When businesses and organizations have a product, service, idea or cause to promote, they often host paid events for their target markets to attend. Paid events include conferences, networking events, trade shows, webinars, virtual conferences, teleseminars, retreats, seminars and charity. Businesses and organizations attempt to increase event registrations by gaining exposure through online and offline advertising efforts.
1.
Use your existing email list to begin marketing your paid event, if you’ve already acquired email addresses from individuals who have purchased products or services from your company in the past, asked to receive information and updates about your company or its programs and events. Your in-house marketing list is composed of people who have expressed interest in what you do or offer, so they’re the most likely audience for your paid event.
2.
Search for companies who offer complementary products and services, and whose target markets are similar to yours. Find out if they offer advertising placements in their email newsletters or on their websites. If they do, cross-promote your events, products or services, if you have a similar size readership, or purchase advertising space to promote your paid event.
3.
Include information on your company website about the paid event you’re hosting. Add a call-out box of text to the top of the website with the name of the event, two or three sentences that state the purpose of the event, its location, time and a contact number or email address. Make the area clickable so that it goes to a portable document file that details information about your event and registration, or a full web page that includes a sales letter about the event and registration instructions.
4.
Hire a writer to craft a press release you can send to the media about your event. Determine which members of the media, including bloggers, are most likely to have audiences who would attend your event, and then email your press release to them. Your press release should direct people to the area on your website that discusses the event, as well as provide them with a way to get in contact with you for interviews and questions.
5.
Send an email to local business, professional and community organizations, announcing your event, if your event topics are relevant to the groups’ members. Include a link to the page on your website where you’re advertising the event and registration information.
6.
Use social media to push the message about your paid event. Begin posting about the event before registration starts, so that people are already aware that it’s coming soon. Post links to your event information and registration pages, upload videos promoting the event and even host trivia about topics related to the event to get people on your social media networks excited about registering for your event.
7.
Advertise your event in print advertising on a local or national level, depending on the purpose of your event and your target market. Magazines, newspapers and newsletters that target the audience you want to attend can help you increase registrations. You can also send printed invitations and event information to individuals who you already have on your address mailing list, similar to the email marketing message you send.
8.
Get excited about your event and show potential attendees your excitement by developing a series of videos to promote the event. You can use the information to introduce the purpose of the event, highlight guest speakers or showcase testimonials from individuals who attended your events in the past. Use these videos on your website, blog, event-specific websites, in your press releases, email marketing and on your social media profiles.
9.
Offer incentives for signing up early to help increase registration during the initial sign-up stages. You can announce a giveaway that only first responders are eligible for, or you can offer a discount on the registration fee for early bird registrations.
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