A lot of planning goes into any event, from booking speakers and securing the venue to promoting it. Here are some simple techniques you can use to promote your event before, during, and after to help you get as much mileage as possible from all the effort that went into hosting it.
Create a Social Event Page
Consider creating a dedicated page on your preferred social networks. Many people already use Facebook as a vehicle for sending invitations and reminders to events, but don’t forget about Twitter, Google Plus and LinkedIn. Be sure to give your speakers and sponsors plenty of advance notice about your event pages and share the URLs so they can help promote them. Then whenever you post an update to your event pages, remember to also tag your speakers so it’s easy for them to share the news with their followers.
Market Your Event With Content
Remember, your content marketing shouldn’t look like advertising. With a little planning, you probably won’t even have to create the content yourself. To help with promotion, enlist the aid of your keynote speaker. Your featured guest will probably already have their own materials, or be glad to create a blog post, conduct a video or audio interview (suitable for podcasting), and generally talk it up on their own social networks, both before and after the event.
Tweet It Up
Chances are, your keynote speaker probably has a Twitter account. Be sure to share your speaker’s Twitter handle in advance of the event and again when it begins. Encourage attendees to follow you, your company, and your featured speakers. Link to your speaker’s blog, website, LinkedIn profile and any other relevant sites. Give them a shout on “Follow Fridays” (#FF).
Make Your Own Hashtag
This step seems so simple and obvious now that it’s often overlooked. It’s easy to make up your own hashtag as a way for people to follow event highlights and discussions, not only for attendees but for everyone in the Twittersphere who may be interested in your topic. Start well in advance, to generate buzz leading up to the event, then share it with attendees before the actual presentations begin so that guests can help spread the word and share what they learn.
Got Wi-Fi?
Anytime your audience is looking down at their laps, don’t assume it’s a sign of boredom. It could be that they’re trying to help promote your event by Tweeting or sharing it on social networks. You can help your audience help you promote during the event by making sure wi-fi is available. Find out ahead of time if a log-in password is necessary to access the network. Then write the access code prominently on a board or print it out along with other materials and hand it to people as they enter the room.
Broadcast the Event
Consider filming your event for a live streaming broadcast (that can be replayed in the future), or capture the highlights on video for editing and publishing at a later date. This will be of interest for attendees as well as those who couldn’t be there in person.
