Event marketing starts with establishing a base line for the buyer persona and volume of your target audience. The technology industry thrives on conferences and events and can be used to launch new products and even new companies. You may have a great itinerary, but if you’ve got the wrong attendees your event will provide little value. Several steps are necessary to properly promote your event.

Content

News Releases

The first piece of content you should produce is a news release that announces your event and the topics your attendees will learn about. You’ll want to let people know who your speakers are and the value they will provide to your ideal persona. Entertainment and accommodations are of particular interest to event goers and should be promoted heavily. You’ll want to have several different press releases prepared to go out as the event draws closer.

Video

Video has become an essential tool in event promotion. There are several different avenues you can take with your videos and it’s best to use a variety of tactics. You can use snippets from past events to show a few highlights and  interview the speakers and entertainers for the upcoming event to give a teaser on what they’ll be talking about.

Blogs

As your most forward facing content your company blog plays a key role in the success of your event. You’ll want to write about different pain points and challenges your ideal attendee has and then include a call to action that directs them to your event registration page.

Promotion

Social Media

Social media marketing is one of the best avenues to promote your event. You’ll want to make sure you use images instead of just posting a link as they tend to attract the most clicks. You’ll also want to tag the people that will be speaking at the event so they can respond and increase the reach of your posts.

Email

Segment your contact lists to ensure you are focusing on your ideal audience. You’ll want to have a short but catchy subject line. Within the body of the email describe the value the person will get from attending the event and provide clear direction on how to sign up. A visually stimulating CTA that guides them to your registration page is essential.

Influencers

Reaching out to the influential people in your industry to help promote your event can help boost the credibility of your event. Offering free tickets to future events is a great way to entice influencers into promoting your event. Encourage those that are attending and presenting to link to the registration page when announcing their attendance through their own channels.

Teleprospecting

There is still no replacing a live conversation in today’s marketing world. Contracting a reputable telemarketing firm for an event registration campaign will help you reach your most highly targeted attendees. Phone conversations generate stronger confirmations and in many cases the prospect will register while on the call.

Paid Ads

There are a variety of different paid networks you can use to promote your event. If you have the budget, paid advertising can be a very effective tool. Paid social media and Google Ad Words campaigns will help increase your reach and target a refined audience.

Registration Page

Design

Highlight the venue and entertainment with imagery on your sign up page. Make sure you don’t include too much media to where it slows down your page load speed. Your primary CTA that links to your registration page should stand out and jump off the page. This call to action should be placed on all digital event marketing materials.

Value

Communicate the value of your event as quickly and clearly as possible. Use headers, subheadings and bullet points to list the benefits people will receive by attending. Promote a blend of the education and entertainment your attendees will experience. Include links to further details in case potential attendees would like more in-depth information on a particular aspect of your event.

Information

While you don’t want to clutter your sign up page with too much information, it’s important that your potential attendees have a clear idea of what your event offers. A great way to do this is to develop an FAQ page dedicated to the event. Provide contact information so attendees can ask any questions they may have.

Follow Up

Confirmation and Reminder Emails

This may be your first direct communication with an attendee. It’s important that your confirmation email contains all relevant information to prepare your attendee for the event. Additionally, one or more reminder emails and/or teleprospecting calls will help to ensure those that sign up, show up.

Tickets

Your tickets should show an accurate description of what type of admission your attendee has. You’ll also want to include what the ticket includes such as free drinks, lunch, etc. Be sure you clearly identify the time and location of the event as well.

Founded in 1990, Winn Technology Group is a leading provider of global, multi-channel marketing solutions for the technology industry.   For both direct and channel sales, Winn supports demand creation, account-based marketing, channel management, digital marketing, social media, teleprospecting, lead nurturing, event marketing, database services, and inbound response management.