Are you ready to take your event marketing to great heights and leave a lasting impression on your attendees? In today’s fast-paced world, standing out from the crowd is more important than ever.

You can create an event that meets and exceeds your audience’s expectations with the right strategies and approach. From crafting compelling narratives to leveraging technology, we’ll share some of our top event marketing strategies in this blog post to help you create a buzz and make your event a success.

What Is Event Marketing?

Event marketing is a promotional strategy that informs a target market about events like seminars, trade shows, and conferences. Each event differs, from different audiences to unique content to diverse cultures. Hence, promoting an event requires various tools, techniques, and channels online and offline.

According to sendpulse.com, 95% of marketers agree that event marketing is critical to achieving corporate goals. Why? In addition, to attracting the ideal audience, it also:

• Develops trust between the business and the customers by encouraging direct interaction.
• Strengthens relationships with regular customers. At events, attendees can network, learn, and generally have a good time. This positive experience helps them bond with your brand.
• Aids in expanding your company’s digital footprint.

What Do Event Marketing Strategies Entail?

Event marketing is a strategy that involves planning and organizing events to increase brand awareness. Event marketing strategies involve planning, promoting, and executing events to achieve specific business objectives, such as increasing brand awareness, generating leads, or boosting sales.

It can include creating a concept, selecting a venue, planning logistics, developing a guest list, creating a budget, and executing promotions and communications leading up to the event. It also involves measuring the event’s success and using that information to improve future events.

B2B event marketing is particularly effective for generating buzz, attracting potential clients, and building industry relationships. B2B events provide valuable opportunities for networking and building visibility within one’s industry, making B2B event marketing a crucial aspect of any successful business strategy.

Event Marketing Strategies to Try Out for Your B2B Event

Event marketing strategies are necessary for B2B events because they help to effectively promote the event, attract the right audience, and achieve specific goals and objectives.

A well-designed event marketing plan can increase awareness and interest in the event, generate leads and sales, and establish the event as a valuable industry resource. Additionally, a strategy can help measure the event’s success and make adjustments for future events.

Here are seven event marketing strategies to consider when promoting your event.

1. Build a Dedicated and High-Converting Landing Page

A dedicated and high-converting landing page in event marketing is a standalone web page specifically designed to promote a specific event or campaign. It typically includes details about the event, such as date, location, and agenda, as well as a clear call-to-action, such as a registration form or “buy tickets” button.

A high-converting landing page aims to convert website visitors into event attendees by providing all the necessary information and making it easy for them to take action. It should be optimized for conversion rate, including clear headlines, social proof, clear and attractive design, and easy navigation.

Building a dedicated and high-converting landing page for event marketing is important because it serves as potential attendees’ primary point of contact. A well-designed landing page can effectively communicate important information about the event, such as its date, location, and schedule. It can also be used to capture contact information for attendees.

Additionally, a high-converting landing page can help increase the number of attendees by providing clear calls to action and making it easy for potential attendees to register or purchase tickets.

A dedicated and high-converting landing page can help ensure a successful event by effectively communicating with potential attendees and driving registration or ticket sales.

Here are some tips for building a dedicated and high-converting landing page for marketing your event:

a) Keep it simple: Use a clean and simple design with a clear and compelling headline that immediately communicates the event’s purpose.

b) Use compelling images and videos: Use high-quality images and videos to showcase the event and create excitement.

c) Use clear and persuasive language: Use language that is easy to understand and persuasive, highlighting the benefits of attending the event.

d) Include a clear call-to-action: Include a clear call-to-action, such as a “register now” button, that makes it easy for visitors to take the next step.

e) Optimize for mobile: Ensure the landing page is optimized for mobile devices, as many people will access it from their smartphones.

f) Use social proof: Use testimonials, logos of companies or sponsors, or numbers of attendees or past events to build credibility and trust.

g) Use A/B testing: Use A/B testing to experiment with different versions of the landing page and see which performs best.

h) Use web analytics: Use web analytics tools to track the landing page’s performance and make data-driven decisions about improving it.

2. Blog to Expanding Your Company’s Digital Reach 

Event marketers love blog posts. Blog posts are one of the most effective content marketing strategies to help reach new prospects. A blog can effectively expand a company’s digital reach in event marketing by providing valuable and informative content to potential customers.

