Online Event Marketing - Before, During and After

Marketing an event today is a much more dynamic process than it was 10 years ago. The use of online tools enables you to connect with prospective attendees before the event; experiential tools work great during the event, and digital communications are great for following up on leads after the show.

Before the Event

Two of the strongest methods for generating event awareness and attendance are email campaigns and social media activity. Email campaigns let you creatively share information about your event and invite the recipient. Responses should be directed back to your landing page and submitted online, so all pre-event communications can be tracked and measured.

You’ll also want to showcase your event on social media channels. Create a Facebook event page along with an instagram page and share it with your event attendee list. Update the page in the days before the event to keep the event at the top of your attendees’ minds. If your budget allows, you can set up a social media contest to drive more registrations and generate more buzz for your event. Social media is great for inviting certain people who you think would benefit from attending your event. You can also use email and social media to confirm and update your registered show attendees about any event changes and specifics prior to their arrival.

During the Event

Registration is a critical online tactic for signing in guests and is also an opportunity to provide them with more show information based on their preferences, interests, region, etc. Don’t forget about the social media aspect of marketing during your show – Twitter and mobile texts are especially good for creating a steady stream of event information. This works especially well if you want to create excitement around a special activity, keynote speaker or social event at your show.

It’s also fun to take photos of event attendees during the event and share via social media. Be sure to keep up with your blog during your event’s run and talk about the show’s success and highlights. It’s also critical to establish a live lead nurturing program so that contacts made during your event will not be lost in post-show activity. Be sure to take prospect preferences into account when adding new leads to online communications initiatives. Nothing turns a prospective buyer negative on a company quicker than unrelenting, unwelcome communications.

After the Event

The event went smoothly, the buzz is great and you’re ready to take some well-earned time off. Not so fast. Use the digital tools that served your event to stay in contact with show attendees. You can again employ email and social media tactics to thank guests for attending, and follow up on qualified leads from the show. Do a quick overview of your event, highlighting important elements and offering a follow-up to those who showed interest at the event. You can also send out a general communication encouraging attendees to contact you. It’s also a great brand-building activity to provide show attendees with videos, photos and articles of your event so that they can share with their business colleagues.

Every step of online event marketing is crucial to making the event a success. Fortunately, the tools are readily available and the benefits are quickly realized.