Event marketing 101: A roadmap

Your event is only as good as your event marketing. There are no two ways about it: a poorly executed, uninformed campaign won’t get people through the doors. Whether you’re running a large-scale expo or a gala dinner, you need to ensure that your event marketing hits home.

If you’re aware that you need some sort of event marketing plan, but aren’t too sure where to start, or, if your current event marketing tactics leave much (or even a little) to be desired, you’re in luck. Introducing: Event Marketing 101 – your roadmap to successfully marketing your event.

We’ve listed the non-negotiable ingredients that together, form a perfectly persuasive event marketing strategy.

• Clearly defined event objectives

An effectively enticing event marketing plan hinges on an awareness of the reason you’re holding an event in the first place. Clarifying this amongst your team is crucial, as your event objectives will inform all other event touchpoints. When it comes to your event marketing strategy, you event objective will be informed by your target market, and dictate the channels you use and your creative angle.

If for example, you’re launching a new product to the general public, and you need to generate as much awareness as possible, your event marketing should cast a wide net in order to adequately broadcast your message. If you’re holding an exclusive bush getaway for some of your most loyal clients, you’ll know that your marketing strategy needs to be a lot more targeted, and will most probably consist of private correspondence with your guests, as opposed to a social media campaign, for instance.

• An in-depth understanding of the people behind the names on your guest list

A rudimentary knowledge of your guests does not an effective event marketing plan make.

Instead, you need an in-depth understanding of who they are – beyond the cursory name and vocation. Begin with the data you already have on hand, and then, dig a little deeper to unearth the insights that will sharpen your marketing strategy. You can do this by tailoring your email invitation form fields, by researching their social media activity, and, by pulling up past sales and related data from your point of sale system, CMS, and loyalty programs.

• Emotional resonance at the core of your event positioning

Pinpoint the aspect of your event that will appeal the most to your target market, and then position your event accordingly. Determine what it is that they’ll get from attending your event. Is it a chance to relax on a luxury safari weekend? An exclusive demonstration of a product that’s not yet publicly available? A chance to network with industry influencers? Remember that the way you position your event hinges on the emotional response you hope to elicit from said offering, so identify the core emotion response before you decide on your event positioning.

• An informed event marketing action plan

The way you promote your event will be determined by your event positioning and your target market. Pinpoint the information that needs to be conveyed, the timeframe it needs to be communicated within, and then the most effective way of doing so. The essence of a successful event marketing campaign? Saying the right thing to the right people at the right time. It goes without saying that your choice of platforms is crucial here too.

Luckily for you, your target market research will shed some light on the channels your guests are already using. As mentioned earlier on, a large-scale event that’s open to the public would benefit from the use of several social media channels in order to gain as much exposure as possible. On the other hand, an internal team- building event would be better promoted via in-house posters and flyers, the corporate intranet, and an email campaign, as well as a handful of employees who’ll serve as ambassadors for your event.

Once you’ve attracted the right guests, make sure that their experience is nothing short of world class. Contact us to find out about our event planning services that are used by leading local and international brands.