ABCey Presents: 10 Creative Event Promotion Ideas

Event promotion is essential for putting on a fantastic event. However, it can start to feel like you’re using the same techniques over and over again. ABCey recognizes that keeping your event marketing strategy fresh can be a challenge, so here are 10 creative event promotion ideas that are sure to attract huge audiences!

1. Comp Passes

Offer sponsors, exhibitors and vendors attendee free passes so that they can share them with their best clients or invite their colleagues, family, and friends. They can help return the favor by sharing them on social media to help spread the word!

2. Chatbots When People are Buying Tickets

Use chatbots to take care of anyone looking for answers on your website before they commit to buying tickets. Live chat on your website, Facebook messenger, and text chatbots can answer any questions potential attendees might have, so that there’s less of a chance they’ll leave the page and forget to purchase tickets!

3. Create a Live Spectacle

Plan a live activity that can grow and develop in a busy public place over a period of a few hours so that passers-by can stop and watch! This could be a group of artists making a huge structure or art piece of some sort. Try to make it relate to your event and create a timelapse of progress, so you can share it online to further promote your event!

4. Gear Your Content Marketing Efforts Towards Leadership

When it comes to creating your own content, it can be tempting to focus on search engine optimization and stuffing your copy with keywords, but this isn’t an effective way to increase your attendance. Instead, try to create thoughtful content that showcases your event brand as a thought leader, so that people view your company as a place they can turn to for new, insightful information. The more people trust your brand, the more likely they are to support you!

5. Host a Free or Sponsored Webinar

If your event is business related or offers some sort of expertise, a webinar can offer a preview of what to expect to draw people in. If you give them valuable information in the free webinar, it’ll make them wonder how much more they can gain from attending the actual event!

6. Set Up a City Photo Booth

Instead of just using a photo booth at the actual event, try using one as a promo opportunity by setting it up somewhere in the city beforehand! This can be simple by just getting a polaroid camera or an iPad, signed backdrop curtain with event dates and details, and fun props to get people excited!

7. Use Image Quotes From Past Attendees

Gather quotes from past attendees and overlay them on images from the event. Note their name, job title, and organization if they give you permission to share it. These make for great social media and blog posts to promote your next event!

8. Pop-Up Henna Wall

Who doesn’t love Henna? Set up a pop-up stall at a local event or the local supermarket and have an artist offer Henna tattoos to people passing by! Have the Henna artist create a unique style that incorporates your logo or represents your event theme. Use this opportunity to hand out event details, and offer free swag or discounts to those who show up on event day with their henna tattoo!

9. Social Media Takeover

Let someone else from your company who doesn’t usually control your social media accounts to take the reins. This could be your interns or bloggers, for example. It will offer an alternative voice and can present a different perspective. The goal is to encourage people like them to start following your event account!

10. A Photo a Day

In the months leading up to the event, try to share a photo every day from your past events on social media. This will give potential attendees a taste of what your events are like. If previous attendees appear in the photos, tag them (after getting their permission) to encourage them to share the photo as well!

Which event promotion idea will you use?

We’d love to hear from you! Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter!

How to Market an Event Online

You’re planning a big event — maybe it’s a party, an outing, a luncheon or a benefit. Whatever it may be, you have a list of to-do’s longer than a yardstick that you’re slowly checking off. However, the hard truth is that none of it will matter if nobody shows up to your event. No need to worry, though! There are many ways you can market your event from behind your computer screen.

Here are some tried-and-true ways to use the internet to generate buzz.

Direct Marketing

Using email or personalized electronic invitations will make it easy to get important information out to your guests, like when and where your event will be. With so much happening on devices these days, an invitation that guests can take with them anywhere is better than a paper invite. People can easily add the date to their calendar, and if they need to reference it in the future, they can just pull it up on their phones.

You’ll also want to make your email pop with visuals and colors for a higher feedback rate. Use a friendly subject line, so viewers don’t immediately think its simply junk mail.

To keep your potential guests excited as the date draws closer, send out important logistical information, updates about what to expect and any announcements about the event. This will keep the event on their minds in the weeks leading up to the big day.

Social Media

The most powerful tool you have in this decade is a social media presence. There are endless ways you can make sure your event gets noticed through social media. For example, create a unique hashtag for the event that people can use when talking about it. This makes it easy for your guests to find out who else is going and what people are excited about. It also entices them to share their experience at the event on social media.

A social media presence for your event is also important to keep in contact with your guests and any concerns they may have. You can post important directions, contact information and logistical information for easy access. Have someone monitoring the page in case anybody asks a question or needs assistance before or during the event.

Traditional Marketing

Though this may take a little more work, there’s a reason why traditional marketing continues to work after many years. Send out a press release to local radio stations, newspapers and magazines and ask them to run the story in their next issue. Be sure to include contact information and how to sign up.

You can also look for bloggers in the industry and ask them to give your event a shout-out. You may even want to try paid online advertising. With the amount of time people spend online, getting to them in as many ways as possible through the internet is always a good idea.

Keep People Interested

If people are responding positively to your invitations, you’re doing great. However, even once you get that “yes”, your marketing days are not over. You have to keep your guests interested about the event. The last thing you want is a room full of no-shows.

Keep people excited by generating buzz. Use your social media account to post teasers about the event, showing guests a little preview of what they’re going to experience. Create videos, contests, interactive material and updates to post and keep the event fresh in people’s minds.

Using the internet to reach your potential guests has never been so important. Put online marketing on your event to-do list so you’ll have a full room of happy guests!

Share your ideas about online marketing and how you use the internet to connect with your guests in the comments below or find us on Facebook and Twitter!