Overwhelmed by the challenges of marketing your event and not sure where to start? You’re not alone. Trying to put together a great marketing plan can be daunting. But here’s what you need to know: your event tech can actually help you supercharge your event marketing. Handy! Is there anything event tech can’t do? Except make tea. Or feed the office dog. Or get the beers in on a Friday. OK, there are lots of things event tech can’t do, but the things it does do, it does well.
At Noodle Live, we supply RFID name badges and apps for events to a range of #EventProfs across a huge variety of industries, from Google to Deloitte. We’ve seen our fair share of brilliant marketing campaigns, and we’ve learned a lot about the do’s and don’t of putting together a great marketing strategy, and then enhancing it with event tech. Press pause on stress, make your own darn cup of tea and let Team Noodle give you some great tips for supercharging your event marketing:
1. Listen!
Want to know what people are thinking about your event? These days it’s easy to listen in to people’s opinions thanks to social media. Eavesdropping at its finest. Event apps help you to take this even further. In-app messages and social media feeds allow you to monitor the conversation and adjust your plans accordingly. Don’t forget to create an event hashtag to make it easy for everyone to follow the latest updates.
It’s also a really good idea to make sure you gather as much post-event feedback as possible. If you’re using an event app, you’ll be able to ask delegates to complete a quick survey instantly, so they can complete it before they even leave the venue. You’re likely to get much higher uptake rates this way. This data can then be analysed and reviewed to give you a really clear picture of what worked well and what you could do better next time.
2. Always give your audience something of value
At Noodle Live, we think all interactions should be a two-way street. You should never ask your guests to do something for you with no offer of a reward. For example, if you want people to fill in a pre-event survey via their event app, you could offer them useful content, or faster registration in return. That way, everyone wins.
Try using the same tactic for marketing. If you want people to share your event on social media, offer them a ticket discount in return. Your event app can also be a great place to release teaser content. Videos of speakers or sponsors who will be at the event will build excitement and promote specific sessions.
3. Build brand personality and trust
Figure out who you’re event is. If your event was a person, who would that person be and how would they interact with people? All of your event communications should be choc-full of personality, from your Eventbrite page to the home page for your event app. Every interaction your potential attendees have with you should feel consistent and should have the same tone and personality. If you’re running a children’s event, make sure it feels fun and playful, if you’re hosting a 90s themed event, make several references to the Fresh Prince of Bel Air and hit a running man. You get the idea.
Once you’ve mastered your brand personality, think about using your event tech to reflect that personality. Is your event going to be adventurous and fun? Why not offer 5 golden tickets to the first 5 people who log a specific geo-location via their app?
4. Check your Wi-fi
We’ll admit it, we do tend to drone on about the importance of checking the Wi-fi connection at your venue, but that’s because it’s important. Without good Wi-fi you will miss the opportunity to allow your guests to become your advocates. Delegates won’t be able to post social updates, connect with each other or get the full use of their event app. Confused by Wi-fi worries? That’s OK, we think it’s so important that we’ve put together a quick Wi-fi venue checklist to help you get it right.
5. Engage influencers
Engaging a few key influencers can also be a big help. Consider reaching out with personal approaches to a few key social media users. Offer them discounted tickets or exclusive content to share with their network and they’ll usually be happy to post for you. Ask them to sign up to the app early and then let your audience know they’re online and ready to network.
6. Content is King
Create great content your audience will want to share and engage with. This will boost your social media and brand personality and can also be used as a reward to encourage people to fill out surveys, spread the word or leave contact details. Think about the topics that are relevant to your particular audience. Behind the scenes footage and sneak-peaks can work really well in the build up to the event.
7. Offer easy opportunities for lead capture to promote next year’s event
Capture leads at every possible opportunity! Try to capture data about people who were interested in your event but didn’t end up buying tickets, people who did attend, people who didn’t make it on the day, people who follow you on social media. All of these leads could turn into ticket sales next year, so ask your event tech provider to show you easy ways to make sure you’re capturing as many leads as possible.
That’s it! You’re now an event marketing superstar. Get out there and start using your event tech to supercharge your next event.