Whether you own a business in the tech, audio, vehicle or food industry, there are probably hundreds of trade shows throughout the year that you like to visit to promote your brand. However, if you do not get any audience from the attendees at the trade show, then the whole trip and effort to host your own booth at an event will be pointless. The same thing applies if you plan to host your own event. What’s the point of spending so much money, if no one is going to show up, right?
You will need to think of something that will pull the interest of people and to convince them to visit your event. But, creating a successful marketing campaign for an event is not as easy as it sounds, especially if you are a smaller business that has quite a small budget. Even with such a small budget, people are expecting you to stay competitive against the biggest companies in your industry which might seem impossible at first.
But, with the right promotion ideas, you will be able to make your event to be the most interesting one in the entire industry.
However, going with any promotional idea you think of is not that smart. Fortunately, we are going to list what we believe are the best promotion ideas and then you can choose which one fits your business best.
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1. Create your own hashtag
Source: brand24
You are probably well aware of just how useful social media can be when it comes to building brand awareness. To use social media to its maximum, we recommend that you create your own hashtag that will be related to the event.
Once you think of something short, catchy and easy to remember, start using it on every social media business profile you have. Whether you like to use Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, make sure you put in in the description of every post or image you decide to post. The more you post it, the bigger the chance that people will start sharing your hashtag.
Next time, anyone who sees the hashtag being posted around social media websites, they will know about the oncoming happening you are planning to host.
It is definitely one of the better promotion ideas
2. Stories
Source: cvent
One of the best ways to get engaged with your audience is through stories. At first, this type of sharing content was first introduced by Snapchat, but not it is the most popular feature on Instagram. It is also present on Facebook, but if you plan on focusing on one website, we recommend that it’s Instagram’s stories that you stay consistent with. It has been proven that using stories increases your chances of being discovered greatly.
So, a few days while you are preparing for your event we recommend that you post a couple of stories. Get creative and deliver some behind the scenes shots that will keep your audience interested. Show them your team, show them what the visitors at your event will be able to see or get. Of course, make sure you do not reveal everything, keeping a few things mysterious is part of why people will stay interested.
If you want to get a wider reach, you can also sponsor your story.
3. Brochures
Source: inboundhype
Naturally, once your event starts, that does not mean that no one will be able to buy the tickets anymore. This is why I recommend you have a team that will be tasked to deal brochures right next to the entrance. Once they notice there’s a happening ongoing and when they check out the information on the brochure, the chances that they purchase a ticket and enter is much higher.
However, you should never cheap out on the brochures. You should think of a good design and print them on a high-quality paper. If you are looking for a place to print them, check out Cresent Printing
4. Create a website
Source: scpie
You might think that creating an event page on Facebook or posting on Instagram is enough to keep your audience informed about the oncoming event you are about to host, but that’s simply not true. People like to have quick access to information and the best way to do that is through a standalone website and not through social media.
When they Google the name of your company, they expect to see the website and not Facebook or Instagram. The fewer clicks your customers have to do, the bigger the chances that they will see your content.
Naturally, you do not have to go all out on a temporary website and spend your entire budget, but keep it unique with pretty colors that can be associated with your brand name and logo.
Post every single bit of information regarding the event and, if you can, add an option to buy tickets too. This will definitely convince customers to buy tickets.
5. Partner with another company
Source: The Sarrica Group
The idea of co-hosting an event with another company might not seem like a lucrative idea for most small business owners, but it can actually be quite beneficial. Teaming up with another company will increase your budget, allowing you to provide your audience with a much better experience.
You could also consider looking for sponsors who might deliver food and drinks which is always a plus for people. Standing around and looking at a stage for several hours is frustrating without any food to satiate your hunger or drinks to quench your thirst.
Naturally, partnering with another company does not always mean that you will have greater success. But, having an open mind when it comes to collaborating can bring a lot of opportunities that you wouldn’t otherwise have.
6. Limited-time free stuff
Source: peerspace
Who doesn’t love to get free stuff? People surely do, especially when they visit concerts, trade shows or other similar events. So, if you want to pull in as much audience as possible, you should definitely consider offering limited-time gifts for those that buy your tickets early. Everyone will find that to be an interesting offer and they won’t ignore it.
