Event Promotion in 2015

Posted on in Small Business Tips, SME Marketing, Social Media

Are you planning events for the New Year but don’t really know how to spread the word in order to generate interest? If you can’t afford activities such as formal advertising and door drops, follow my little crib sheet detailing my top tips for an easy step-by-step guide, incorporating social media, fliers and email marketing:

  • Create the event on your Facebook Page and ideally use the same wording and same imagery for familiarity and recognition.
  • Create the event on your Facebook Personal Profile (as above) and ‘invite’ your friends and ask them to ‘like’ and ‘share’ your posts with their own friends and family (do this latter part regularly as they forget!).
  • Post the event details on Twitter and to relevant groups on Facebook, and groups and forums on LinkedIn, with links back to your website for further information or to somewhere like Eventbrite (wherever you are selling tickets). Remember to highlight the benefits of why someone should attend.
  • Create the event on your Google+ Page as above and invite the Public and followers/circles etc.
  • Continue to promote the event daily across all social media (Facebook, Twitter separately to the Facebook posts using specific hashtags, Google+, LinkedIn Personal, LinkedIn Page if you have one). Use slightly different wording daily, it may help to draft your key messages before you start, so you don’t have to spend too much time on it, and supplement with additional activity, both with relevant messages and/or blogs and also with your ‘normal’ activity. If you’re not sure about the wording, consider what will appeal to your target audience and fire them into action!
  • Subject to the amount of time you have available prior to an event (say 6 weeks lead-up to something like a workshop) plan a series of emails to your contacts list.
  • Within your one minute at networking events, mention the event and circulate fliers.
  • Actively look for opportunities where you can leave your fliers such as coffee shops, hair salons and notice boards.
  • As you get nearer, add a countdown to your social media posts.
  • On the day itself, post before, during and after.
  • Actively encourage people who attend to post their feedback to your account/page, follow them up with an email reminding what they’ve learnt, how best to move forward and to contact you if they have any queries.

If you’re still not sure or have any queries, do feel free to get in touch or, alternatively, Alison Page Marketing can take care of your event organisation and promotion for you.