Make sure to have quick, simple and user-friendly marketing

Experience has shown that the biggest problem when attracting participants to digital events is one-way communication. Event marketing has to be based on conversation and focused dialogue. Humans are social beings and are unable to survive on their own, although they might think they have everything under control. We have gathered a few practical tips for attracting participants to your next digital event.

When advertising digital events, your first concern should be to ensure everything is based on information, effectiveness and knowing participants. The world of events is digital, and virtually anything can be measured and adapted. Here are a few practical steps for successful marketing.

1. Simplify event registration

A complicated registration system is a major impediment that will make the majority of potential participants reconsider their decision. Make sure to have a quick, simple and user-friendly registration system. The KISS principle is the heart of the story; therefore, do not over complicate. Only request information that is necessary. You can also automate registration messages and use them as part of the marketing.

2. Start with the website

Regardless of all social media platforms and mobile applications, in our opinion, a website is still the centrepiece of marketing. The question remains whether your website supports marketing and event sales. Our task is to ensure that participants find your event quickly and register for the event without complications. User experience is crucial, as it can either thrill us or disappoint us to the extent of not attending. On top of that, never forget quality SEO optimisation and always offer interesting content.

3. Build an interesting story of the event

As we have heard on numerous occasions, stories fuel digital marketing. Participants most often attend events because we solve one of their problems there. Therefore, they should be in the spotlight. At the same time, the content needs to be unified and connected. Stories can be easily created from the many questions posed by participants. Moreover, stories can be fuelled by speakers’ profiles, trends, market changes and various solutions to problems. Make sure that every content segment is tailored to different digital channels and create a content plan for the event.

4. Design visual elements for social networks

Without visual elements, it is difficult to attract attention on social media platforms. You must adapt them according to individual platform standards. A great example of paying attention to detail: https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-image-sizes-guide/.

Graphic design is crucial, and we sincerely recommend reading the following article on branding: https://kongres-magazine.eu/2019/11/seeing-is-believing-having-a-good-brand-amplifies-your-event-idea/.

5. Create an event on social media

Indeed, a simple and free process, yet often overlooked. You can create an event on Facebook, which was the first platform to offer this possibility. If you refresh your content weekly, Facebook can become the main resource for event registration. What is more, you can improve your website traffic with targeted marketing that is relatively effective. Likewise, LinkedIn offers the option to establish an event in a similar fashion. Twitter and Instagram, on the other hand, demand more proactive marketing, as, an individual post is active for an average of only about 20 minutes.

6. Promote your event through social media

Social media platforms and content marketing have become the winning duo lately. Through social media, you will share content that increases awareness of your event. On top of that, social media platforms and their viral potential are proof that your event is credible and trustworthy. Credibility through social media can be achieved by using various content marketing tools, posting informative articles, webinars, demo videos, good practice cases or white papers. However, it goes without saying that you need sufficient followers for marketing to work.

7. Video invitation

Such a form of invitation functions as an incredible boost. We are sure that convincing speakers into recording a video about the event can pose a challenge. Nevertheless, it is one of the most effective ways of spreading awareness and worth a try. Even a 30-second video suffices, as long as it is based on your positive energy and explaining the real reasons why participants should attend. Your video stories can then be shared by your speakers. Usually, videos significantly increase the reach of an event.

8. Direct e-marketing

E-newsletters work if the “open rate” is higher than 15%. If it falls below this, we should consider what we are doing wrong, and why we are not more successful. Above all, a database is the foundation of everything. Our advice is to have a professional CRM system and to upgrade your database every day. Potential participants can be found on LinkedIn, via news you follow or by following your business partners. The opportunities are waiting just around the first corner of social media.

9. Influencers

Yes, influential marketing and events are almost inseparable. If the concept of influencers works, then it is certainly in regard to digital events. Participants trust influencers more than they trust advertisements. An influencer’s recommendation can be crucial; however, they need to have a respectable public reputation. When choosing influencers, the ethical aspect of marketing is of utmost importance. Additionally, “walk the talk” should be the criteria when choosing a suitable influencer. This form of marketing is extremely effective with generations that no longer follow classic media platforms and find anything relevant to them on YouTube and Google.

10. #Hashtags

Hashtags are the single most overlooked method of marketing. They are immensely effective, although we must understand how they function. You can either join popular hashtag trends or develop your own. The rule of thumb is to make the hashtag clear, easy to recall and as short as possible. Websites such as http://best-hashtags.com/ can be of great help.

There is undoubtedly a sea of other methods, which we will talk about in the future. Among them is event co-hosting, which is cooperation with one of your strategic partners that can significantly increase the reach of your campaign. It is arguably one of the simplest methods.

In the event that you are left with sufficient resources, you can always invest it into advertising via Google or via social media platforms. There are endless possibilities that, in our experience, bring concrete results. In the same breath, it is good to know that Google search processes 40,000 search phrases every second, which strongly increases your opportunities together with smart advertising.

This article was brought to you by:

Natalija Bah Čad
Toleranca Marketing
Live & Digital Events and Marketing Agency
www.toleranca.eu

For more information, please contact Natalija at natalija@toleranca.eu