Events are a great way to build brand awareness. They are also a great way to reach out to your customers and potential customers in a different way. Whether it’s an online event, like a webinar, or an in-person event, like a seminar or conference we’ve got 21 event promo ideas to help you sell out.
According to Eventbrite and ToneDen, every event has a sales arc that spikes when tickets go on sale and a few days before the event but dips between these two. To help you get the best from these ideas we’ve suggested the best time to use them and for good measure mentioned whether they are generally on the cheap or expensive side of the scale. Now, without further ado, the event promo ideas list.
1. Make sure you have strong SEO in your landing page and ticket sales or event page
It’s more digital marketing 101 than an event promo idea – you don’t need me to tell you that strong SEO means that people will be able to find your event when they are searching. To do this you will need to make sure that your ticket or event platform has strong domain authority, as this will help improve your SEO efforts. You will also need to make sure you’re using strong and relevant keywords in your description.
We love Eventbrite because it’s easy to use and it integrates with Vision6, but also because it has strong domain authority.
If you’re creating a landing page separate to your ticket selling event page, make sure this has strong SEO as well.
When: Creating strong SEO in your setup will benefit you through the entire campaign.
Cost:$
2. Invite influencers with free tickets
Find influencers in your industry and offer them free tickets to the event before it has even gone on sale. This way they are likely to be talking about your event for as long as you are.
When: Before tickets go on sale.
Cost: $$
3. Mention in your organic social media
This one’s a no-brainer – mention your event frequently in your organic social media. It costs you nothing but time and you can try out many different messages. Plus you can start with a teaser campaign before the tickets even go on sale.
When: Before the tickets go on sale and through the entire campaign.
Cost: $
4. Mention in your blogs or standard emails (newsletters)
Whenever you’re talking to your audience, be it blog posts, your newsletters, at the bottom of your invoices, or some other method, be sure to mention your event. Why not treat your customer to a sneak peek or advanced notification?
When: Before the tickets go on sale and through the entire campaign.
Cost: $
5. Promote in your social media cover images
The cover images in your social media profiles are great and free real estate! Make use of it by including images that promote your event before ticket sales even start. But a word of warning, be sure to check the conditions of your selected social media.
When: Before the tickets go on sale and through the entire campaign.
Cost: $
6. Offer a cut down version of information from the event
Consider sharing a snippet of information from the event. You could do this through short videos, infographics or maybe even a small pop-up event if you have time. This sharing of information can help build interest in your event.
It’s now really easy to add a video link with Vision6. You can simply add a YouTube or Vimeo link and the thumbnail and play button are automatically included or you can edit them to your email style.
When: Before the tickets go on sale and through the entire campaign.
Cost: from $ to $$$ depending on the method.
7. Include a little ad in your email signature
Again, this is fantastic and free real estate – make use of it with a small ad that links to your event page.
When: Before the tickets go on sale and through the entire campaign.
Cost: $
8. List your event on an event listing site
There is plenty of event listing sites that will promote your event for free. Start by looking into The Weekend Edition in your city, or eventfinda.
When: Once tickets are on sale.
Cost: $ to $$ depending on whether you choose free or paid sites.
9. Create an event on Facebook
Like the event listing sites, Facebook is a great way to get word of your event out to people who might not have heard of you. If you’ve got the cash you could pay to promote or boost it too.
When: Once tickets are on sale.
Cost: $ or more if you are going to pay to promote or boost.
10. Utilise any sponsors in your network
As well as offsetting some of the cost of your event, sponsors are a great avenue for reaching potential customers that wouldn’t normally hear from you. Just make sure you choose sponsor partners that have similar audiences to you and clearly outline any marketing expectations in partnership agreements.
When: Once tickets are on sale and during the ticket plateau.
Cost: $ or even less if they are helping with the cost of the event.
11. Pay to email your invitation to someone else’s database
Consider sending a solus email to a database that is similar to yours. For example, to promote your cocktail making classes, why not approach an alcohol retailer and see if they will send an email on your behalf. Just make sure they are compliant with the relevant laws (eg spam).
When: Once tickets are on sale and during the ticket plateau.
Cost: $$
12. Paid Social Media
Reach more people with paid social media and don’t forget to use your remarketing hacks to target similar audiences to your customers or exclude those who have already registered. This is a great one for your ticket plateau as you can refocus on those who have shown interest but not purchased.
When: Once tickets are on sale and during the ticket plateau.
Cost: $$$
13. Advertise in podcasts, newspapers or magazines
Even if you’re not holding a big event consider your local newspaper – they might even include your event mention for free.
When: Once tickets are on sale and during the ticket plateau.
Cost: $ to $$, higher if you need to pay for advertising.
14. Consider a referral program
Why not offer people a discount for every person that buys a ticket using their personal referral code and get attendees promoting the event for you.
When: Once tickets are on sale and during the ticket plateau.
Cost: $ to $$ depending on the number of discounts you give.
15. Offer group discounts
Consider offering group discounts and ways for strangers to organise group bookings through social media.
When: Once tickets are on sale and during the ticket plateau.
Cost: $
16. Post Invitations
Event promo idea 16 is a little old school, but why not send out invitations in the mail to customers to make them feel special.
When: Once tickets are on sale and during the ticket plateau.
Cost: $$
17. Competitions
Consider giving away some tickets in competitions, for example, a lucky door prize at a local event. This allows you to talk about your event in front of a new audience. Social media competitions are also a great way to get in front of new people.
When: Once tickets are on sale and during the ticket plateau.
Cost: $$
18. Email, email, email
Emails are a great way to invite people to your event. You can segment and target your audience and make sure that previous attendees are aware of your new event. Plus it gets even easier when you can automate your emails. See how to with this marketing automation blueprint.
When: Before the tickets go on sale and through the entire campaign.
Cost: $
If your event’s right around the corner and you’ve got to sell more tickets, why not try these cheap event promo ideas.
- Letterbox drops in the vicinity of the venue
- Handing out flyers at shopping centres or train stations close to the venue (ask permission first)
- Posters on notice boards in local shopping centres
But the fun doesn’t stop there. Even if you’ve sold out your tickets, the next challenge is to get everyone to attend. A combined SMS and email campaign is a great way to make this happen and we cover this in the second part of this marketing automation blueprint. You can also use this communication to keep attendees excited and encourage them to share the event in their own networks.
Don’t forget to keep thinking about communicating with your attendees during and after your event to help build a positive experience for them and strengthen their likelihood to attend any future events. Using SMS marketing and organic social media on the day and afterwards is a great idea to build engagement. Having a Twitter wall or Snapchat or Instagram geofilter will also encourage people to post on the day and further share information about your event through their networks.
Plus, if you have your next event prepared, selling tickets for it at your current event puts you right in front of an engaged audience.
Hopefully, some, or all, of these event promo ideas will help you sell out your next event. How do you like to promote your events? We’d love to know, so hit us up on the socials with your answer.