As an event marketer, you can use the blog can announce upcoming events, provide information about the company’s products or services, and share industry insights and trends. Additionally, by including keywords and phrases relevant to the company and its events, the blog can help improve its search engine rankings, making it easier for potential customers to find the company online.

You can use the blog to promote the company’s social media accounts, driving more traffic to its website and increasing customer engagement. Blogs, especially long-form content, allow event marketers to explore deep analysis on one topic or compare key issues across various fields. In addition, it enables them to be more creative with their uses and reuses.

Long-form articles allow for all sorts of repurposing, which can prove beneficial when creating social media posts about these insights gained from reading through an extensive piece.

Here are a few tips for writing compelling blog posts to expand your company’s digital reach.

a) Create valuable content that addresses specific pain points or challenges your target audience faces.

b) Use SEO best practices, such as keyword research and meta tags, to optimize your blog for search engines.

c) Share your blog content on social media platforms to expand your reach and drive traffic to your website.

d) Utilize email marketing to notify subscribers of new blog posts and encourage them to share the content with their networks.

e) Consider guest blogging on relevant industry websites to reach new audiences and gain backlinks to your website.

f) Use analytics to track the performance of your blog and make data-driven decisions about future content and promotion strategies.

g) Incorporate visuals like infographics, images, and videos to make your blog more engaging and shareable.

h) Encourage reader engagement by including calls to action and encouraging comments on your blog posts.

i) Use the blog to promote your event marketing and drive registration or ticket sales by highlighting key information about the event and providing a clear call to action.

j) Make sure your blog is mobile-friendly to ensure it can be easily read on any device.

3. Promote events on social media

Social media plays a significant role in event marketing by allowing event organizers to promote their events to a large audience, connect with potential attendees, and build buzz around the event.

You can use platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to create event pages, post updates, and share photos and videos of the event. You can use social media to create and promote event hashtags, which can help to increase visibility and engagement.

Additionally, you can use social media to create and manage event-related contests and giveaways and to gather feedback from attendees after the event.

Social media is an effective event marketing strategy because it allows for easy and cost-effective promotion of an event to a large audience. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter provide event organizers with the ability to target specific demographics and interests and to interact with potential attendees in real-time.

Additionally, social media allows for the creation of event-specific hashtags and pages, which can help to build a sense of community and excitement around the event. Finally, social media provides an easy way for attendees to share their experiences and promote the event to their own networks.

Here are a few tips for using social media to your advantage while promoting/marketing an event.

a) Start promoting your event well in advance to build anticipation and give people time to plan.

b) Use eye-catching visuals, such as event posters or graphics, to grab attention and make your posts more shareable.

c) Use hashtags relevant to the event and encourage attendees to use them in their own posts.

d) Use Facebook events, event pages, and other built-in tools to create a centralized hub for all event information.

e) Live-stream or post videos of the event to give people a taste of what they can expect.

f) Use social media ads to target people who live in the area and may be interested in the event.

g) Encourage attendees to share their own photos and posts from the event to create buzz and social proof.

h) Use polls and surveys to gather feedback and get a sense of what people liked or didn’t like about the event.

i) Encourage attendees to sign up for your mailing list or follow you on social media to stay informed about future events.

j) Use social media to share post-event highlights and thank attendees for coming.

4. Partner outreach

Partner outreach refers to identifying, contacting, and building relationships with potential partners or collaborators. It can include businesses, organizations, or individuals that may be able to help promote or support a company’s products or services.

Partner outreach aims to establish mutually beneficial partnerships to help both parties achieve their goals. It can include things like cross-promotion, co-branding, or joint ventures. 

Out of all your event marketing strategies, partner outreach may be one of the most commonly used ones in the event circuit. For B2B events, partnering with other businesses can pay off. Not only does it give you access to new audiences, but it helps you reach existing ones through cross-promotion.

You should begin partner outreach well before your event launches – ideally, at least six months before your event date. It gives you plenty of time to work out any kinks in your partnership agreement and to build trust between you and your partner.

