Post on 30-Aug-2020
transcript
SECRETS OF
MARKETINGEVENT
Whether this is your first time hosting an event or the
1000th time running the show, you’re likely aware that
events don’t promote themselves. To sell tickets you need
to, at the very least, let others know that the event is going
on. Word of mouth, physical & digital invitations, social
media, and advertising campaigns are all great ways to
spread the word.
INTRO
Jacques Perreault, Lead Event Marketing Consultant
CO-HOSTING 101For those of us who have attempted to put on events or
anticipate doing so, the time and effort to assemble all the pieces
together might appear unachievable. Those components
are typically finding the right venue, entertainment, food &
beverages, theme, and most importantly, guests. So, for one
person to coordinate everything can be overwhelming.
As the saying goes, the show must go on; but how can you
create an event that will generate a crowd, and become a great
outing as you might have pictured it unfold in your mind. At Coho
Events, we believe in expanding the “co-hosting” philosophy
in order to make it easier and more efficient to pull off events in
grand style.
CO-HOSTING 101So, what exactly is co-hosting? The definition is “a joint host”.
Airbnb has fabricated their own definition of a co-host,
which they unveiled on the Airbnb platform in 2016. They define
co-hosting as “A simple way to allow family members or trusted
friends to help with some of the hosting responsibilities from
their own account, without giving someone access to your
personal account, personal details, or payment information.”
Let that sink in and think about how that may influence
event management.
This is a powerful
concept which has been a major part of the event industry, but
not stressed enough. Even in the recent past we still see event planners still using a
primitive event management system (Excel files or sharing Google sheets), while leading
a host committee or event management team the old fashioned way. We are now seeing new
technology that has come into play to allow hosts, and co-hosts to improve
collaboration efforts to create a simple way to coordinate.
Many nonprofits have leaned on Facebook,
which has been extraordinarily helpful and has
been using the hosts and co-hosts concept
for a number of years on its platform to quickly
promote events. A host creates an event, adds
co-hosts, and everyone has the ability to invite
their friends and network. Therefore, an event
can spread quite rapidly through word of mouth,
but even faster through social media platforms
like Facebook. Recently, Facebook has limited
the number of co-hosts as well as the amount of
invitations you can send to friends, thus, making
it harder to promote events, unless you pay to
sponsor an ad.
If you consider LinkedIn’s platform and the role “connections” (1st, 2nd, 3rd) play, one person has the ability to connect
with or have content shared with many people outside one’s inner circle. If someone shares content on LinkedIn, their “1st
connections” will see it. They’ll be able to comment or share, then their “1st connections” and the original person who posted,
(it could be their “2nd, or 3rd, or maybe they have no connection”) can see and share as well. So, in that sense, good content
can have a ripple effect but not many people know how to harness this skill.
3rd 3rd 3rd 3rd 3rd
2nd
3rd 3rd 3rd 3rd 3rd
2nd
3rd 3rd 3rd 3rd 3rd
2nd
1st
Hosts should have a vague idea on how
to employ these promotional tactics,
but when is the appropriate time to take
action? Timelines will change as the big day
approaches, but it’s important to prepare
properly in order to maximize the awareness
and branding of your event. The information
potential party-goers sets expectations
about the upcoming event; it’s important to
have the proper strategic plan in order to
help patrons envision themselves having the
time of their lives at your get-down!
YOUR TEAM
TO HELP YOU THINK THROUGH CRAFTING YOUR EVENT’S TIMELINE, TAKE SOME CUES FROM THIS EXAMPLE
SAVE THE DATE
6-8 Months Out
OFFICIAL LAUNCH4-6 Months Out
Early Bird Tickets
EVENT REMINDER
3-4 Months Out Entertainment/Sponsors
SEE YOU SOON!1 Week Out
Reiterate Mission Statement
BUILD EXCITEMENT
1 Month Out Influencers/
Thought Leaders/Partners
FLASH SALE
2-3 Months Out If Needed
FINAL REMINDER
1 Day Out Check-in Process
Transportation Last Minute Changes
EXCITED TO SEE YOU!
Day of Event Reiterate Final Reminder
THANK YOU!
Day After Event Thank Your Guests
Get Ready for Next Year
Have your event page ready, or build an evolving landing page that you can make improvements to as more details come together
Choose appropriate social media platforms for your launch announcements
First impressions are crucial when getting the word out!
Create a blog post or article that can also be shared, and which clearly highlights the “WHY” of your gathering, and why you are passionate about this event – What’s your mission statement?
You must get partners and influencers on board – A MUST!
Leverage your partner’s existing networks – create an incentive that works for you and your partner/influencer
Get big names on board first – then go for in-kind and monetary sponsors who want to align with your event and your partners/influencers
SAVE THE DATE – email blast
Blast out to your current network
PRE-EVENT LAUNCH
Create tickets – Whether you go the physical or digital route, create incentives for people to purchase tickets early: early bird, packages, discounts to influencers, discounts to groups, etc.
This is an important time to plug and promote your entertainment, VIP partners, and influencers
Create a press release and use it to amplify your social media promotions
Push more content on your blog, using the event as a catalyst for awareness of your mission statement
Seek more partnerships and sponsors!
OFFICIAL LAUNCH – email
An email blast to your extended network, including your partners and influencers
Again, leverage your connections – grow organically and create a ripple effect
EVENT LAUNCH
Employ targeted ads from created content on appropriate channels like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.
To amplify visibility, have your event partners and sponsors promote the event on their most active channels
First impressions are crucial, promote the sponsors and partners who are involved with your event
Leverage thought leaders and other individuals who have credibility in your industry
Continue email marketing campaign to stay top of mind (and top of inbox) for potential guests
People become more and more aware of the event as the date gets closer
EVENT REMINDER, FLASH SALE, BUILD EXCITEMENT – emails
LEADING UP TO EVENT
1-3 MONTHS
Final email blast to networks – create “last chance” social media or blog post
Include an incentive to push attendee referrals or to have guests promote the event as well
Speak with your influencers and partners individually to make one last effort to sell out
Tickets
SEE YOU SOON, FINAL REMINDERS – Emails
LAST CALL1 WEEK TO 1 MONTH
t
EXCITED TO SEE YOU – email and social media posts
Create hashtag or engagement incentive to facilitate real-time picture, video, and general text social media posts from the event
Showtime!
DAY OF EVENT
THANK YOU – email, event recap blog post including media collected on-site, recap photo collections and posts via your various social media channels
On to the next one...
POST-EVENT
We all know that if you want to screw something in you need to use a screwdriver, right? Well... Do you need a phillips head or a flat head? Do you have one screw to screw in or are there 100. If you have 100 screws of varying sizes and shapes wouldn’t a drill with multiple attachments be a better choice. That’s what Coho Events is to the event world. No matter what an event throws at you, Coho has the right tool in it’s box, all in one place, to get the job done quickly, easily, and right the first time.
USE THE RIGHT
TOOL FOR THE JOB
OUR TEAM IS ALWAYS
WORKING ON NEW INNOVATIONS IN EVENT TECHNOLOGY
Event Page Builder
Ticket Sales
Email Marketing
Live and Silent Auction
Sponsorship Package Builder
Co-Host Management
Guest Check-in with Ticket Scanner App
OUR CURRENT SUITE INCLUDES
We can also build custom software and produce high-end custom media for your events.
These are some of the methods professional event
marketers will charge you thousands of dollars to implement.
Please reach out for a demo or more information on how an
event marketing email campaign can impact your next event at
jp@cohoevents.com.
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HELP GOOD PEOPLE DO GREAT THINGS