What’s the point of hosting an event if you cannot attract your target audience to visit it? Sure, ticket sales are subjective. While large-scale companies can host high-budget events and promote them with fancy billboards and glitzy ads, that might not be the case for lower-budget companies. Here’s where the event promotion definition comes into play.
Correctly applying the event promotion definition in practice can help even the smallest companies, the ones with the most limited budgets, reach their targets.
So, the main questions are what is event promotion and how to apply the event promotion definition in practice on a budget?
The Event Promotion Definition
Event promotion refers to all activities directed towards marketing a past, present, or future event. Yes, you got it right. Even after the event is over, companies spend additional resources to market it. The question is, why is that so?
Marketing an event covers all efforts that increase the number of people aware of the event.
When it occurs before the event, the goal of the event promotion definition is pretty obvious. The marketers, at this point, intend to attract a new audience or sell to an existing one. Essentially, they aim to increase their ticket sales. And they can use lots of event marketing tactics at this point, including early-bird discounts or similar promotional campaigns.
Marketing during an event includes interaction with the visitors. After all, acquiring new customers is quite expensive. So, entities do as much as they can to retain their existing audience, or at least they should. At this point, the in-house team can create a hashtag to circulate on social media or host a competition. For instance, they can challenge the audience to post the most creative picture from the event for a prize in return. This way, both sides win. Whereas the winner gets the award, the company expands its reach.
Finally, marketers can sell the event even after it ended. The goal is to remind the visitors of how great the event was to return, buy a product, or develop customer loyalty. Moreover, this can create FOMO (fear of missing out) within potential visitors. If they like what they are seeing, they will undoubtedly buy tickets for the next event.
Now that you get the idea, there is no point in knowing the event promotion definition in theory. Let’s see how it applies in practice.
How to Apply the Event Promotion Definition?
If you have limited resources, you might think it’s game over. But that’s far from the truth. Here are seven ways to apply the event promotion definition that will not cost you a thing!
A Behind-the-Scenes Trip
First things first, you can use your established social media accounts. It doesn’t cost a thing to post. Well, at least if you don’t consider your time.
Now, what you can do is take your followers on a short yet engaging, behind-the-scenes trip. One thing to remember at this point is that you should spark their interest but not give them the whole experience. This way, you will leave them wanting more. And what’s the only way they can get it? If they purchase the tickets to your event.
Use Other Events
To apply the event promotion definition using other events from your industry, you must have some expertise. This way, you can visit different companies’ occasions and teach their audience something valuable.
Once you do so, you can mention your upcoming event. For instance, you can say, “I will cover this topic more in-depth on the [Name of the Event] taking place at [Date of the Event].”
Use Your Personal Network
What are friends and family for? You can ask them to spread the word about your upcoming event for free. At this point, you can also ask your team, expanding the event awareness to their associates, and so on. Essentially, it’s an extended expanding network, so why wouldn’t you use its potential?
Service for A Service
Yet another popular free event promotion tactic is using services to pay for services. If you find the right people or companies, this can work. You just need to ask. For example, you and your team can offer to volunteer at a local event.
Then, in exchange, you can ask the event hosts to promote your event. Still, make sure to sign a service-based sponsorship agreement.
Add an Exclusive Offer
Sometimes, if not always, you need to understand how the human brain works to apply the event promotion definition. And here’s a secret. Customers always like to feel special.
You can add some special or, let’s say, exclusive offers, such as VIP tickets, invite-only or similar deals. With this, visitors will find the event more valuable, as you will envoke FOMO.
For instance, you can post, “The first 100 visitors to purchase a ticket will receive VIP treatment or a one-on-one discussion with the guest speakers.”
Without any doubt, the customers will rush to get this offer, thus instantly increase your sales.
Give Great Deals
Similar to the previous application of the event promotion definition, providing great deals also sparks FOMO. At this point, you can offer discounts and vouchers as an early booking incentive with a clear deadline.
However, you can take things to another level and offer potential visitors flash deals. They will not know when this deal will end, so they will rush to purchase.
Host A Social Media Challenge
Once again, you can put your social media accounts to great use. You can host a challenge on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, or wherever else you see fit. For instance, if you are in the fitness niche, you can to “The best 30-day transformation.”
Your potential clients will be motivated to win the challenge. And of course, you must offer some prize or at least recognition in return.
Final Thought on The Event Promotion Definition
We say it’s a definition, but it’s anything except for it if you consider everything, as mentioned before. Applying the event promotion definition requires ultimate creativity and lots of thinking out-of-the-box.
Still, all seven practical examples are a great starting point, especially if you are on a budget.
