By Ronnie Wendt

In the fast-paced world of meeting and event planning, creating hype is only half the battle — keeping the excitement alive is what transforms an event from good to unforgettable.

With the right strategies in place, planners can transform an event spark into a lasting glow.

However, there is an art and science to marketing that helps planners stage a suc- cessful event, according to Brett Adams, president and chief marketing officer at Trilix, a full-service marketing agency in Des Moines.

Successful event marketing spans pre-event outreach that sparks interest and drives registrations to live-event tactics that amplify engagement to post-event strategies that keep the conversation going long after the curtain closes. However, Adams stresses there is no one-size-fits-all formula to marketing. He says planners must conduct audience research and create thorough plans to market well.

“Without detailed planning, you risk an unorganized event,” he says. “And if you don’t market the event properly, so that your intended audience attends and en- gages, your planning won’t be worth the time and resources invested.”

Understanding each event stage (before, during and after) is crucial for success, he stresses.

Before an event, marketing centers on generating interest through targeted email campaigns, leveraging social media for teasers and announcements, and optimizing the event website with search engine optimization (SEO).

During the event, the focus shifts to elevating the attendee experience with real-time updates via mobile apps, live social media coverage and contests to encourage on-site social sharing. After the event, the mission moves to sustaining momentum, keeping the audience engaged through follow-up communications and post-event content.

By integrating digital tools and staying in constant communication, planners can maximize an event’s visibility and impact, he concludes.

KNOW THE WHY

Before an event even happens, planners must consider the event’s audience and intended purpose, Adams explains. When Trilix plans an event, Adams starts by asking the following questions to zero in on the goals of the event:

  • What are the organization’s core goals for the event? Is it to create brand awareness, gather contact information, sell a specific number of units, or gener- ate inquiries about a product or service?
  • Do you want to engage internal audi- ences (like staff and salespeople) or external audiences (such as customers, industry partners and peer organiza- tions) or a combination?
  • What do you want the event to look, feel and sound like? What is the overall experience you want attendees to take away from the event?
  • Do you need to have an in-person, remote or hybrid approach to interaction?
  • How might technology play a role in the attendee experience — from video and interactive displays or kiosks to virtual reality and more?
  • What do you want to send attendees away with, such as a branded product, business card or simple call to action?

“From there, marketers can develop a strategic plan that enlists a multichannel approach to encourage RSVPs, drive leads and provide a great experience for those in attendance, so they are more receptive to your calls or outreach after the event,” he says.

BUILD BUZZ BEFOREHAND

Prior to launching other campaigns, Adams advises planners to evaluate their websites to ensure they deliver an excellent user experience and can be easily optimized for search engines. “A website,” he says, “is a great place to house information about an annual event.”

Incorporating essential event details and reasons to attend enhance the website’s SEO, too. A good search engine marketing strategy can supplement immediate needs for people searching for the event.

Adams explains, “Both strategies provide a great deal of reporting and trackability to ensure effectiveness and results.”

CiCi Rindy is a social media manager at Nei-Turner Media Group in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, where one of her main responsibilities is promoting events for the company. She believes that frequent social media marketing efforts before an event are crucial.

“Frequency is the main thing,” she says. “You need to give people ample opportunities to see what your event is about and get its name out there.” For events scheduled in 45 days, Rindy insists on heavy promotion through social media. To maximize post visibility, she advises sharing different news about the event seven times or more.

“But,” she warns, “if you post too far out, say 60 to 90 days, you may not get a good response. People often have no idea what they will be doing in two to three months. I have found the sweet spot to be a month and a half.”

Rindy advises mixing up the information provided. For example, one post could reveal the event’s date, another could highlight the event’s agenda and a third could feature a keynote speaker. “Different angles are important,” she says. “Attendees might be interested in the same event, but for different reasons.”

For effective posts, Ryan Hanser, the president of Hanser & Associates, a Des Moines public relations firm, suggests incorporating various voices along with different angles. “It should be a chorus, not just one person,” he says. “I like to have a peer voice or chorus of peer voices describing the event’s value and the experience it will offer.”

Rindy suggests using multiple social media platforms to generate event buzz. “Use each platform to your advantage, using different wording and different images that will speak better to the platform’s target audience,” she suggests.

Finally, Rindy recommends putting some money behind the posts, especially on Meta/Facebook. “You’d be surprised by how much spending just $10 to $20 can increase your audience,” she says.

Hanser also advises leveraging Reddit for event promotion. “Reddit is a bigger traffic builder than Meta,” he says. “But wherever the content is placed, it’s incumbent upon event marketers to aggregate, boost and amplify that content. Anything that can create enthusiasm for your event, that’s where I’d put my dollar every day.”

Adams recommends expanding outreach beyond social media for better connection with potential attendees as well.

“Before an event, a company might use a radio ad to broadcast a message within a specific region to encourage attendance,” he explains. “You could also turn to targeted digital/programmatic advertising, including streaming video, audio and display ads. You could even send an email blast to potential attendees with event details and instructions.”

Regardless of the platform, Hanser insists on maintaining high-quality posts, ads and email campaigns.

“If the content is poorly produced with crappy audio or looks terrible, it will diminish trust in the event,” he says.

