Tips to Market Your Events Online
Events and conferences are one of the best marketing and networking tools for companies operating in the B2B segment because they can help companies find potential new customers and build relationships with existing ones. With online marketing, we can share information more quickly and have deeper conversations with customers. As a result, we get increased awareness and, ultimately, more sales inquiries before, during and after the events.
Here are seven steps to promote your events and transform them into "mega events!"
1. Create listings on the events page of your website:
Dedicated events pages help you share information about all upcoming events and highlights of the previous ones with your website visitors. Key things to share on this page include event overviews, brief bios of speakers/attendees, and locations and registration details. On the Boeing company website, the page has an added feature that lets you add an event to your calendar with the click of a button and set a reminder.
2. Use calls-to-action on all high traffic pages of your website:
When planning events, it is important to use every channel of communication possible to promote them. Share the details on all pages that get high numbers of visits to direct traffic to your events pages. For example, place banners promoting events on the home page, products/ services pages, contact us page and more. If you have a blog, it's a good idea to use a promotional banner on the home page. If you have developed an event microsite, including links on your website pages makes it easier for visitors to get more details and register.
3. Publicize the event with listings:
There are many listing websites that can promote your event instantly to a huge network online. While press releases are still used by marketers, dedicated event websites are becoming more prominent on Google. With some you can submit your event information and it will be listed on the site, as well as anywhere else that syndicates content from these sites. The best example of this type of website is Zvents.
Yelp is a review community with a section that lists local events on community calendars. Members can register to attend and submit reviews after events take place. It works well for companies in the B2C space.
4. Send event-related emails to your database:
There are three steps to this activity.
Design:
develop emails to provide glimpses of upcoming events, making them look interesting while communicating their tone and character.
Content:
Write headlines to pique curiosity. Share brief introductions about the speakers along with the agendas and important take-aways. Include the event location and hotel details. It is also a good idea to share pictures from past events, testimonials, discounts for early registrations and contact details.
Custom mailing list:
Carefully build the mailing list to target those who are most likely to attend and benefit from this event.
5. Promote the event in your company blog:
Your blog could be the best place to talk about events because you can cover aspects that don't work in press releases and other advertising formats. For example, discuss the inspiration for events and include experiences of past attendees. Interview excerpts make the event much more appealing in the eyes of first-timers. Think about a series of posts in which you have an introductory article followed by blog posts by some of the speakers. Cover the location and discuss attractions that can be enjoyed in the city. If you have organized some additional activities at the event or conference hotel like golf, live entertainment or gala dinners, they could also be covered in a post.
6. Use social media to provide updates:
Tweet and create Facebook updates about events. Upload collages of pictures from the previous events on your Facebook page to show the scale, turnout and social gatherings. Tweets could begin a month prior to events and include info about the event, the agenda, testimonials from attendees of past events and notice of early bird discounts. LinkedIn Company Pages and LinkedIn Groups are great vehicles to contact industry associates and peers who may be interested in attending, since networking is high on the agenda of active users. Regular social media updates will help your network build business cases for attending the events. Don't forget to add links to registration pages.
7. Use mobile apps from planning to follow-up stage:
Attendees now expect instant access to important event information—in the palm of their hands. That's why marketers are developing mobile apps to share event updates with audiences while they are on the move. The apps have become an essential part of planning and networking for events and can help you do the following:
- Build relationships and interact with attendees through real-time messaging
- Help attendees plan their schedules, navigate the events, and easily find exhibitors/break-out sessions
- Enable attendees to contact product managers to discuss specific queries
- Capture leads and grow partnerships
How do you plan and promote your events? How has this changed to incorporate online tactics and social media? How do you think the expectations of potential attendees have changed in the past five years or so?
*/