The details are planned, you’ve worked out every kink and now you’re just putting on the finishing touches. Now guests actually have to attend. This doesn’t have to be the hardest part of planning an event. Try using the following tips to help with promotion and you should have a full house at your next occasion. We love taking this piece off our client’s plates too, so, if you are overwhelmed with promoting your event, let us know!
USE SOCIAL MEDIA
An event – be it a networking gathering, open house, fundraiser, or class – is by nature, a social affair. People attend to connect, interact, and share with their peers. People join social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and linkedIn to do the same exact thing. Given their similar natures, it makes perfect sense to use social media to help plan, promote and build excitement for any public event you’re hosting. If the goal is to get as many people as possible interested in your event, social media is a perfect compliment for spreading the word to your core base of customers, members, donors and beyond.
USE EVENTBRITE
Eventbrite is an online ticketing service that allows event organizers to plan, set up ticket sales and promote events and publish them across Facebook, Twitter and other social-networking tools directly from the site’s interface. It is very user friendly and makes it easy for you to send out invitations to the masses.
POST YOUR EVENT ON PUBLIC CALENDARS
Many of your local TV and radio stations and publications feature a community events calendar on their website on which you can post your event, usually free of charge. It typically takes a couple of minutes to fill out a simple online form and you’ve reached a whole new slew of guests that you may not have had access to before.
TOUCH BASE WITH POTENTIAL ATTENDEES VIA PHONE CALLS
Sometimes, all you need to promote an event is a personal connection. A simple thing to do would be to pick up the phone and call your guests and/or potential donors. This method sends the message that you cared enough to reach out and call and that you really want them there. A 2 min phone conversation can go a long way.
REMINDER EMAILS
We all lead busy lives and even if something is written down on your calendar (or typed on your smart phone calendar), you might forget. The solution: send out a 1 paragraph reminder email with the pertinent details of the event 2-3 weeks before the event. You don’t want to send out a reminder email too early so that your guests just forget again. But, you also don’t want to send out the reminder too late so that you catch them before they make other plans. 2-3 weeks should be just right!
Let us know if we can assist with the planning and promoting of your upcoming event!