Marketing Ideas for Events

There are many different ways to leverage an event. You may choose to host an event, sponsor an event, or participate in some way as yourself or representing your business. In any capacity, utilizing event-based marketing strategies can help you generate leads, engage with current and potential customers, build your brand recognition, learn new practices, and much more.² In fact, according to the 2019 Event Marketing Report, 41% of marketers believe that events are the single-most effective marketing channel.¹

Marketing events can include trade shows, conferences, fairs, open houses, and more. You can also take advantage of digital tools such as virtual events, webinars, and live social media events to connect with your audience. Tools like these can allow you to connect face-to-face, even if you can’t be there in person.

Event-based marketing can really be effective in reaching and connecting with a rural American audience, where a friendly smile can go a long way in creating a positive sentiment towards your brand and creating a loyal customer base. In this article, we’ll look at some ideas you can incorporate into your event marketing strategy, to help you maximize your impact and investment.

Creating Content with Event Marketing

Event marketing can be a great resource for generating content for your brand. Content that is based on events allows you to showcase your brand’s personality and core values without having to state them outright. This content can support similar messaging from your company across a variety of platforms. For example, a company can say they stand for farmers or any other market segment. However, if they create a presence at an event for farmers, supporting farmers, and a stream of engaging content based around the event, their messaging can be better validated. This content can show your company is “walking the walk” and not just “talking the talk.”

Here are some of the types of content that can be generated from events:

• Social media posts from your brand and influencers
• Blogs
• Promotional videos
• Testimonials
• Press releases

During an event, you can harness social media to connect with your followers who may not be able to attend the event and build your followers with attendees that may not know about or currently follow you. Consider creating a hashtag for your event and encourage your attendees to engage with you on your social channels.⁴

Another great way to leverage social media at events is through social promotions or giveaways. Giveaways can be used to drive foot traffic to your event or booth at an event, grow your social following and maximize your impact at an event by making it accessible to your followers who are unable to attend.

Testimonial videos can be powerful influencing tools, and they can also be fun for people to participate in. Consider the opportunity to interview attendees on video to get their opinions and experiences to share.³ This can create great content for you to share across your promotional channels.

After the event, a great way to wrap it up is with an article or blog post summarizing the event. In addition to the post, you can include links to your social pages to encourage your followers to take a look at photos and videos from the event.

Digital Advertising at Events

Almost everyone today has a smartphone that they do not go anywhere without. A good way to concentrate digital advertising in a localized area, like an event, is through digital geofencing. Geofencing allows you to target mobile users in a certain location and show them digital ads based on being within your targeted location.

Since the technology is compatible with 92% of smartphones in the U.S. and does not require an app download, geo-fencing is a really efficient method for digital advertising before, during and after events.⁵

Invite Media Contacts to Events

You can maximize the impact and reach of your event by reaching out to media and influencers on your contact lists prior to an event. Not only can they help you in your promotion before an event, but if they are able to attend and experience the event with you, they are likely to develop a story about it for one of their outlets. This can be a cost-effective way to expand your reach and nurture your relationships with key media and influencers.

The Importance of Event Marketing

Event marketing is a powerful way to engage with new and existing customers and prospects. Events can help foster personal connections with customers and coworkers alike. They provide opportunities for networking and education, which are vital for staying relevant in any industry. Whether you are hosting, sponsoring, or attending an event, employing a strong event marketing strategy will help you make the most out of it and maximize your investment.

Resources:
¹ 2019 Event Marketing Statistics, Trends and Data – Bizzabo
² Event Marketing – Marketo
³ 20 Creative Ideas for Content Creation at Live Events – Social Tables
⁴ Event Marketing: The 2019 Guide – Bizzabo
⁵ The Power of Geofencing and How to Add It to Your Marketing – SalesForce