As your event approaches, continue to stay in touch with your partners. Send reminder emails and update your social media profiles to let everyone know your event is coming soon. Doing so will help you gain momentum leading up to your event.

Here are a few sure-fire tips for furthering partner outreach in event marketing:

a) Clearly define the value proposition for partners: Explain how partnering with your event will benefit them and their business.

b) Personalize your outreach: Do your research and tailor your pitch to each potential partner’s specific needs and interests.

c) Leverage existing relationships: Reach out to current partners and ask them to refer you to other potential partners.

d) Use social media and other digital platforms: Utilize social media and other digital platforms to promote your event and reach new partners.

e) Follow up: Follow up with potential partners after your initial outreach to continue the conversation and build a relationship.

f) Make it easy for them: Make the partnering process as simple and straightforward as possible.

g) Be Flexible: Be open to different types of partnerships and be flexible in your approach.

h) Be creative: Be creative in your approach to partnering; think out of the box and try something new.

5. Attendee referrals

Attendees are a goldmine for event marketers. Not only do they bring in new attendees, but they can also serve as a source of referrals for future events.

Attendee referrals refer to encouraging event attendees to invite their friends, colleagues, or contacts to attend the event. As an event marketer, you can do it through various methods, such as offering incentives for successful referrals or incorporating referral tracking into the event registration process.

Attendee referrals typically aim to increase event attendance and promote word-of-mouth advertising for the event.

Some of the ways how you can encourage attendees to referrals are:

a) Offer incentives: Provide incentives for attendees who refer friends or colleagues to your event. It could be discounts on future events, exclusive access to content, or VIP experiences.

b) Make it easy: Make it easy for attendees to refer others by providing them with pre-written emails or social media posts that they can send to their networks.

c) Create a referral program: Create a referral program where attendees can earn points or rewards for each referral they make.

d) Follow up: Follow up with attendees after the event to ask for referrals. Send them an email or message with a personalized referral link they can share with their networks.

e) Leverage social media: Use social media to promote your event and encourage attendees to share it with their networks. You can create a unique event hashtag or provide attendees with social media graphics that they can use to promote the event.

f) Encourage attendees to leave reviews: Encourage attendees to leave reviews of your event on social media or event listing websites. Positive reviews can help attract new attendees and increase the credibility of your event.

g) Leverage Influencers: Reach out to influencers in your industry and ask them to promote your event to their followers. It can help increase your event’s visibility and attract new attendees.

6. Social Proof

Social proof is a psychological phenomenon where people conform to the actions of others in an attempt to reflect correct behavior for a given situation. It is a form of informational influence that occurs in ambiguous social situations where people are unsure of the appropriate behavior.

It can manifest in many forms, such as the bystander effect, conformity, and herd behavior. People often use social proof in marketing and advertising to increase the perceived credibility or popularity of a product or service.

Social proof is an effective event marketing strategy as it is based on the principle of social influence, which states that people are more likely to take action or decide if they see others doing the same.

By showing potential attendees that others are interested in the event or have already registered, event marketers can increase the perceived value of the event and encourage more people to attend.

Additionally, when people see that their friends or peers are attending an event, they are more likely to attend as well because they don’t want to miss out on something their peers are interested in.

Collective Bias found that 70% of today’s generation relies on influencer or peer recommendations. Showcasing the success stories of previous attendees and giving them credit for helping you grow your brand will help you gain exposure and build relationships along the way.

Gerilynn Marburger, Director- Global Events at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, in conversation with Ankush Gupta, Founder of Eventible, on our podcast, Building Awesome Events, had much to say about social proof.

“Social proof is where people copy the actions of others in an attempt to emulate their behavior in a given situation. It is being thoughtful about how you plan and promote things. And anyone will tell you about marketing one-on-one. It’s getting in the headspace of your customers. Who are they? What do they want to hear? What do they want to see? What do they want to feel? And to me, my definition of social proof and action is thinking about your audience- about whether your message will be better received if it comes from you.  A customer testimonial, Subject matter expert, a trusted source, like a friend or a family member are all examples of social proof. .. (sic)”

Gerilynn Marburger, Director- Global Events at Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Regarding social proof, Eventible is the world’s first review platform for B2B events. It collects reviews from attendees, speakers, and sponsors and taps into social proof, allowing potential attendees to make informed participation decisions and event organizers to use all of the social proof (thus collected) to grow their event brands.

