Your event may be over, but the opportunity to engage your audience has just begun. Post-event strategies like personalized thank-you notes, sharing event highlights, and hosting follow-up webinars keep the excitement alive. By gathering feedback and fostering community discussions, you can build a stronger connection with attendees and keep them excited for what’s next. Smart post-event engagement turns attendees into loyal supporters of your brand.
Send Personalized Follow-Ups
You should have an attendee list with contact information from ticket sales or event registration. Use this contact list to send personalized follow-up emails. Look for ways you can personalize your emails to speak directly to the attendees’ experience. Thank them for attending. Recap what took place at the event. Provide them with additional resources that will help them continue the conversation or learning experience. You can also use this opportunity to highlight your next event.
Post-Event Surveys and Feedback
Getting attendee feedback is essential for you to improve your event planning operations. The best time to ask for this feedback is right after the event, while it is still fresh in the attendees’ minds. A post-event survey is also an effective method for continuing engagement with attendees. Encourage a dialogue where you ask attendees about their event experience.
- What did they like the most?
- What did they like the least?
- What would they change for next time?
- How were the registration, check-in, and other processes?
Create a Dedicated Community
Foster a community of like-minded individuals. For some events, this is essential because attendees are only able to come together and share their common interests when attending your events. Creating a digital place where they can engage with their community puts your event planning business in the center of it. You can network, host digital events, and encourage others to share their thoughts and experiences. By fostering a digital exchange of ideas, you keep the conversation going until the next event.
Offer Exclusive Content
You curated a great event and should have plenty of high-quality content from it. Share the event's recordings, images, and videos in your email campaigns, social media event posts, and marketing efforts. You can leverage some of your content as exclusive or premium content. Encourage people to register or sign up for an account through your website. Then, they can access the exclusive recordings of panel discussions, presentations, and performances. Consider offering behind-the-scenes or “event in the making” content. Give a sneak peek into what it took to make the event a success. You can focus your event marketing efforts on these individuals, as they have expressed an increased interest in your event planning activity. For non-exclusive content, break it down into smaller segments. Space out the publishing so that you can extend the conversation.
Encourage User-Generated Content
Attendees who enjoy your event and are engaged with it will take their own pictures and videos. They will also share their content on their social media platforms. Encourage them to tag your business or event accounts. You can also create an event hashtag that you encourage people to use. Both of these strategies help you source user-generated content. You can use this content with permission in your social media and marketing efforts. Doing so will help attendees stay engaged while extending the conversation to those who did not attend.
Host a Post-Event Webinar
It is highly likely that there were people who wanted to attend your event but couldn’t. Hosting a webinar after the event can give them a chance to catch up on what they missed out on. During your webinar, you can replay the panel sessions, speakers, and other sessions that took place during the event. Another option is to dive deeper into the most popular topics presented at the event. Perhaps one particular session ignited the most interest. Hosting a webinar that focuses on that topic will engage attendees who are the most interested in it. Attendees can ask questions they weren’t able to during the vent. Or perhaps they have thought of additional questions since the event.
Create a Recap Blog Post
Write a blog post that recaps the success of your event. While there should be plenty of text, it should also be media-rich. Your blog post should help the reader feel like they didn’t miss out because they can experience the best parts of it. Showcase the best parts of the event by highlighting the most memorable moments, guest speakers, and presentations. Publish the blog post on your event planning website and then share it across your accounts on different platforms. Encourage attendees to comment on the blog post and share anecdotes from their experiences at the event.
Increase Post-Event Engagement
Effective post-event engagement can turn a one-time attendee into a loyal supporter. By keeping your audience involved, you ensure your brand remains relevant and memorable. Whether through sharing event content, offering exclusive access, or creating community spaces, keeping the conversation going makes a lasting impression. For more incredible event planning business strategies, make sure you get to The Expo. At The Event Planner Expo, you'll discover innovative techniques to enhance your post-event strategies and so much more.
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