Event marketing is a powerful way to promote your brand, products, or services to a targeted audience. But how can you make sure that your event content is engaging, memorable, and shareable? How can you turn your attendees into loyal fans and advocates for your brand? The answer is to build a community around your event marketing content. Here are some tips on how to do that.
Before you create any event content, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and who you want to reach. What are the main objectives of your event? How do you measure success? Who are your ideal attendees and what are their pain points, interests, and preferences? By defining your goals and audience, you can tailor your event content to their needs and expectations, and create a more relevant and valuable experience for them.
I personally found it helpful is Sharing behind-the-scenes content, use social media to engage, Specially the funny ones ?? And rewarding or mentioning community members in addition to being responsive to feedback In short: Create valuable content, make it easy for people to connect, and reward participation. ????????
??Imagine your event marketing as a grand stage. First, let's set the scene! Define your goals - are you aiming for buzz, leads, or engagement? Now, picture your ideal audience filling those seats. Knowing them is your ticket to crafting content that resonates.
Often times companies make the mistake of wanting to be really broad in their messaging in order to make the community as inclusive as possible, but remember bigger doesn't always mean better. It's better to really do the work to identify key buyer personas for your event and focus your messaging on their needs. This way you will have a more engaged and active community which you can leverage after the event.
I believe that building a community around your event marketing content is a powerful strategy that can amplify your reach, create meaningful connections, and ultimately drive more success for your events.
Everything that is described on the left goes into a Brief. Other things to consider are - finding a couple of facts/ metrics from research to build the message on and then what message do you want to convey? Sometimes this is called the key idea or single minded thought. Basically "What is this Event about?" The creative team/ agency will need this information to start their process.
Depending on your goals and audience, you can choose from a variety of formats and channels to deliver your event content. For example, you can use webinars, podcasts, live streams, blogs, social media, email, or video to showcase your event content. You can also mix and match different formats and channels to create a more engaging and diverse content portfolio. For instance, you can repurpose your webinar into a blog post, a podcast episode, and a social media post. The key is to choose the formats and channels that best suit your event content, your audience, and your brand.
Choose from various formats and channels like webinars, podcasts, live streams, blogs, social media, email, or video to deliver event content. Mix and match to create a diverse portfolio. Select formats and channels that suit your event content, audience, and brand.
I recently organized my first ever in-person event. Wanna know what I used? Eventbrite. The tool does it all (or almost). In there, you can: 1. Create a page for your event, so you can drive people to it; 2. Creat an email list, and export contacts; 3. Brand your event page to your liking. And this is FREE. With Eventbrite Marketing you can do much more.
??The spotlight is on! Your content format and channel are like the script and actors of your show. Select wisely – webinars for a captive audience, social media for the buzz, or emails for personalized invites. Discover how to cast your event marketing in the perfect format and channel to steal the limelight!
It is very important to the right format and channels - you might need email, blog, social channels, youtube channel. Select the social media platforms and online channels that are most relevant to your target audience. Popular choices include Facebook Groups, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and event-specific apps.
Here are my insights: 1. Create Valuable, Shareable Content: The first step in building a community is to provide content that resonates with your target audience. This could be insightful blog posts, engaging videos, informative infographics, or even behind-the-scenes looks at your event planning process. When your content is valuable and shareable, it not only attracts the right audience, but encourages them to spread the word.
Once you have decided on your formats and channels, you need to plan and schedule your event content. A content calendar and strategy can help you organize and manage your event content creation and distribution. You can use a content calendar to map out your event content topics, formats, channels, deadlines, and responsibilities. A content strategy can help you define your event content tone, style, voice, keywords, and calls to action. By creating a content calendar and strategy, you can ensure that your event content is consistent, relevant, and timely.
To ensure a ? successful event, it is important to develop and implement a pre-event content strategy, a during-event content strategy, and a post-event content strategy. Make sure to schedule posts accordingly. ?? In your pre-event content strategy, focus on creating awareness, curiosity, and anticipation for your event. ?? During the event, leverage digital marketing platforms such as social media to provide regular coverage of the events. This will allow your online audience to feel involved, even if they are unable to attend physically. It helps to foster a sense of community. ?? After the event, continue to engage your audience by highlighting key moments and sharing noteworthy quotes from key speakers and attendee testimonials.
Creating and controlling the creation and distribution of event material requires the use of a content calendar and strategy. To ensure consistent, timely, and relevant event information, they assist in defining subjects, formats, channels, deadlines, and responsibilities.
?? In the world of event marketing, timing is everything. Think of your content calendar as a cue for the grand performance. Craft a strategy that builds excitement, from pre-event teasers to post-event highlights. Get ready to synchronize your marketing masterpiece!
Share Valuable Content by making a content calendar: Regularly share content related to the event, such as sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes updates, speaker spotlights, and relevant industry news. Provide value to keep community members engaged.
2. Engage Consistently and Authentically: Consistent engagement is key to nurturing your community. Respond to comments, ask questions, and show appreciation for your community's input. Authenticity in these interactions builds trust and fosters a sense of belonging.
One of the best ways to build a community around your event content is to encourage interaction and feedback from your audience. You can do this by asking questions, conducting polls, launching quizzes, requesting reviews, or inviting user-generated content. You can also use social media, email, or chat tools to create a dialogue with your audience, answer their queries, address their concerns, or thank them for their participation. By encouraging interaction and feedback, you can increase your event content engagement, retention, and loyalty.
