8 Top Tips to Promote an Event
If you’ve got the day planned and the venue booked but are worried about how to get people to come to the big event, these tips are sure to help you out. Almost all of these tips are low budget and are guaranteed to bring a crowd to your event.
Social Media
Social media is arguably the quickest way to reach the masses. Create accounts on Facebook and Twitter for your event to gain a larger following. A Facebook page will not only inform people of your event but also inform you of how many people are going to attend. This is also a good option as when the attendees select that they are attending, their friends will also see the event on their Facebook home feed. Tweet, tweet and tweet some more. Twitter is a wonderful way of getting your event out there. You can include a countdown to the big day, and creating a hashtag is a sure-fire way to get publicity – especially if it starts trending!
Create a Website
If you don’t already have a website, then creating one for your event will definitely be worth your while. People interested in the event from reading the flyers will want to go online and look up more information. Make sure that it’s not too cluttered, it’s attractive and all of the essential information is there. Be sure to include entry prices (if applicable), events, stalls, starting and opening times and anything the public will be interested in. Including pictures is a strong idea, as no one wants to be staring at a huge block of text – you might put them off!
Create a Vlog
Vlogging is the new popular tactic to getting your name, face – and event – out there. If you’re confident enough to get in front of the camera, try this. Vlog setting up the event, any plans, any announcements, anything you think the public should be notified about, vlog it! If you’re feeling camera shy, try blogging instead. The things that you can post are exactly the same, but if you’re uncomfortable with the idea of anyone around knowing what you look like and how you speak, this is a good alternative.
Giveaways
Everyone loves free tickets! If your event requires ticketing, host a competition on Facebook or via email to give away a couple of free tickets. This will get your event known to the public, especially if the competition includes sharing the event page on social media. If your event is completely free entry, give away some goodie bags from stalls attending the event.
Cheap Leaflet Printing and Flyer Printing
If your event isn’t well known yet, friends and family can be a really big help in getting the word out there. Print flyers and leaflets that are colourful and informative, but not swamped with information, and ask family members and friends to hand them out on the street. If you can afford it, you can hire people to hand out the flyers in busy areas – if you can’t find anyone to hire, students are always looking for a way to make some money. Make sure you print leaflets that are eye-catching, or they could be ignored. You can start getting print leaflets produced in a matter of minutes by checking out the leaflet printing at print24, who are one of the most popular providers if you’re after cheap leaflet printing that doesn’t compromise on quality.
Use Your Local Community
People aren’t accepting the leaflets on the street? Don’t worry! Most local businesses will be more than happy to let you put your newly printed leaflet in their window or on their tills for advertising – some might charge but this is rare. Focus on libraries, cafes, shopping centres, anywhere people are prone to gather. Cafés are especially good for flyer advertisements, as people usually spend between 30 minutes to an hour sitting and drinking tea or coffee, meaning more time for them to see your flyer!
Advertise in Your Local Newspaper
If your budget is on the larger side, then you may want to consider advertising in your local newspaper. This is guaranteed to give you a lot of publicity, however mostly from an older generation, so if you’re marketing more towards young people this may not be the way to go. As well as this, newspaper advertisements can be expensive depending on the newspaper and the size of the advert. Only do this option if you are sure it is going to attract the audience you are imagining.
Don’t Stop When It’s Finished
Just because the big day is over doesn’t mean your marketing journey has to be! Make sure you use social media to thank everyone who came and tell the world how great of a turnout the event ended up being. But don’t stop there! Post pictures and videos of the event and make sure you let the public know that it’s not the last they’ve seen of you.
Marketing an event can seem like an impossible task, and it can be a real knock to your confidence, not to mention your finances if few people show up. These tips will ensure that your event will get a large following and record attendance.
