In my last article, I listed ten ideas for business events on your blog or website and in this article, I would like to offer ideas for promoting those events. By holding various events on your blog or website you are giving people an incentive for visiting your website and you are also stirring up more interest in what you have to offer.
Events are an excellent way to get people to interact with your site and business. And by creating more interaction, you are making your site much more memorable.
Below are ten ideas for promoting your event.
1. Event Directories – There are many sites that list all kinds of events and are many times free. If you are holding a contest, do a search for contest directory. There are sites that are event specific and some sites will list all types of events. Some of the most popular are Zvents, Yelp, Eventful, Eventbrite and EventSetter.
2. Social Media – In this day and age social media is always on the list! ;-) You can send invites to all your friends on Facebook but if you get a lot of these invites, you can get in the habit of just deleting them without even reading them. Truth be told, they can be annoying. So, rather than just sending mass invites, post teasers about your event with a link to more details. Let your friends who are interested go find out about your event so you are not just getting deleted.
LinkedIn offers a new event promoting tool that will highlight your event to your network connections that are more likely to be interested in what you are offering.
Promote your event on Pinterest with a visually stimulating pin with teasers and relevant information. Be sure to take advantage of all social media sites that can help draw more people to your event.
3. eMail Signature – Add a small teaser to your email signature.
For example:
Win free prizes while building your business!
Expand your network while having fun!
Think what would make you click on a link and use that. Put yourself in the reader’s shoes.
4. Announcements – Send announcements in your newsletter or send an announcement to your email list. Build the anticipation so people will want to attend.
5. Video Announcement – Add a short video to your site letting all your visitors know about your event. Offer a free gift at the end of the video so people will be more likely to listen to your announcement.
6. Cross Promoting – Contact other business owners who are also promoting events and work together to promote each other’s event. Working with others not only can increase your exposure but can help your business in other ways as well.
7. Start Promoting Early – I would recommend starting at least 2-3 months before the event. You want time to build up a lot of anticipation and reach a large target guest list. Be consistent the whole promotion time. Don’t start off with a bang and then let your promoting lapse.
8. Promote Offline – Tell everyone you know about your event. Ask them to tell everyone they know who might be interested. Print out flyers or postcards highlighting your event. Have some of these with you at all times to take advantage of every opportunity.
9. Attend Similar Events – Attending similar events gives you a chance to get more leads on people who would be interested in your event.
10. Message Boards and Discussion Groups – If you are involved in forums such as these, add a link in your signature and promote it as much as the board or group allows.
Holding online events can do a lot for your business. They can increase your networking connections, bring more people to your site, raise awareness of what you offer and much more.
Take the time to plan and promote your event effectively for more success. A well-planned event could be just what your business needs!