Use user-generated content, reviews, polls, quizzes, and other forms of participation to foster a community around event content. Use chat, email, or social media platforms to respond to questions, resolve issues, and express gratitude to participants.
???A standing ovation comes from a connected audience. Interact with your community, spark conversations, and listen keenly to their feedback. These are the applause-worthy moments that elevate your event marketing. Let's ensure your audience takes center stage!
Your community may be shy to share, so encourage open sharing by providing an onboarding email that asks them questions and suggests things they can do to participate (i.e. post about themselves, share social channels, promote things their doing, etc).
Encourage Interaction: Actively engage with community members by responding to comments, asking questions, and encouraging discussions. Create polls, surveys, and challenges to foster interaction. User-Generated Content (UGC): Encourage attendees and community members to create and share content related to the event, such as photos, videos, testimonials, and stories. Use event-specific hashtags to aggregate UGC.
3. Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC): Encourage your community members to contribute their own content. This could be photos from past events, testimonials, or their own thoughts and experiences related to your event's theme. UGC not only creates a sense of ownership among your community members, but also provides fresh, diverse content for your channels.
Another way to build a community around your event content is to showcase your community and value. You can do this by featuring your attendees, speakers, sponsors, or partners in your event content, and highlighting their stories, insights, or testimonials. You can also use your event content to demonstrate your brand's expertise, authority, or credibility, and show how your products or services can solve your audience's problems or meet their needs. By showcasing your community and value, you can build trust, rapport, and advocacy for your brand.
??Your community is your show's cast, and their stories are golden nuggets. Spotlight their experiences, their insights, and the value they bring. It's a performance within a performance.
Showcase your community and value by including speakers, sponsors, partners, and attendees in order to create a community around your event material. Showcase the knowledge, authority, and trustworthiness of your brand while illuminating the challenges that your goods and services can resolve for the target market.
4. Create Exclusive Opportunities: Offer exclusive content or experiences to your community members. This could be early bird ticket access, VIP experiences, or special meet-and-greets. These exclusives make your community members feel valued and foster a stronger connection to your event.
Finally, you can build a community around your event content by keeping the conversation going after the event. You can do this by sending follow-up emails, sharing event highlights, offering exclusive content, or providing incentives for future events. You can also ask for feedback, suggestions, or referrals, and use them to improve your event content and strategy. By keeping the conversation going, you can maintain your relationship with your audience, and turn them into repeat customers or brand ambassadors.
Keeping in touch after the event through follow-up emails, sharing highlights, providing exclusive content, and soliciting feedback are all important parts of creating a community around event content. By doing this, you may build enduring relationships with your audience, encourage repeat business, and create brand ambassadors.
To keep the conversation going on social media, consider creating a hashtag for the event and ask you attendees to use it when posting about it on their social media channels. That way you can curate that content and post it on your social channels as well. It lets your followers see how much others liked, appreciated, etc. your event and keeps it at the forefront.
Networking Opportunities: Facilitate networking opportunities by creating discussion threads, breakout rooms, or virtual meetups for community members to connect with one another. Post-Event Engagement: Keep the community alive even after the event concludes. Share event highlights, recordings, and continue discussions about relevant topics. Thank and Recognize Supporters: Express gratitude to community members, sponsors, speakers, and volunteers who contributed to the success of the event. Evaluate and Iterate: After the event, assess what worked well and what could be improved. Use these insights to refine your community-building strategy for future events.
5. Collaborate with Influencers: Partnering with influencers who align with your event's mission can help expand your community. Their endorsement can bring credibility to your event and attract their followers to your community.
I often provide attendees with specific prompts they can use on their social media or newsletters. Having the attendees share insights like '10 things I learned from attending XYZ event' not only helps in reflecting the value gained but also in promoting the event organically.
Making an area where people with similar interests may gather, interact, and develop is a key component of community building. Time, tolerance, and sincere concern for the community's members are all necessary for this continuous process.
Let’s take a story example. Imagine you have invited your friends and family over for a Sunday brunch. If you’re re anything like me, you’ll probably spend the week planning things out for the big day. You would end up creating lists of things to do and categories for all the tasks. You would start gathering all the required material and of course, you would keep some gifts set aside for them as a gesture. You are basically creating an “experience” so that they have a good time and find value in coming to your house. In this way, you are forming a “community” of your own! ? Event marketing content works the same way. If you create a memorable experience for them through content, you WILL be able to create your own community.?
Remember, building a community isn't about pushing your event onto people. It's about creating a space where people who share common interests can connect, engage, and grow. When done right, your community becomes your event's biggest advocate, creating a buzz that no amount of marketing dollars can buy. As we continue to navigate the digital landscape, remember that community building is not a one-time effort. It's an ongoing process that requires time, patience, and genuine care for your community members.
To build a community around your event marketing content: Engage on social media: Create event-specific groups, use event hashtags, and encourage discussions. User-generated content: Encourage attendees to share their experiences and content. Email marketing: Keep participants informed and engaged with updates and relevant content. Post-event follow-up: Maintain connections by sharing highlights, photos, and future event details. Online forums and communities: Participate in relevant platforms to foster discussions about your event.