a wealth of insights. Dive into these ten unique perspectives to enhance your event promotion strategy this year.
- Using an Adaptable Approach for Flexibility
- Email Marketing With a Focus on Audience Transformation
- Utilizing Influencer Partnerships and Visual Promotions
- Networking and Organic Social Media Promotion
- Leveraging Online Communities and Influencers
- Trying Meta Ads and Media Appearances Strategy
- Hosting Pre-Event Podcasts and Industry Collaboration
- Applying an Early Bird Registration Discount Tactic
- Focusing on User-Generated Content and FOMO Creation
- Combining Traditional and Cutting-Edge Tactics
Using an Adaptable Approach for Flexibility
The key to successful event promotion is a well-planned, multifaceted approach that resonates with your target audience and adapts to changing circumstances.
Even if you think you’ve got every last detail covered, flexibility is critical for adapting to unforeseen challenges or opportunities that may arise before or during the event.
Clearly communicate why your event isn’t one to be missed and offer real value to attendees. Don’t forget to follow up with folks who weren’t able to attend; let their FOMO drive them to seek further information or engage with you in other ways.
Megan Benedict
Account Supervisor, Friend of a Friend PR
Email Marketing With a Focus on Audience Transformation
Promoting a successful event is best achieved through email marketing. Unlike the limited reach of social media, email consistently lands in everyone’s inbox.
The key is to shift the focus from self-promotion or event promotion to the transformation your audience will experience at the event, making it all about them.
The reliability of email and a customer-centric approach ensure your event stands out. It’s all about delivering value directly to your audience.
Jen Vazquez
Photographer, Marketing Expert, and Pinterest Strategist, Jen Vazquez Media
Utilizing Influencer Partnerships and Visual Promotions
We partnered with influencers to host our meet-up at the beginning of October, which was a successful community event! Since everyone was super busy, at the very beginning of the process, we collaborated to build a clear timeline and creativity.
Then, we supported everything with super visual graphics via email and SMS flows. Everything went smoothly, and we will follow this path again!
Hannah Davis
Founder and CEO, BANGS Shoes
Networking and Organic Social Media Promotion
I host live business and breakfast events. These events are free for local business owners. We’ve held monthly events over the past 12 months and now hold weekly events at the Holiday Inn Express in Chino Hills.
We teach proven Fortune 500 strategies guaranteed to grow bottom-line profits. Our number one strategy to promote our local events is networking at Chamber of Commerce meetings and other networking activities, both in person and online.
We also promote organically on social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Alignable.
Dino Fulton
Business and Profit Strategist, Annual Profit Strategies
Leveraging Online Communities and Influencers
One successful event-promotion strategy we employed this year in the book service and publishing industry was leveraging the power of online communities and influencers. We identified prominent book-related forums, social media groups, and bloggers with dedicated followings in our niche.
We collaborated with these influencers to co-create content and generate buzz around our event. They posted about it, shared exclusive insights, and even conducted interviews with our speakers and authors. Their credibility and reach helped us tap into a wider, highly engaged audience.
Additionally, we ran targeted social media ads to reach potential attendees who matched our ideal audience profile. These ads featured compelling visuals and testimonials from past events to build trust.
Vikrant Shaurya
CEO, Authors On Mission
Trying Meta Ads and Media Appearances Strategy
This year, I had the pleasure of working with Champion for a Cause Promotions to promote a unique event that donated over $9,000 to Fredi’s Foundation, a nonprofit that builds sensory rooms in schools for children with autism.
The event was a professional wrestling show. The promotion for the event was done using Meta Ads and media appearances. The Meta Ads focused on two distinct audiences: parents and professional wrestling fans. With only $500 spent, we were able to sell out the small venue and also sell 100 VIP tickets, totaling over $15,000 in sales.
Joe Karasin
CMO, Karasin PPC
Hosting Pre-Event Podcasts and Industry Collaboration
This year, our secret sauce for event promotion was diving into the podcast realm. We hosted a special podcast episode that stirred up excitement about our upcoming event. But we didn’t stop there. Collaborating with industry-related podcasters broadened our reach.
By guest appearing on their shows, we captured a larger audience, building a buzz that extended beyond our usual circle.
Matias Rodsevich
Founder, PRHive
Applying an Early Bird Registration Discount Tactic
Promoting an event successfully this year involved a simple, yet effective strategy: offering an early bird registration discount.
This tactic swiftly entices the audience to secure their spot, creating that coveted fear of missing out. Early bird registration not only boosts sign-ups but also offers insights into attendee objections, event schedules, and marketing approaches.
It’s a win-win, providing attendees with savings while guiding event hosts to tailor their promotion effectively. The simplicity and tangible benefits of this approach make it a go-to for event success.
Marco Genaro Palma
Content Marketing Manager, PRLab
Focusing on User-Generated Content and FOMO Creation
This year, I successfully promoted our event by leveraging user-generated content (UGC). We encouraged early attendees to share their excitement using a specific hashtag and to post about their experiences during pre-event webinars.
This created a buzz and organic reach on social media. By showcasing real participants and their stories, we built credibility and generated a FOMO effect, leading to increased registrations and engagement.
Shoaib Mughal
CEO, Marketix
Combining Traditional and Cutting-Edge Tactics
This year, I successfully promoted an event by leveraging a unique combination of traditional strategies and cutting-edge tactics. I organized a street team to generate word-of-mouth advertising. This grassroots approach quickly built interest in the event among local attendees.
Secondly, I integrated promotional materials into email campaigns for additional digital outreach and created informational landing pages on popular websites as focal points for event details. This generated significant hype prior to its launch.
Finally, as an uncommon effort, I invested in lightly targeted Facebook ads that were more likely to reach interested individuals rather than simply wasting money on low ROI impressions.
This high-impact strategy gave me the visibility needed to ensure high attendance at the event while also reinforcing my mission and purpose beyond those who already knew about it.
Tasia Duske
CEO, Museum Hack
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