5 must-know tips for marketing events
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Is your business dependent on selling events, or do events play a key role in generating leads and customers? Here are five essential steps to effectively market your events!
1. Have a plan before, during and after
If you only market your event just before it takes place, you are most likely missing out on important opportunities to boost ticket sales and expand your network. It is important to create a thorough plan for how, when, and where you will communicate about the event - before, during and after. By doing so, you will enhance your marketing impact not only for this year but also for next year's event, and the foreseeable future.
BEFORE: Targeted advertising towards your industry
Utilise your understanding of your target audience to customise and tailor your advertising tools effectively. It can be beneficial to use multiple approaches to reach them. For example, you might have one ad targeting those interested in topics related to your industry, and another using more behaviour-based targeting.
DURING: Keep your audience engaged with your event
Use geographic targeting in your advertising to reach participants during the event itself. Another useful tool is to share live updates on social media. In this way, you can capture the attention of those who did not prioritise attending and show them what they’re missing out on - and hopefully persuade them to attend your next event.
AFTER: Don’t let them forget you
Once your event is over, it is easy to think the job is done. However, you are now "top-of-mind" and your customers are more engaged than ever. Make sure to communicate with your audience after the event. This can be in the form of knowledge sharing, information about other upcoming events, or content that engages and interests them.
Image: An ad from Optimar showcasing their presence at the Aqua Nor 2023 trade show while it is happening. This way, they encourage people to actively decide to visit their booth.
2. Utilise your employees
People connect with people. Therefore, it is valuable to involve your employees as ambassadors for your brand. When employees share content about the event from their private profiles – especially on LinkedIn – it demonstrably achieves better reach and offers an authentic delivery of your message.
Image: Astrid Olsson from Synlighet shares in her own words what makes an in-person breakfast event in Bergen enjoyable on her private LinkedIn.
In this post, Astrid has written the following, translated into English: “Most of us use social media daily - yet utilising it remains a challenge for many businesses and organizations.For years, the Bergen Fire Department has successfully used Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) to increase fire safety awareness among Bergen residents!
On the 4th of October we have invited firefighter Siv, to share her professional experiences with you, if you’d like to join us for a breakfast meeting! Additionally, you’ll get plenty of great tips from our own Maria Stenersen, who has many years of experience helping various businesses elevate their social media efforts!
We hope you can drop by for breakfast and some professional insights at V39! Shoutout to Vestenfjeldske Eiendom for making it even more enjoyable to invite guests with top-notch facilities!”
3. Get to know your audience
You may not be relevant to everyone, and it is important to identify and understand who your target audience is. Some thoughts you should take into consideration are: Who is your customer base? Who makes decisions, and how? What common characteristics do they have? Where do they spend their time?
If you don’t already have a clear understanding of who they are, conducting customer surveys can be very beneficial. This way, you will gain a better understanding of who the core of your audience is and what they care about.
This does not mean you exclude everyone else, who might also be interested in your event. On the contrary, this approach makes you more relevant to the core of your audience. It generally generates better results and is a wise prioritisation of your advertising budget.
4. Choose the right social media platforms
Should you be on Snapchat, Facebook, or TikTok? Your content is not very effective if it does not reach the correct audience. Therefore, it is crucial to choose the right platforms, and remember that it is usually beneficial to be visible on more than one channel.
Curious about where your audience is? Understanding how different populations use social media platforms can provide important insights into your target demographic. If you are targeting a Norwegian audience, we recommend checking out Ipsos’s SoMe tracker! For broader global social media statistics, tools like Statista and similar reports can be helpful resources.
5. Encourage your audience to take action
Is your audience hesitant to sign up or buy tickets? This is often a significant challenge for many. Are they waiting for payday, or to see if the weather will be favourable? It is important to address these concerns directly. Be a problem-solver and encourage them to take action despite their hesitations.
Image: The festival Pstereo in Norway pointing out that the weather will be fantastic for this year's festival, so there's no reason to stay at home!
In this post, Pstereo has written the following, translated into English: “Exactly one week until we open the festival gates. And hey - it looks like we're in for some absolutely beautiful festival weather.”