If you’re a first time event planner, or needing a few extra tips on promoting your event as a ‘MUST’ for patrons, we’ve got you sorted! Creating buzz around your event doesn’t need an extravagant budget. Nor does it need decades of planning. It does however require a few necessary ingredients to pull it together and make it stand out above the rest.
We’ve interviewed our Marketing Gurus, Lou & Teagan, at The Pier and have some expert tips ready to take your event to the next level! But first we will give you a bit of back ground on our experts!
Teagan is our go-to for all things Social Media and has an knack for killer content and event promotion across Facebook, Instagram and Google. Lou, previously a Digital Marketer, loves all things content creation and has an eye for detail. Both backed by Marketing degrees, Teagan & Lou make the perfect candidates for you to learn a thing or two. Let’s jump straight into it!
So, where does one start when establishing buzz around the event?
Lou: Well, once you’re sure of the event details, you’ve got to figure out who exactly is coming to your event.
Teagan: Exactly! Your target market is key. Once you know who’s coming, you can figure out how best to attract them.
Lou: And to attract them, you’ll need to know what your key pitch or message will be. You’ve got to be strict on who your audience is so you can establish your ‘Why’ (why your event is a must and why people should invest in attending).
What can be used to create buzz around an event? Do you have any examples or what has worked for you?
Teagan: I’ve found that themes can work really well in creating some interest and fun! We’ve used a range of different themes in the past. Anything around public holidays or key dates of the year work well, but so do other fun themes too. For example, a Professional Development and Team Building Corporate event could have the team decided on their own theme. Not only would this make the event a bit of fun, but also motivate and encourage participation.
Lou: Awesome point! First place my mind went was to personalities and influencers. Having a key speaker or influencer attend to speak/participate can excite patrons and use the individuals fan base or network to boost attendance numbers. These can be used as the key draw card or pitch when promoting the event to your target market!
Teagan: Creating suspense in the lead up to the event can also establish a buzz! So instead of pushing the event with all of the details, drop small sections of information over a period of time to spark curiosity and engage the audience from the get go!
Lou: Almost like bread crumbs! Location can also create a buzz! There’s a difference in having an event at work or stock standard location and one that ‘wows’ your participants. Breathtaking views, ease and convenience all take the ‘hard’ factor out of attending. We are super fortunate here at The Pier to not only have incredible views, but a central location and onsite parking making it easy for our event hosts and attendees.
What tools or strategies can be used to help create buzz?
Lou: Investing in content and artwork is crucial! With solid and attractive branding/content your event is set to spark attention and engagement straight away.
Teagan: Yep, I completely agree with that! The content is so important when creating a social media strategy too. Not only will this leverage the following you have on social media, but also grow your online network too. Having a consistent and engaging social media presence across your channels is important to build engagement and interest in the lead up to the event. Having creative content will also help with the Bread Crumb approach if that’s something you like the sound of.
Lou: Still on the lines of creative, video content is great to really paint a picture! There are apps and programs you can use to make video content affordable. The only thing here is that getting video content may be hard if the event (or a similar one) hasn’t been held before. Another thing is to create urgency within your event. Having a count down to the day, or notifications of how many tickets are left can encourage people to get in early to secure their ticket before it’s too late!
How far in advance should you start promoting your event to sell more tickets?
Teagan: Well, from my experience promoting nightlife events I’d say no less than a month before your event! It’ll help build hype and get people excited. It also gives them enough time to prepare for your theme if you have one. Ideally for a large scale event, stick to the 6 week mark.
Lou: Couldn’t agree more for the nightlife or more casual events. For corporate or formal events anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks before an event is a good time to start really getting the word out there. Obviously you can drop hints in advance to build suspense, but perhaps kick off you consistent content plan 8 weeks before. This gives people enough time to clear their calendars and organise accommodation etc if they need to.
Okay, finally, what’s the best advice you’ve been given when promoting an event?
Teagan: To look at things the way the customer will see them, and that you can never give too much information. They might not be equipped with all the information you’ve got in mind.
Lou: Oooo that’s such a good one! Mine would be to research! You can never do too much research! Look at other events, what has worked in the past, what your competitor is doing and how you can build on those ideas to be bigger and better.
Well that wraps up our Q&A with The Pier Marketing Guru’s! When you book The Pier for an event or special occasion, you can be assured that a quality team is backing you to make it the best it can be. With experts from Functions, Catering, Promotion and Venue Management, whatever event larger or small can have a home at The Pier. Get in touch with our Event Experts today to learn more.
