How to Market an Event
As we are getting revved up for Dallas Drupal Days (we are so excited!) here at LevelTen, our marketing efforts have gone into overtime. Marketing an event is a time-consuming and often frustrating process. But with the right amount of planning and determination, you can allocate your time efficiently, market with minimal spending and make your event a smashing success. Here are some tips: 1. Write a press release - Then send it out to local publications of interest. You can also gain visibility by submitting your press release through PRWeb and PitchEngine. 2. Blog - You should blog about it. Get your friends to blog about it. And reach out to bloggers in the industry/city where the event is taking place. As an added incentive for their help with publicity, you can offer a couple free passes for them or their readers. 3. List your event on event websites like Eventbrite, Citysearch, etc. 4. Use social media - Consider making a Facebook page for the event, Tweet about it, offer incentives to people who retweet your message, and tell your fellow group members on LinkedIn. 5. E-mail a newsletter to everyone on your mailing list and also to past registrants if you have held the event before. 6. Keep people engaged and excited by updating your event website with interesting tidbits from the event. Have interviews with speakers or performers, put some pictures of the venue, or have an ongoing blog leading up to the event. 7. Pay for advertising with Google PPC, Facebook LinkedIn or local news publications. 8. Contact local organizations that might be interested - your college alumni group, chambers of commerce, etc. Offer group discounts if they attend.
