7 Event Marketing Tips the Pros Know

7  Event Marketing Tips The Pros Know

by Amanda MacMaster

The date is scheduled and the venue is booked: now all you need is people to show up! Building buzz for your event is not a single activity: successful event marketing goes on months before and after your event, and often is year round! You can't always depend on the weather, but you can ALWAYS depend on your digital marketing efforts!

1. Promote Event Sponsors
Promote event sponsors on your website, all social media platforms and in your email marketing. This will provide data you can give to the event sponsors about how many people clicked through to their website, opened emails, engaged with social media posts, and 

  • tag your sponsors and partners in your social media posts
  • make sure sponsors are clearly identified at your event on your event promotion materials
    • sponsor logos should be prominently displayed
    • give your sponsors recognition in media interviews
    • thank sponsors publically and privately after your event is over and tell them how their support contributed to your event
  • use your sponsor's name, logo and link in all your digital and printed marketing materials

2. #BrandYourEvent
Create a unique event brand and use it for all your digital marketing efforts from posts to website to emails including

  • fonts
  • colors
  • logos
  • event theme
  • hashtags

3. Contests
Get people excited for your event with contests they can participate in weeks - or even months - before your event date! Create fun contests and let people win tickets to your event or special event swag.

  • Contests on social media should be shareable and eye-catching: create high-quality images and video
  • Know your social platforms and which ones are best for contests, images, sharing and building brand ambassadors

4. Be Consistent
If you run an annual event your social media should be active year-round to keep your audience engaged and involved in everything, even the planning. You will pump up the social media in the months leading up to the event and during the event, but be sure to post consistently all year round:it is much easier to maintain engagement than to try and rebuild it before the event.

  • Pre-Event
    Share promotional news about events, venues, tickets, sponsors, map, website, parking, media
  • During Event
    Keep your social media at 150% during your event by sharing fan photos, up to date event info, cancellations, parking, weather updates, bands and performance schedules, live streaming videos from the event, and live media shares throughout the event
  • Post-Event
    After your event is over share media coverage about the event, photos from your photographer, videos, fan photos, share attendees posts
  • Other times in the year
    Recycle: Keep your followers engaged and build anticipation for your event year round by sharing news of last year's event such as
    • #TBT photos of past events
    • survey your audience about event themes or swag items
    • share event planning photos of your team, ie the committee is back together and excited for 2017
    • post event news as it happens, i.e securing sponsors, getting new partners, booking bands or artists
    • share interesting articles about things related to your event
      tip: for Art Deco Weekend in Miami, MacManda Media promotes #FlapperFriday and #MiMoMonday to promote the 1920s and architecture in Miami

5. eBlasts
Build an email list of your loyal attendees and send them updates on your event

  • use catchy subject lines and images to attract their attention
  • give them things, like discounted tickets or early bird ticket sales exclusively for them
  • keep them updated on everything going on with your event, and let them be the first to know about important things like scheduling, ticket sales, etc. Make them feel a part of the event!
  • create special events just for your

6. Sharing is Caring
Encourage your event partners, sponsors and vendors to promote the event to their clients, employees and followers. Make sure they feel like event partners and understand that if your event is successful, they are successful too.

  • give them ideas of how to promote your event on social media
    • sample tweets and FB posts
    • unique hashtags for your event or for their sponsorship of your event
    • links to the event website
    • images to share on social media and their company website or newsletter

7. Go LIVE on Video
During your event grab your phone and broadcast live on Periscope, SnapChat, FaceBook Live or Blab: post and stream live announcements, behind-the-scene tours, attendee interviews, performances, food vendors and videos of the event to your audience. You're not just marketing to your attendees: your marketing to fans and future attendees!
tip: Be sure the save the videos to create YouTube videos or to promote the event in the future.

A lot of time and energy goes into planning and marketing your event. You want to do everything you can to make sure your audience knows about your event, is excited about it and comes out to support it! Event marketing doesn't just happen: you need to create a plan and then put your ideas into action!

PR and marketing pro Amanda MacMaster is addicted to all things digital, coffee and her little family including her husband (Scott) and her 5 rescue pets (JP, Tammy, Sadie, Coal & Bella). Luckily for small businesses everywhere, Amanda turned her passion for technology, creativity and design skills into a career as PR and marketing professional. A Boston native, Amanda relocated to South Florida where she honed her PR and marketing skills for businesses and organizations. Prior to launching MMM, Amanda's resume includes: • Marketing and Sales for D.R.E.A.M. Real Estate and Marriott International • Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Miami Design Preservation League • President, Board of Directors Greater Miami Festival and Events Association Amanda, her husband and their dogs enjoy the Florida lifestyle.

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