Events are meant to promote networking, and networking does not begin on the day of the event itself. In order to get your attendees excited about the event and also to create new content for the same, you need to engage with them prior to the event, and this is how you go about it:

BLOGGING

Blog posts are rich in content and they largely influence the way your event is perceived by your audience. By creating good quality blog content, you can not only engage with existing attendees, but also expand your reach to other potential attendees. Resort to platforms like LinkedIn, apart from your own website, to put forth your event and your views in front of thousands of other professionals in your niche. You could also request your speakers and partners to write guest posts so as to give your audience a little glimpse of what they’re up for in the event.

TWEET-CHAT

It’s really surprising how much can be achieved with a string of 140 characters. Tweet-chatting is a live event that one can host on his Twitter account, encouraging followers to participate in a discussion on a certain topic using an assigned hashtag. Choose any topic relevant to your industry and make sure it’s something that calls for discussion and is not mundane, create a suitable hashtag, schedule a tweet-chat and ask your speakers and other professionals from the industry to join in.

TWITTER POLL

While we’re on the subject of Twitter, here’s another amazing feature that Twitter launched quite recently, namely Twitter Polls. Users can now post a question with two choices for answers and ask followers to vote. As an event presenter, you can ask your audience engaging questions that vest in them a certain power of deciding what goes in the event and what stays out. For example, ask them to choose between two cuisines, and say that the winner cuisine will be served at the event. You could also ask them to choose between two topics, themes, or even guest speakers. This will ensure that they feel more connected to your event.

WEBINARS

This is a really cool way to connect with your attendees before the event and give them a feel of what the event will be all about. Bring in your keynote speakers, plug in a webcam, create a YouTube account and, using the ‘Hangout on Air’ feature, you can instantly start broadcasting live. On enabling live chat, you’ll be able to interact with your viewers who would ask questions and make comments that can be moderated in real time. The best part is – you can wear PJs while you’re at it and it won’t even be unprofessional!

PRE-CONNECT

As I pointed out in the introductory sentence of this post, networking is what people seek when they attend events. So, give your attendees a chance to network before the event through online conferences. You could use apps like Presdo Match that have networking functions, allowing attendees to connect with each other.

FACEBOOK CONTESTS

Competitions and prizes turn every mature adult into an excited child, so what better way to get your audience geared up for the event than hosting an online contest? Facebook competitions are very easy to organize, and you can always give away event merchandise, free event tickets online, free sessions with the keynote, an overnight stay at a good hotel and other cool goodies as prizes. Using Gleam, you can host a competition and give incentives to the participants on the basis of likes and shares. Also, you’ll be able to grow your databases by capturing their email addresses.

FUN CAMPAIGNS

The best way to get noticed is by being different. And different certainly equals silly in many cases. Instead of sticking to tried and tested methods, come up with fun competitions and campaigns where you prompt your attendees to upload funny pictures to earn a discount on the tickets, or a free goodie. Create a crisp hashtag for this campaign so that it’s easy to follow the activities, and by the end of it, you can also put them all together to display on your page.

Presenters work really hard to make an event happen, so placing its fate in the hands of the one day that the event is on is a huge risk. Your chances of having a successful event depend largely on the build-up, too. So, make sure you direct your efforts into these pre-event engagement techniques to increase your chances of making your event a memorable one.

The post Clever Ways To Engage Attendees Before Your Event appeared first on Yapsody.

Research shows (I wonder who does these) that the most commonly used event promotion channels are email marketing, word of mouth, event website, and registered mail invites (as if you need a research to tell you that). And there are six tools that can be used to carry out the promotion using these channels more effectively.

EVENT WEBSITE

Consider your website to be a year-round marketing tool that can be used as the central point for all your marketing activities. Here’s how you can use it to your maximum advantage:

• Put up pictures of your previous events to get your potential attendees an idea of what your events are all about.
• Upload videos of guest speakers along with their presentation slides.
• Start promoting your upcoming events well before their scheduled dates so that you have enough time to spread the word and create a buzz.

e-MARKETING

Never forget the GIGO (garbage in, garbage out) theory. Because, whatever efforts you put in will definitely reflect in the results you obtain.

When it comes to e-Marketing, you have to keep experimenting. Vary your content, your mail timings, subject lines etc. You have to constantly be aware of what your target audience needs, and deliver them that.

And as you experiment, keep collecting data and analyze it. Next, you put it to use and strategize according to your analysis. Your deductions aren’t supposed to be filed and buried in a marketing report.

CONTENT MARKETING

My personal favorite, this one.

Blogs and articles are like oxygen for your marketing campaign – breathe them. Everything important and relevant to your event should be put up as a blog. This encourages people to be involved with you consistently, and also helps you build your brand’s image.

Also, keep in mind the 10:1 principle which states that for every 10 pieces of content that you put up, only 1 leads to effective promotion. Keep experimenting with your content, too, but event updates should never be off the table.

WEBINARS

Webinars going hand-in-hand with today’s generation would be an understatement; they practically hug each other as they walk. What could be better than getting all relevant information delivered to you live while you’re enjoying the comforts of your house?

Conduct webinars that either build up to your upcoming event or are based on previous themes or topics. You can even conduct interviews with your past speakers who have served as great influences to promote your event.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook is definitely used by everyone, but that need not imply that your target audience will also be just as active there. Try to find networks where your potential attendees are most likely to be found online, and share all content relevant to your event there. Also, when you’ve teamed up with speakers and sponsors, develop your relationships with them in arenas where their fans are also present.

PARTNERSHIPS

When you have good speakers on your list, ask for their assistance in building content pertaining to your theme to put up on social media, your website, and blogs. You could also interview them and share their videos on your networks. The key is to use them as marketing assets, but treat them as your team members.

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