Whether you are trying to promote a large corporate event, special charity gala, or small open house, there are certain event marketing strategies that can be used to get you more RSVPs and also create a memorable experience for your guests while they’re there. Here are some of the strategies we have found to be very effective for promoting special events.
Promoting Your Event Starts with Getting the Right Data
The trick to setting up a really effective event marketing campaign is asking a LOT of questions. During this discovery phase, we like to have a meeting with our clients before we finalize our strategy to figure exactly who their target audience is. The more specific they can get, the better, because that increases the probability of reaching the person who is going to say, “Yes, I would love to attend this event!”
Set Up Targeted Social Media Posts
This is where the data and the creative come together and make magical things happen. Our copywriters and designers will create social media posts to be used over multiple platforms if needed, using the look, feel, voice, and tone that have been already established by the brand. We like to post a variety of long and short posts, single images, videos, and carousels to “see what sticks” with the target audience. After this initial phase of some A/B testing and monitoring what people are responding to, we will craft the remainder of our campaign accordingly.
Have an Easy-to-Use and Nicely Designed Landing Page
So now that our targeted people have seen our social media post and it has piqued their interest, they are probably going to RSVP “yes” to the invitation. Once they click that RSVP button on social media, they are taken off the platform to a different page. It’s important that this landing page has a look and feel that is cohesive with the brand, gives the person a little more information on the event, and has them enter their email address along with submitting their “yes” RSVP for the event. Having this contact form filled out is essential to our event marketing strategy.
Create an Auto-Response Using a Branded Email
Throughout our years of experience, we have learned that a “yes” does not necessarily mean that the person will actually show up. So, after users experience the landing page, they will be delivered a customized “we received your RSVP” email. This nurturing will keep the brand and the event top of mind and make it more likely that the person will follow through and show up.
Send Follow-Up Email to Nurture the People Who Have RSVPed
But wait, there’s more. Typically, at least one more reminder email will be sent out. We want to get our client’s guests excited about the event. We’ll remind them about what they can expect at the event, what information they will get out of it, who they will be meeting there, etc. Think of how many emails you get in a day and how busy your schedule is. Getting a reminder right before you’re supposed to do something is not only a nice gesture, but it makes it more likely you will do it.
Create a High-Quality Experience
Most of our clients take the lead on planning the event itself, but if there’s any other creative or collateral they need, we can certainly jump right in. Branded goodie bags and freebies are always nice, and they allow guests to go home with some branded swag. Banners, hand-outs, tablecloths, and slideshow presentations can all help in taking the event to the next level.
Send Out a Thank You Email
It’s always nice to send out a bit of gratitude to the people who attend your event, and it’s also another touch point with them so they don’t forget about you. There’s always an end-goal to throwing events. You might want people to sign up for something, donate money, enroll, or take a different kind of action. Chances are that not everyone took this action when they were physically at the event, so it’s nice to give them another chance using a thank you email.
Get Help and Guidance from Professional Marketers
Throwing an event is a lot of work, and you would like all that hard work to pay off and see a solid return on your investment. The right digital marketing strategy can help you reach your target audience to get more RSVPs, let them know what to expect at the event so they’re excited to show up, and then ideally motivate them to take action. If you need help marketing your next event and would like to know more about our services, please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.
