Before the digital age of content marketing, event planners had to rely on flyers, TV and radio commercials, and word of mouth to market their events. Online content marketing has made event promotion easier and there are so many more opportunities for marketing your event online.<\/p>\n
However, it\u2019s important to take a strategic approach to content publication and to plan out your marketing campaign just as carefully as you plan the event itself.<\/p>\n
Quick Takeaways<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Teaser campaigns can be an effective way to build buzz before the launch of any kind of product or event. The idea is to release small snippets of content over time, stirring up just enough intrigue so your audience keeps coming back for more.<\/p>\n One of the easiest and most common ways to start off a teaser campaign is with a \u201ccoming soon\u201d landing page and graphics on social media. Hint about something exciting coming up but don\u2019t give too much away.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve not run an event before, don\u2019t just go ahead and announce it \u2013 drag out your launch a little by telling your audience you\u2019ve got something exciting coming up, but not letting on that it\u2019s an event. The effectiveness of this technique is that it keeps them guessing.<\/p>\n Just look at the hype that was generated around the teasers for each season of Squid Game before it started. The season 3 official teaser video<\/a> amassed over 27 million views and promoted discussion all over the internet about what the final season would have in store.<\/p>\n Your corporate event may not be as exciting as one of the most successful TV shows of all time, but that doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t use the same marketing tricks to build anticipation.<\/p>\n Writing about your event on your own blog is one of the simplest and easiest forms of content marketing you can do, but that doesn\u2019t mean it isn\u2019t effective.<\/p>\n You can blog about your event to flesh out details of the schedule, introduce your guest speakers, and write articles on themes that you\u2019ll be presenting at your event.<\/p>\n Blogging about your event is a good SEO boost<\/a> and it gives you something other than your event landing page to link to from social media. If your posts offer value to your audience then they will also share them, which helps to increase your exposure, making it easier to reach a wider audience.<\/p>\n Guest posting on other blogs can also be an effective strategy. Come up with a list of other blogs in your industry and think about topics you can write about that will be of interest to your audience. You can work in a mention of your event rather than writing solely about your event. Those interested can click through to find out more.<\/p>\n Social media is a great way of building buzz in the run-up to your event, as many users check in daily to see what\u2019s on their newsfeed.<\/p>\n You can do a countdown to your event with a short post each day, link to your blog posts relating to your event, and provide a convenient platform for your audience to ask any questions they may have.<\/p>\n Image source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Paid posts on social media can help to get more exposure for your event. They are an effective way of reaching an audience that\u2019s highly targeted but doesn\u2019t follow you already.<\/p>\n Make sure to keep posting to your social media account during the event with pictures and videos. You may even want to consider a live stream of talks and presentations.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget to choose a hashtag for your event, and encourage attendees to use it when they post on social media, too.<\/p>\n Content marketing doesn\u2019t just mean writing articles and it shouldn\u2019t be one-sided. Involve your audience<\/a> to boost engagement and get them more interested in your event.<\/p>\n Social media is a natural platform for doing this. You could simply ask them what they want from the event or run polls and surveys. Make sure you respond to feedback \u2013 asking for input without responding to it is worse than not asking in the first place.<\/p>\n Image source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Make sure to follow your event hashtags on platforms like Twitter and join in the conversation wherever you can.<\/p>\n You could also host a live webinar or Q&A session talking about the event. Make sure you\u2019re offering valuable content, though, and not just using it as a marketing opportunity.<\/p>\n Video\u2019s visual nature makes it a natural medium for event marketing because it can capture the essence of your event in a way that written media can\u2019t. Videos are also a popular content format for sharing on social media, so they can help get the word out about your event to a wider audience.<\/p>\n You can use video to introduce your guest speakers, show off your venue, and even give a behind-the-scenes peek at your event organization. You can also release clips of talks and presentations from previous guest speakers to give future attendees a taste of what they can expect.<\/p>\n Your videos can range from polished event previews to unedited interviews with your guest speakers, or clips of them speaking at other events. You don\u2019t need a big budget or media production company to make them. Video can be off-putting to many event planners as it seems overwhelming, but even a quick video made on your phone can help to capture the interest of your audience.<\/p>\n As well as standard content around the theme of your event and what attendees can expect, make the effort to create more candid and less polished content that engages your audience by letting them in on your organization and planning.<\/p>\n Revealing some of the behind-the-scenes details of your event planning can make your potential attendees feel more involved and as if they\u2019re getting access to VIP insider secrets.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to use a huge amount of effort to create this content as it suits its purpose being rough and ready. Think about some tidbits you could show in a video such as a tour of the venue, or type up a quick informal interview with a guest speaker so your attendees can get to know them better.<\/p>\n Social Media Examiner took this idea to the extreme when promoting their Social Media Marketing World event. They released a serialized video documentary on YouTube, The Journey<\/a>, documenting their efforts to get 5,000 people to the event. The videos have been watched tens of thousands of times and continue to act as a successful promotional tool several years later.<\/p>\n Whatever type of video you create<\/a>, keep them short \u2013 three to five minutes is ideal \u2013 and distribute them across all your social media platforms.<\/p>\n Podcasts are highly engaging in the same way that videos are, but you\u2019ll want to use podcasts in a slightly different way to market your event.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to create a new podcast just for your event, although this is one strategy you could consider.<\/p>\n If you already produce a regular podcast, base one episode around the event with clips of live talks, interviews with guest speakers, snippets from attendees, and other interesting audio. This can be a great way to promote future events if you intend to run them regularly.<\/p>\n Appearing on other podcasts is also a great way to get the word out. Podcasts are always looking for guests to interview, and this is a fantastic opportunity to reach a wider audience and build excitement for your event.<\/p>\n Email marketing can be incredibly effective for promoting your event. It\u2019s also the best way to stay in touch with your attendees both before and after the event.<\/p>\n Remember, these people are on your list because they\u2019re interested in what you have to say, so the chances of them also being interested in your event are much higher than with people who find your site via search engines or see an ad on social media.<\/p>\n You can use email to:<\/p>\n\n
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1. Run Teaser Campaigns<\/h2>\n
\u201cComing Soon!\u201d<\/h3>\n
Avoid Dead Giveaways<\/h3>\n
2. Build Up the Hype with an Awesome Blog Post<\/h2>\n
3. Buzz Away with Social Media<\/h2>\n
![\"event](\"https:\/\/marketinginsidergroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/pre-event-marketing-strategies1-1024x481.png\")
<\/p>\n4. Interact with Your Audience<\/h2>\n
![\"example](\"https:\/\/marketinginsidergroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/pre-event-marketing-strategies2-768x1024.png\")
<\/p>\n5. Make Good Use of Video<\/h2>\n
Video for All Purposes<\/h3>\n
Show Your Audience Behind the Scenes<\/h3>\n
It\u2019s Okay to Keep it Simple<\/h3>\n
6. Put in a Word on Podcasts<\/h2>\n
7. Don\u2019t Overlook Good Old Email Marketing<\/h2>\n
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