How do you combine event marketing and planning strategies?

1 Know your goals and metrics

Before you start planning or marketing your event, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how you will measure it. Do you want to generate leads, increase brand awareness, educate customers, or build relationships? What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) that will show you if your event is successful? For example, you might track attendance, engagement, feedback, conversions, or revenue. Having a clear vision and a data-driven framework will help you align your marketing and planning efforts with your desired outcomes.

2 Define your audience and value proposition

Another crucial step is to identify who your ideal attendees are and what they need or want from your event. This will help you craft a compelling value proposition that will attract and retain their attention. A value proposition is a statement that summarizes the benefits and outcomes of your event for your audience. It should answer the questions: why should they attend, what will they learn or gain, and how will they benefit. Your value proposition should guide your marketing and planning decisions, from the content and format of your event to the channels and messages you use to promote it.

3 Choose the right format and platform

Depending on your goals, audience, and value proposition, you need to decide on the best format and platform for your event. For example, you might opt for a webinar, a workshop, a conference, a networking session, or a hybrid event. You also need to choose the right technology and tools to deliver your event, such as video conferencing, live streaming, chat, polls, surveys, or gamification. Your format and platform should match your marketing and planning objectives, as well as your audience's preferences and expectations.

4 Create a marketing plan and timeline

Once you have defined your goals, audience, value proposition, format, and platform, you need to create a marketing plan and timeline that will help you reach and engage your potential attendees. This plan should include a branding and messaging strategy that reflects your value proposition, a segmentation and targeting strategy that identifies ideal attendees and their needs, a channel and content strategy that communicates with your audience, a conversion and retention strategy to encourage registration, attendance, and participation in your event, a budget and resource allocation strategy to ensure sufficient funds and staff for execution, as well as a timeline and action plan with key tasks, milestones, and deadlines.

5 Coordinate with your planning team

Your marketing plan should not be created in isolation from your planning team. It is essential to coordinate and collaborate with them to ensure that your marketing and planning strategies are aligned and consistent. For instance, share your goals, metrics, audience, value proposition, format, and platform with your planning team for their input and feedback. Additionally, you should inform them about your marketing plan and timeline, keeping them updated on progress and results. You should also coordinate with them on the content and agenda of your event to match your marketing messages and promises. Furthermore, communicate any changes or issues that might affect your marketing or planning activities. Lastly, support your planning team with any marketing-related tasks such as creating landing pages, sending invitations, or collecting feedback.

6 Evaluate and optimize your results

Finally, you need to evaluate and optimize your results by measuring and analyzing your marketing and planning performance. Collect and review data from your marketing channels and tools, such as website traffic or email open rates, as well as data from planning tools and platforms like attendance or participation. Compare these results with your goals and metrics to identify what worked well and what didn't. Calculate your return on investment (ROI) to determine the value of your event, identify areas of improvement, and discover best practices for future events. By following these tips, you can combine your event marketing and planning strategies effectively to create a memorable experience for your audience.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?