Using digital technology to promote events

There are many cost saving benefits when it comes to using digital technology to promote your business event. Kirstie Colledge of Simply Marcomms examines how industry-specific social media platforms and online sharing sites and publishing methods can increase your event's visibility and boost attendance rates.

Communications planning

The traditional 'event planning' starting point remains true. Create a communications plan (pre-, during and post-event), identify your target audience, establish objectives and develop your key messages. Then identify and activate the online tools you intend to use to communicate news of the event to your target audience.

Use your website

I suggest creating a central point for publishing event information and your call to action (registering, booking, payment etc). This should be a page or section on your website as that will facilitate measuring your online marketing effort. You can direct traffic to the page and then measure where that traffic is coming from. After the event you should be able to analyse which activity generated the greatest number of bookings.

Use social networking and social media sites to promote your event

LinkedIn: if your company has a presence on LinkedIn then include a link to your website event page on your company profile page. Join relevant industry groups and start a conversation or make an announcement about the event, again including a link back to the event page on your website.

Facebook: if you have a company fan page then create an 'event' and link back to the event page on your website.

The Construction Network (tCn): join communities, create an event and include a link back to the event page on your website.

Twitter: the micro-blogging platform has enormous potential when it comes to event marketing. Some basic, but really useful, Twitter tactics for promoting events include:

• Setting up a Twitter account for your event or event programme (@youreventname). Alternatively, use an established company account if you already have one. Use it to find and communicate with potential attendees and speakers. Follow speakers. This will make them aware of you.
• Create and use a hashtag e.g. #myevent2010 and tweet using it. Many events have a hashtag. Try to establish one and make people aware of it so they don't use different variations. Use your hashtag in all related tweets and encourage others to do the same.
• Share interesting news by tweeting before, during and after the event. Tell people about your speakers, your venue and any interesting news. Get someone to tweet the main news items from the event.

When used as part of a well-planned event promotion campaign integrated with traditional activities online promotional techniques are not only cost effective, but they also allow you to reach a much wider customer base.

 

Kirstie Colledge is a CIMCIG committee member and managing director of online construction PR agency Simply Marcomms. She runs a series of regular webinars on social media marketing for the construction industry.

 

Back to top

Tips for promoting your event page on your website

1. Create a press release and publish it online with hyperlinks back to the event page on your website

2. Blog: if you have a company blog, create a post about the event with links to the event page on your site

3. Make the information on your site 'shareable' by adding a sharing facility such as 'add this' (pictured) which allows people to email colleagues a link to your event web page or share news via their social networks and bookmarking sites.

4. You probably send out hundreds of emails each day, so add a link to your event page in your email footer/signature, and encourage colleagues to do the same.