What are the best ways to follow up with event attendees and stakeholders?

1 Send a thank-you email

The first thing you should do after your event is to send a thank-you email to everyone who participated, including speakers, sponsors, partners, and attendees. This email should express your appreciation, summarize the key takeaways, and provide any relevant resources or links. You can also include a call to action, such as asking for feedback, inviting them to join your mailing list, or offering them a special offer or discount. Make sure you personalize your email as much as possible, and segment your audience based on their interests, roles, or engagement levels.

2 Share the event highlights

Another way to follow up with your event audience is to share the event highlights on your website, blog, social media, or newsletter. This can include photos, videos, slides, quotes, testimonials, or key insights from the event. Sharing the event highlights can help you showcase your brand, attract new followers, and generate buzz. It can also help you acknowledge and thank your speakers, sponsors, and partners, and tag them in your posts. You can also encourage your attendees to share their own experiences and feedback on social media, and use a hashtag or a mention to track the conversation.

3 Analyze the event data

One of the most important steps in the follow-up process is to analyze the event data and measure the impact of your event. This can include metrics such as attendance, registration, engagement, satisfaction, leads, conversions, revenue, or ROI. You can use tools such as surveys, polls, analytics, or CRM to collect and analyze the data. The data can help you evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your event, identify areas for improvement, and plan for future events. You can also use the data to create reports and share them with your stakeholders, such as your team, management, clients, or sponsors.

4 Follow up with leads and prospects

One of the main goals of hosting an event is to generate leads and prospects for your business or organization. Therefore, you need to follow up with them promptly and effectively to nurture them and move them along the sales funnel. You can use tools such as email marketing, social media, or phone calls to follow up with your leads and prospects. You should tailor your messages based on their interests, needs, and pain points, and provide them with valuable information, solutions, or offers. You should also track and monitor their responses and actions, and adjust your strategy accordingly.

5 Connect with speakers and influencers

Another group of people you should follow up with after your event is the speakers and influencers who contributed to your event. They are valuable assets for your brand, as they can help you reach new audiences, enhance your credibility, and provide expert knowledge. You should connect with them on social media, email, or LinkedIn, and express your gratitude, feedback, and appreciation. You should also ask them for their feedback and suggestions for future events. You should also look for ways to maintain and strengthen your relationship with them, such as inviting them to guest post on your blog, collaborate on a project, or join your network.

6 Plan for the next event

The last thing you should do after your event is to plan for the next one. Hosting events is an ongoing process that requires constant improvement and innovation. You should use the insights and feedback you gathered from your previous event to identify your goals, objectives, and strategies for your next event. You should also look for new trends, topics, formats, and platforms that can help you create a better event experience for your audience. You should also start promoting your next event as soon as possible, and leverage your existing contacts, partners, and channels to generate interest and awareness.

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?