Event Marketing: What It Is and Why It Counts (Part Two)

Event Marketing: What It Is and Why It Counts (Part Two)

Last time on our event marketing series we looked at how focussing your event marketing can make it a success. This time we’re going to study how to prepare for your marketing event.

Take a wander down the high street on any given Saturday, and you’re sure to come across some form of event marketing. A free can of Diet Coke or a branded sticker or a trial cereal bar or even a leaflet offering free drinks upon entry to a club – all of these are staples of the high street, and we’ve all come across them.

And for the average shopper in the street, or even an attendee at an exhibition, it might seem as if the whole thing has been thrown together on the fly. After all, what more do you need, besides an enticing freebie, a few cheery staff members and a space to stand?

A really successful event marketing campaign will be planned well in advance. Like all good marketing, the key is getting the message out before the actual event. This means making use of your online presence – every single part of it, from emails to social media. Start with a blog post, lay out your plan. If it’s a nationwide tour, let them know the dates and locations. After all, when The Rolling Stones play Wembley, they don’t just turn up and hope to engage a few folk – they want to most number of people there. Same for your event.

A good pre-event email can alert those who subscribe to your mail-outs a heads-up. If you want to raise awareness and increase loyalty among these folks, offer them a print-out too, for some extra goodies. If it’s feasible, you could even produce a viral video about where you’re going. People love to feel included. Tweet and Facebook your followers where you’ll be, what times, what you’re there for. Encourage a dialogue between you and followers local to the event marketing campaign. Going to Southend-on-Sea? Ask what your followers’ favourite things about the town are, or why those living there love your product, get a hashtag trending. In short, raise awareness, for maximum exposure.

Giving advance notice, and making those notices share-worthy online are crucial if you’re going to attract people to your campaign. Here at Breeze People we can help with your event marketing – we have a vast range of outstanding promo and exhibition staff on-call to represent your brand. For more info about what we do and how we can assist your company, simply contact us on 02380 015 000 and we’ll be glad to help.