This article originally appeared on Eventbrite
You’ve been putting in the work for months. The venue, the sponsors, the entertainment, the speakers or special guests. Now you’re ready to share your event with the world. But how do you engage your audience’s attention — and keep it — in the lead up to your event?
Building and sustaining pre-event hype is an important part of the formula to a successful event. Creating content is a big part of that, and with these four ideas you’ll be able to build anticipation for your event without breaking a sweat.
Pre-event hype idea #1: Branded campaign
Consistency is key. Creating a branded, online campaign that spans a variety of platforms — from your website to your social — will not only help generate pre-event hype, but also keep your content alive after the event is over.
For example, when you post anything about your upcoming event, include your hashtag. Add it to all of your social account bios as well. And don’t stop there — promote your hashtag on all your other channels too.
For maximum engagement, space out ticket sale posts with general industry news or lifestyle content. Make sure the content is conversational and not too “salesy.”
Pre-event hype idea #2: Social media
Before you embark on your pre-event social media campaign, you should update your social profile pages. Create sleek headers that align with your branded campaign, and update any existing pages to include your upcoming event.
Depending on your target audience, some social platforms may be more effective than others. Typically, if you are promoting on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, you should be well covered.
A good place to start is to share any attendee created pre-event content. Social media posts by prospective attendees, or content from attendees of previous years’ events, is a great way to promote the event and generate organic interest.
Pre-event hype idea #3: Give a sneak peek
If you want to engage your audience, you have to give them content that is more engaging than basic event details. Guest blog posts written by speakers featured at your event, and interviews with vendors or sponsors can give a unique perspective to attendees. It goes beyond what’s expected and lets your audience get a better sense of what your event is about.
Image and video-driven posts are also more engaging than plain copy. If you have well-known speakers, sponsors, or vendors for your upcoming event, share photos of them to build excitement. You can even create fun memes or add gifs for a touch of lightheartedness.
Pre-event hype idea #4: Influencers
Many events are turning to influencer marketing — using influential people to promote their event — as a way to boost ticket sales. Before searching for influencers, it’s important to pinpoint your objectives. Getting these goals down on paper will help you better understand which audience you need to be tapping into before you invest in the wrong one.
The right influencers can do a lot of your work for you, so identify people your audience trusts. These are people who have a broad online presence, a big audience on their blog, and active engagement on social media.
Building relationships with key people in your industry who can talk up your event can help influence prospective attendees to register. But influencer marketing can be intimidating and nebulous, so it can be challenging to develop a strategy.