Tap into channels that will boost RSVPs and gather contact information, advises Adams. These include an event website, social media and emails. “These tools provide you with a sense of who is coming to the event and can serve as a lead for follow-up afterward,” he says.

DON’T OVERLOOK THE DURING

It’s also critical to keep excitement going during the event, says Eventbrite, which recommends creating an event hashtag, asking for photos and even livestreaming portions of the event.

Trilix helps clients with trade shows and annual conferences. In that capacity, the firm ensures momentum is maintained during events by placing advertisements and branding in hotels around the convention center and throughout the meeting space.

The firm also organizes cocktail receptions and dinner parties, and brands them appropriately. “Having on-site branding, interactive activities for attendees, an organized schedule and on-site support are extremely important to an event’s success,” Adams says.

Trilix also relies on digital channels to engage audiences during an event, he adds. “Brands can share their location through social media posts or offer incentives through an event app to encourage people to visit their booth,” he says. “Brands can even geofence a conference center to serve digital ads to attendees during event hours.”

Adams endorses event apps for sharing exclusive promotions with attendees. “By using a code or monitoring specific URL analytics, brands can determine how many clicks or inquiries about a product or service they received were tied to an event,” he says.

For those hesitant to jump on the app bandwagon, Hanser suggests event apps are easier and less expensive to produce than ever before, but planners still need a why for using them. Perhaps event sponsors want to make offers to attendees that he says “sweeten the why behind the app.”

Rindy suggests organizing fun activities and motivating attendees to share pictures of themselves enjoying them on social media. For children’s events, set up a face-painting station and create a hashtag for them to share pictures of their painted faces. Promote the posting of selfies with new connections at social networking events.

“Give attendees a hashtag to post to,” she says. “These things provide a glimpse
of what the event was like and generate a fear of missing out for non-attendees, encouraging them to mark the event on their calendar for next year.”

Social media managers can also post event clips, like a brief Instagram clip of the keynote speaker or a livestream presentation on Facebook. “Post a few things that people can see within 24 hours of the event happening,” she says. “These things hype the event and give people a feel for what it was like.”

Hanser agrees that video is a fantastic tool for generating excitement.

“It’s hard not to overstate the power of video,” he says. “But it needs to be authentic. It shouldn’t be so over-scripted or overproduced that it loses authenticity.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF POST-EVENT PROMOTIONS

In the planning process, Adams advises planners set strategies for sustaining momentum after the event. Some could involve collecting feedback from participants or pursuing warm leads.

“A good strategy is to organize the contact information from the event to send out
a post-event survey to gauge attendee experiences,” he says. “Another is to follow up with a phone call or email to the leads to thank them for attending.”

Adams emphasizes the importance of prompt follow-up, as many organizations delay this process. “If too much time passes, you may lose momentum from the event or interest from the attendee to engage with your products or services,” he says.

To create anticipation for the next event, Hanser advises stretching out event content over the course of the year. “I like to spread out the content I got from the event instead of posting it all within 24 hours,” he says.

For example, for a charity event, one post might be a video from the event where
he tags and thanks sponsors. Another post might share how much money the event raised. He then shares event photos throughout the year.

“Part of being a social media manager is taking nothing and turning it into something,” he adds. “You might use a group photo from the event to say something like, ‘It sure feels great to be surrounded by friends.’ You could do a mood going into Friday post and use an image of people cheering at the event.

“These posts do not say, ‘Look how great our event was,’ but they keep the event in front of attendees. Social media algorithms love photos with good lighting, so why not use those professional photos throughout the year?”

Adams also recommends using an e-newsletter to regularly share information and engage with attendees. He suggests targeting individuals within a specific geographic range for the distribution list. “Email campaigns are another great way to re-engage contacts who provided their email address during an event,” he adds.

Whether before, during or after an event, the goal is to “always keep people interested and, when you can do that, you keep the excitement going for your next event,” Rindy concludes.

Get Social

“Social media is a great tool that lets you engage an online audience before, during and after an event,” says Brett Adams, president and chief marketing officer at Trilix, a full-service marketing agency in Des Moines. “An audience that is regularly engaged online is easier to activate in person.”

According to Adams, understanding your audience and platforms is key for effective social media use. When planners realize this, they can devise a tailored plan to capitalize on the format of each particular platform.

CiCi Rindy, the social media manager at Nei-Turner Media Group in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, expands on this sentiment and offers plat- form-specific advice:

  • For a broad reach, Rindy recommends Facebook, which targets ages 30-65. But she warns, “It helps to stay a little more conservative in your wording and more formal in your presentation.”
  • The emphasis on Instagram is primarily on visuals rather than written content, as people prioritize pictures over captions. “Keep the captions short and to the point,” Rindy recommends.
  • LinkedIn is the ideal platform for promoting professional events. “Professionals check LinkedIn nearly every day,” she says. “Use a photo to grab their attention, but also use longer form wording that explains what the event is about and tag as many people as you can.”
  • Rindy cites content oversaturation as the reason she no longer uses TikTok for event promotion. Despite this, she says there are event professionals tapping into TikTok and its influencers to promote events.