Looking to build stronger relationships with your existing clients or members, find new ones, and drive revenue or donations for your business or organization? Events are an effective tactic to achieve these goals, but creating and managing them can be daunting. Event Marketing
We're taking the most popular questions from our latest webinar and expanding upon them so you can better understand how you can navigate the world of event marketing and learn strategies for creating, promoting, and managing successful events.
You can view the webinar directly through Wistia or right here on the Blog!
Have a question left over from the webinar? Leave us a comment below.
How soon should I start sending out emails prior to an event?
It depends on the size of the event and who is involved. Events that don’t include much “lift” on the attendees' end should be shared a month in advance with reminders going out each week and then the day of. However, if the event involves sponsorships or registration fees, an email should be sent out much earlier so people can plan ahead.
What sort of events would work for an online store?
Pop-up shops, as mentioned in the Webinar, are a great way to get your products that are normally accessible via your online store into your customer’s and prospects’ hands! Bring them to a physical location where they’re able to see and purchase your products in person.
If you’re thinking of a virtual event, you may also consider a virtual product launch to unveil new product releases or collections, showcase the features/benefits, and highlight unique selling points. You can provide exclusive discounts or early access to attendees to encourage purchases during the event.
You can also look into live Q&A sessions, exclusive sales or flash events, community contests or giveaways, and more!
How should social media be involved when promoting my event?
Promoting your event on social media is a great way to draw in people who may not be aware of it. If you use Facebook and create an event page, those who are attending can easily share the page with their followers! You can make it enticing by offering something like a free raffle ticket to attendees who share the event. You’ll get some free promotion out of it too!
When sharing information about the event, use graphics related to the event. Do you have photos from the previous year? You can also include testimonials or reviews from attendees. What is special about the event? What makes it worth their time to attend?
What are some ways to engage an interested audience that can't attend an event?
Think about what you can offer them without needing to be in attendance. Is there an opportunity for them to purchase raffle tickets or do a donation in lieu of purchasing a ticket? If you have the technology available, you can live steam or record the event.
I often find that more people register for events but won't show up for the event itself. How could I encourage them to attend?
Prior to the event, you want to send out reminder emails so that your registrants are keeping your event front of mind. Depending on the type of event and your audience, you can consider sending a reminder email one week before the event begins, 1-3 days before the event begins, and then one more on the same day of the event.
If the event is free, registrants may not be as committed to attending as they would if the event was paid, which would result in a monetary loss if they don't show. So for free events, make sure your reminder emails are engaging and remind the registrants what value they'll receive by attending the event. What's in it for them? What do they lose by not attending?
What should I do after my event is over? I want my attendees to know we appreciated their attendance and keep them engaged with us.
The most important thing is to send a “thank you” email within 24 hours after the event has ended. Share photos and a quick wrap-up of what was accomplished and include links to your website and social media pages. This is also a great time to ask your attendees to take a survey and let them give their input.
How does integrating with Eventbrite work with Constant Contact?
Our Eventbrite integtation lets you easily add an event to an email, track registrations, sync contacts, and send follow-up emails. If you use the Eventbrite action block in your emails, our reporting shows you a list of the contacts that engaged with your event through your Constant Contact email and the revenue brought on by using the block.
Can Constant Contact track emails about an event that are forwarded to another party?
No, any action taken outside of the Constant Contact email, such as replies or forwards from an email client, are not trackable through reporting.
