It’s 2019 and one thing is certain, planning and promoting an event is still an excellent way to elevate your brand, especially when you consider the statistics. If you are looking to take advantage of the fact that more and more people engage in live events these days (and you should because it’s a great opportunity to connect with your customers), then this guide is for you.
You want to let more people learn about your event, get them interested to look you up and find more information, attract sponsors, etc. You will learn how to achieve that by reading this article. It’s time to master your event marketing technique if you haven’t done that in the previous year.
Choose Your KPIs
How can you tell if an event has been successful or not? Before you even begin to plan your event, you should compile a list of performance indicators (KPIs) that you will then track. Then after the event is over, these indicators will tell you whether the event was a success or not. The most relevant metrics include new vs returning attendees, the attendance rate, etc.
Don’t Underestimate Social Media
We cannot stress this enough. Social media are crucial when it comes to promoting an event, because you know what? About half the people who attend any event actually do it so that they have something to share on their social channels, at least according to the recent reports. Also, millennials would rather spend their money on experiences rather than on things, and events fall into this category.
Livestreaming
Do you know how many people livestream events? Just about 70% of millennials do, that’s how many! So take advantage of these statistics and encourage your attendees to livestream the event on their social channels such as Instagram or Facebook Live.
You Need a Strong Budget
Yes, social media allows you to spend less money on event marketing, but it cannot do everything. Don’t forget that having a strong budget is one of the essential things for a successful event. A budget helps you establish what you can and cannot afford, and that is of the utmost importance when it comes to event marketing. You need to know how much you can spend and you need to be able to monitor the costs. In this way, you’ve got everything under control.
Develop a Few Personas
Do you know who your most typical customers are? Have you developed the personas that represent them? If not, then this is a key step to include in your event marketing strategy for 2019. By doing this, you can tailor your messaging to better suit these fictional characters that depict your typical customers.
Rely on Surveys
Surveys and polls can help you a lot in mastering event marketing in 2019. How? They provide a great way for you to meet your attendees, discover their interests and what they like and don’t like. You can also find out whether they prefer attending events on weekends or weekdays, or things like what social channels they enjoy most. All these details can help you create a more appealing and successful event.
Attract Sponsors
One of the goals of event marketing is to attract sponsors, of course. If your budget is too tight, you’ll need to find sponsorship and this may not be easy. Sponsors want to know what they’ll get from all of it, and whom they can reach before they agree to fund your event. Potential sponsors will want to know whether their logo will be placed on promotional banners and similar items, so make sure you offer some incentives.
You will be required to submit a proposal and even get rejected a couple of times. It is useful to bear in mind that when submitting a proposal, you should state what you do, who your audience is, and exactly how much money you need.
It may be a good idea to start with a story about your company’s beginnings, so tell the prospective sponsor a bit about your business. It sounds complicated, but you can master these skills.
Mastering event marketing is hard work, but it definitely pays off. It takes a lot of time and attention to detail as well as knowing the right people, but with this guide and a bit of effort on your side, you can make your upcoming event successful. Of course, if it is all simply too much for you, an event planner may be just what you need, because you’ll save a significant amount of time on planning the event and even promoting it, too. They already know what to and they hardly need any supervision so you can focus on more pressing matters. Make 2019 a year for setting records! Good luck!
Micael Deane
Michael Deane is one of the editors of Qeedle, a small business magazine. When not blogging (or working), he can usually be spotted on the track, doing his laps, or with his nose deep in the latest John Grisham.