timhindes.com

Subtitled:
“You Need to Play to Win,
But You Also Need to Win to Play”
- Michael Scott

So, with the start of the new blogging year (of course that’s relative to the PodCamp Pittsburgh calendar), I am fulfilling my new year’s resolution to blog more with…a blog post.

Recently, I’ve been witness to some fairly poor marketing strategies surrounding local events. These ill experiences make me cringe every time I see something from these organizations and companies. So…I thought it would be appropriate to list some easy ways you can increase attendance at your event without breaking the bank.

1. Avoid Lame Gimmicks
Busy professionals don’t need gimmicks to get them to attend an event. Themes and novelties do not add value to the event program. For the busy professional, content is number one. So long as the content is engaging, elicits emotion, builds credibility and appeals to a relevant, targeted audience, the event will speak for itself. Gimmicks detract from an organizations mission and message of the event. The goal of the event should be to add value through a quick, meaningful program. If you need a gimmick to get attendees to your event, perhaps you should re-evaluate the event’s content.

2. Start Your Viral Strategy Early
Too many event organizers begin their viral marketing campaigns when their attendance isn’t where they’d like it to be, and by that time, it’s too late. Viral strategies should begin in coordination with the first release of information about the event. Additionally, strategies should be tiered to offer additional points of interaction on a gradually more intense level as the event draws closer. When considering these viral efforts, remember that people are about 6-times more likely to act on what someone tells them, over what they read. Dan Zarrella offers some great tips on creating contagiousness for viral marketing efforts.

3. Ease of Registration
Registration for events should be simple and the experience should be smooth for each registrant. If the registration is online, it should be a simple process on a single page that is easy to navigate. A payment receipt should be automatically generated and an e-mail reminder about the registration with additional information about directions, agenda and other important details should be sent at least three days before the event. If the registration isn’t able to be completed online and must be completed over the phone, the person accepting the registrations should be friendly, competent and knowledgable about all aspects of the event. In all, the registrant should finish the registration process feeling like their money and/or information has been received, recorded correctly and that all will be in order in preparation for their arrival for the event.

4. E-Mail Still Works
E-mail can be a great ally for marketing events, or it can be an enemy. E-mail campaigns should be strategic in delivery, well-timed, targeted to a specific audience, optimized for delivery, offer value and request action. If any of these items is weak, the e-mail efforts will be weakened. Keep the message simple, personalized if possible and avoid cheesy gimmicks.

5. Easy to Find
Event promotion is often neglected online. Events should be prominently placed on your homepage and allow registration within two-three clicks. If your organization or company conducts a large number of events, you should have an online event calendar to allow for organization of the events and cross-promotion of other events. Make your events easy to find, and they will be found.

6. Research Your Audience
It’s important to understand your audience for a variety of reasons. First, to make the content relevant. However, it’s also important to understand other events that they might be attending. Whether you (or they) realize it or not, they are comparing your event to the other events they attend. Find out what they are attending and, if possible, attend one yourself. Take notes of good and bad qualities of the event and implement change on your own event. Make sure that your event stands out for the good and not the bad.

7. Invade Personal Space
When individuals receive your event message, their first question will be “What is in it for me?” The messaging and content of the event should easily answer this question. The most important word in this question is “me.” If you can make the message personalized based on historical demographics, you will have a greater likelihood of action on the message. If the message doesn’t speak to ME, there’s a greater chance of making it to my trash can than my action folder.

8. Make the Date Work
Before the event date is released, make sure the date works with key stakeholders you expect to attend. This might be a segment of an advisory board, staff members or regional thought leaders — anyone who might virally help share word about your event. If possible, get a committment from these folks prior to making the date public. A person who is attending an event is more likely to share the event details with others than those who are not attending. Here’s a brief checklist for some additional tips on putting the event together.

9. Annual Events
Annual events have a tendency to be very redundant in structure and content. Make sure there is an engaging reason to have a person attend…again. Change the venue, the PowerPoint, the order of events. Strive to make the next year better, different and intriguing. If you’re pulling out last year’s file to reference, you’re doing it wrong. Strive to keep the same audience attending your event and adding to it…not replacing those you lose due to the same ol’ program.

10. Grassroots
Never underestimate the power of grassroots marketing. Make sure your receptionist has information about your event. Train folks who have high interaction with potential attendees about your event. Make sure they make a suggestive sale for attending the event. Try a contest for free passes to gain awareness…whatever it takes to help get the word out.

There’s other great ways to enhance your event attendance. What ideas do you have?

Filed under: Customer Service, Events, Marketing Tagged: | audience, e-mail, event attendance, Event Planning, event registration, grassroots, Marketing, PCPGH4, Strategy, Viral