Hosting an event requires many skills, and with the Internet being your marketing platform, the success of the event depends on how it is put together, and of course, how it is promoted. There is far too much at stake to leave event organisation to an amateur, as the company image is on the line, and with everyone anticipating a dynamic and stimulating experience, the pressure is on to deliver. If you are about to plan your next live event, here are a few tips to help make it a success.
Event ROI
Of course, we all want the event to be a great success, but how does one actually calculate the event ROI? You can effectively measure sales during the 30 days after the event, which will give you some idea, but there are many questions to be asked, such as:
- How many of the attendees were existing customers?
- Where did the extra sales come from?
- What percentage of the extra sales came from products or services highlighted in the event?
There are software packages to assist you in measuring your event marketing success, and this enables a marketing manager to accurately assess the performance of a particular live event. By analysing all the relevant data, one can quickly calculate whether or not, the event was a success.
Social Media
This can be very effectively used to promote an event, and the best way to do this is to create an event page on Facebook, then people can reserve their space by clicking on the RSVP button. This helps you to estimate the numbers of people who will be present, and with some clever email and SMS campaigning, you should be able to attract a lot of people and the event will be productive.
Event Hashtag
You really must label the vent with a suitable hashtag, which will be your core social marketing tool, and with free to use hashtag tracking apps, you can monitor its performance throughout the build up to the event date. The hashtag is shared and if you feel it isn’t getting the exposure you wanted, you can create another one and have them both running simultaneously.
Blog the Event
This can be a very effective way to promote a live event, and you should begin posting event related blogs around one month prior to the event, which can raise interest levels considerably, depending, of course, on the quality of the blog content.
Post Event Surveys
In order to make the next event better, it is a good idea to have the participants answer a few questions before they leave, and this information will enable you to see things from the guests’ perspective. The survey needs to be well-designed, with sections on what they thought about the activities and how the program was presented, and this valuable feedback will enable you to identify weak areas, as well as knowing what was successful.
Event marketing can be tricky, but with the right planning and preparation, your live event will hopefully help the company to realise their marketing goals, and strengthen the company’s image at the same time.