Planning a successful event means learning how to master the art of generating buzz, exposure, and awareness. Today, we’ll share a few methods to improve how you create excitement with marketing and messaging. And hopefully, you’ll be inspired to get creative about boosting attraction for all your New York events.
Dedicated Event Websites
You might already understand the benefits of having a dedicated event landing page or app. And for some types of New York events, those are adequate for generating awareness and driving traffic.
However, for some of the large-scale events you routinely plan, including conferences and trade shows, it’s best to go ahead and develop a full-blown, dedicated website for the event.
Set up the event website months in advance, allowing yourself enough timeline to initiate site-driving campaigns. With a full-functioning site, you can expand into various topics, allowing visitors to find the precise information they need. Alternatively, with just a landing page, it’s essentially one long piece of content with all the event details in one space. And this can be harder to consume for online visitors.
Separate your event website into primary access points, like:
- Event Schedule & Itinerary
- About the Venue
- Guest Speakers or Entertainers
- Sponsors & Supporters
- Blogs About the Event
- Latest Event Announcements
- Forum for FAQs and Discussions
Additional Considerations
- Make sure the event website aligns with the theme and format of the event, including colors, CTAs, and brand support.
- Don’t just display information. Instead, use the event website to tell a story and paint the picture of the overall event experience for those who attend or participate.
- Every element of convenience and ease of use should be incorporated. From widgets to calendar access, make maneuvering, downloading, and buying super simple.
Email Marketing Sequences for Event Communications
Another way to improve awareness of your upcoming event is with a well-designed email campaign. Roughly 66% of event professionals say email marketing is their most effective tool behind social media.
From newsletters to drip campaigns and everything in between, delivering event news and building suspense in the inbox can drive huge results. Continued communication also improves awareness and familiarity with your brand, fostering trust.
Additional Considerations
- Segment your audience into batches and curate unique email messages for each. What you say to those who’ve already RSVP’d to your event, for example, is going to be different from those who have yet to respond.
- Always A/B test with subject lines, introduction statements, and CTAs. Try different approaches to identify which makes the best combination for results.
- Don’t sell with every email. Instead, provide news, event announcements, and “learn more” opportunities along with your “get tickets” messages.
Resonating Content
Generate more awareness about your event by being selective about the content you offer. Know your audience well enough to understand what they really want to know. This ongoing effort will require relationship-building and trust-building initiatives. And keep it conversational and interesting to keep them engaged.
Additional Considerations
- Partner with influencers who already have a loyal audience that you might not otherwise have access to on your own.
- Center every piece of content, whether it’s on your event website, in an email, or on social media, value-driven. No one has the time nor wants to read a boring tutorial or list of facts that doesn’t provide some benefit to them.
- Give your brand and event messaging a personality. Let your audience see the people behind the event coordination and effort.
Social Media Is Your Bullhorn
One study suggested that more than 73% of event planners believe social media to be their absolute best and most effective tool in the event marketing arsenal. Facebook and Instagram lead the way as the channels best used for event awareness and promotion.
Create a strategy for social media posting that spans the few months prior to your event date. Keep these messages short and shareable, with tones of excitement and anticipation. Commit to a consistent schedule of social media posts and delegate other members of your team to keep up with online questions and respond to comments.
Additional Considerations
- Make brilliant use of event hashtag strategies and encourage event-goers, prior to the event, to share their good times online.
- Piggyback on trending content that aligns with your event for even broader exposure and sharing.
- Create a frequency of social media engagement that builds excitement, with fewer posts in the beginning and more frequent posts as you near the event date.
- Social media channels are great venues for sharing event incentives, including prizes and discounts.
Start creating more buzz and awareness for every event you plan with these insights and suggestions! And for more inspiration on how to improve your event planning services or to grow your business, get to The Event Planner Expo 2023! Learn more about tickets, announcements, and exhibitor opportunities!
