Even though face–to–face events are the most popular format for people to attend, The events industry needs to improve in digital marketing. Strategies used ten years ago won’t be effective as the digital landscape has changed drastically over time. Artificial intelligence is the next thing to watch out for — and it appears to be the current buzzword. What impact will this technology have on our business shortly? This is but one of the many questions we need to ask to keep up with the changing times.
Today, event organizers have to scramble each time they need to announce an event for various reasons. Some have rigid methods that are out of connection with reality, whereas others accumulate too much data and don’t know how to maximize the value of it. Whatever your reason, Here are ten fundamental techniques you can use to increase the number of people attending the next occasion.
Create an event’s website using the ability to register. This might seem like an everyday requirement for modern events. Still, a few organizers remain trapped in their past and provide their contacts that contain a Google Form registration link. This makes people doubt your company and doesn’t provide them with the necessary information to attend your event.
The creation of a beautiful website where you can explain every one of the “why’s” and tell an account of how the event can benefit the attendees is among the initial things you consider months in advance of the event.
- Make use of the potential of social media.
According to Statista, In 2021, more than 4.26 billion users were on social media worldwide. This number is expected to rise to nearly six billion by 2027. The ability to connect with many people and social media’s “viral” component of some marketing strategies make social media a highly effective instrument to promote your events. An indicator of the social media platform you should useconduct some background research about where to identify your people. For instance, if you are promoting a symposium about heart health, the channel of choice will likely be LinkedIn in place of TikTok.
- Use data-driven methods and UTM parameters when you are tracking the online channels you use for marketing.
As we’ve mentioned, it’s possible that collecting information is one thing, but knowing how to utilize it is an additional aspect of the puzzle. According to Skift, a top source of events and meetings industry information, “55% of event professionals believe they don’t measure the success of their events well enough.”
Therefore, defining the guidelines of what is considered successful in your events is essential. Is your organization more concerned about the sales of tickets? What about the actual attendance? Is it more systematic and basing success on what your guests say in the post-event surveys?
- Send out emails to your database of attendees from the past.
Email marketing is still a king as a tool for marketing. It is an excellent idea to create your database of past attendees or even identify new ones while building your list of email recipients. When sending emails, try to make your messages concise, as an average reader will take 10 seconds to comprehend the core of the message, as per Statista. Use simple (not overly verbose) language to convey why people are invited to your event. If the event requires it, consider embedding video clips. You can also collaborate with your sponsors to activate promo codes they can distribute. This will increase publicity for companies that sponsor you and can significantly increase sales of tickets.
- Leverage influencer marketing to leverage
If you can make people feel FOMO (or “fear of missing out,” you could witness an increase in ticket sales. One way to achieve this is to leverage influencer marketing in your marketing campaign. Place someone well-known or respected in your field, and ask them to speak to your audience about how they can stay in the event. Although this might sound like a basic idea, it’s an approach still effective in the present.