When planning for an event, not only is it important to get enough attendees, it is essential to the success of the event that you get the right attendees.  You may have a great itinerary, but if you’ve got the wrong audience, your event will provide little value.  There are many ways to ensure you have a large audience that is made up of your ideal customers.  Below, we outline some of the key ways you can ensure your next event provides you will your desired results.

Content

Press Release

The first piece of content you should produce is a press release that announces your event and the areas 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.

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.  You can also interview the speakers from the upcoming event to give a teaser on what they’ll be talking about.

Images

Developing images that will catch reader’s attention on your social outlets is another great way to attract attendees.  You’ll want to link these images to your event registration page to make it easy for people to sign up.

Blogs

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

Promotion

Social

Social media 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

You’ll want to ensure that you’re emailing a list of your ideal buyer persona.  You’ll want to have a short, but catchy subject line.  Within the body of the email, you’ll want to 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 influential people in your industry to help promote your event can help to boost the credibility of your event.  Offering free tickets to future events is a great way to entice influencers into promoting your event.

Teleprospecting

There is still no replacing a live conversation in today’s marketing world.  Contracting out a reputable telemarketing firm to reach out to your target audience can provide you with high quality attendees that are very likely to follow through on attending your event due to the live touch they’ve received.

Paid

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.

Sign Up Page

Design

You’ll want to use images within your sign up page to make it attractive.  One key thing to remember is that you’ll want to use smaller images so you don’t increase your page load speed.  Your main CTA that links to your registration page should stand out and jump off the page.

Value

You’ll want to 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.

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 that specific event.  You’ll also want to make sure you provide contact information so attendees can ask any questions they may have.

Follow Up

Confirmation and Reminder Emails

This is going to be your first 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 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.

Winn Technology Group has specialized in inbound marketing and event promotion for over 25 years.  When it comes time for your next event, contact us to help develop your content strategy and promotional campaign.