7. Use Email Marketing Campaigns

An email marketing campaign is a series of emails sent to a targeted group of recipients to promote a product or service, build brand awareness, or drive website traffic.

These campaigns typically include a combination of informational content, promotional offers, and calls to action designed to encourage recipients to take a specific action, such as making a purchase or visiting a website.

Email marketing campaigns can be automated or manually triggered, and are typically managed using email marketing software.

Email marketing campaigns are an effective event marketing strategy. They allow for targeted and personalized communication with a large audience. Emails can be segmented and sent to specific groups based on their interests or past interactions, increasing the likelihood that they will be engaged with and acted upon.

Additionally, email marketing allows for easy tracking and measurement of success, such as open and click-through rates, which can help improve future campaigns. It is cost-effective, as it requires less cost to send an email than to print a brochure or mail a letter. Furthermore, email marketing can be automated, making it easy to send reminders and updates leading up to an event, which can help increase attendance.

Here are a few tips for using email marketing campaigns as an effective event marketing strategy:

a) Build an email list: Start by building a list of potential attendees who have shown interest in your event or organization. You can do this by using sign-up forms on your website or by collecting email addresses at previous events.

b) Personalize your emails: Use the personal information you have about your subscribers to create targeted and personalized email campaigns. This can include segmenting your list based on past event attendance or personal interests.

c) Use a clear call to action: Make sure that your emails have a clear call to action, such as a button to register for the event or a link to purchase tickets.

d) Use engaging subject lines and content: Your subject line is the first thing that people will see when they receive your email, so make sure it is attention-grabbing and relevant to the event. The content of your email should also be engaging, with visuals, videos, and other interactive elements that will encourage people to attend.

e) Use a sense of urgency: Create a sense of urgency by including limited-time offers or exclusive perks for early registrants.

f) Track and measure the success of your campaigns: Use tools like Google Analytics and email marketing software to track the success of your campaigns and measure metrics such as open rates and click-through rates.

g) Follow up with attendees: After the event, send a follow-up email to attendees to thank them for coming and ask for feedback on the event.

How to Create These Event Marketing Strategies?

Whether you’re hosting a small conference or a large music festival, effective event marketing is one of the key components of success. Now that you know what are some of these event marketing strategies, let’s look at how you can create them. To build effective event marketing strategies, you need to follow these seven steps:

1. Event goals: Your event can have one or several goals, but it’s crucial to pick one and align your marketing strategy to achieve it.
2. Budget: Set a marketing budget for your event, and stick to it. You should plan carefully before spending any money and try not to exceed your limit.
3. Marketing: When promoting the event, you must consider the platforms and the content. Most event marketers prefer email marketing campaigns to social media. All event promotional materials must actively encourage audiences to attend. The content marketing plan should encourage individuals to register or RSVP.
4. Promotions: Here, you should spread the word, inviting your existing customer base and as many new prospects as possible.
5. Engagement: This is key to your event’s success. Encourage people to share, remark, participate, and share their thoughts.
6. Collaborations and partnerships: If you’ve teamed up with sponsors or other businesses to arrange the event, it’s crucial that you work towards the same goal. A good collaboration between companies and event sponsors can increase the event’s overall value and thrill for participants.
7. Evaluate: You need to measure and evaluate your data, whether through email marketing campaigns, social media, or promoting at physical venues at different locations. In addition, you need to do a post-event analysis of the event launch, attendee journey, and event ROI. 

To Sum It Up

Overall, event marketing is a great way to connect with your target audience and create an experience that they will remember. You can read our article, The Ultimate Guide To B2B Event Marketing, to know more about event marketing and its strategies that will help you promote your event as an event marketer.

Eventible wants to make it easy for you. It is the world’s first review platform for B2B events. It helps tap into the social proof aspect by allowing potential attendees to make informed participation decisions. This guide will enable the event organizers to use all of the social proof thus provided to grow their event brands. So hurry and register with us. We have a team of dedicated account representatives who are happy and eager to help create your account or vendor portal on Eventible today!