Event marketing companies must have a killer promotion plan to ensure the success of an event. But it’s not always easy for them to know where to begin. Your event marketing plan needs to be implemented right when the event planning starts. The two actions go hand in hand. In the end, without a great event promotion strategy, how will anyone know about your event?
We’ve created a fundamental marketing plan template below to help event marketing companies understand where to get started. Fill it out to design the best marketing plan yet!
Know Your Event
The very first step in planning an event is to understand the purpose and goal of your event. Once you know that, event marketing companies can focus on the details like the event name, an appealing theme, the tagline, and the color scheme that will fit all of the above. The following event breakdown can be used as the blueprint for your event marketing plan.
Insert the Basics
- Event Name
- Event Purpose
- Theme
- Tagline
- Color Scheme
Your Home Base Will Be the Event Website
There are only a few types of events that would be able to get away with not having a website. Most events will require that you have a marketing website for the event or a landing page for registration on your existing website. See, the event website will be the first touchpoint you’ll have with potential attendees. So, it must have key data and appealing copy written on it to entice the audience to register. You must:
Keep Track of the Basics
- Time and Date
- Location
- Cost
- Call to Action
- URL
- FAQs
Plan Promotions and Discounts
More than likely event marketing companies will create promotions and discounts that will appeal to potential attendees that will lead them to register for the event. You can include small or big promotional campaigns that are relationship or time-based. Start with looking at the cost to attend the event. Does it seem particularly high? So then shoot for an early bird discount for attendees that may possibly have a small budget because they are the people who are most likely to take advantage of such a discount.
What Will You Run?
- Early Bird Promotion
- Returning Attendee Promotion
- Regular Promotion
- Last Chance Promotion
- Flash Discounts
- Sponsorship Promotion
Create an Email Marketing Plan That Doesn’t Annoy Prospective Attendees
Email marketing is a crucial component on all marketing plans. If you’re not using an email marketing tool, you better find one quickly! They make it easier to automate and design emails. When you structure your planning, try not to overdo it. If you design an excellent, attention-grabbing subject line then you’ll increase your open rate, but if you overdo it, the only thing you’ll be increasing is the possibility of attendees unsubscribing to what will now be considered spam.
Breakdown of Email Marketing
- Email Marketing Tool
- Frequency
- Specific Emails Being Sent
- Triggered Emails
You Can’t Forget About Using Social Media
When it comes to free forms of marketing, social media is the best tool for promoting your events. If you have an existing presence across all social media platforms, then make sure you promote on all of them. But, if your target audience trends leans more towards using Instagram, then it’s not necessary to promote the event on every single platform.
Where to Promote Your Event
Social Media Basics
- Hashtag
- How often a week will you post
- Any vendors or speakers to tag
Don’t Forget About Sponsors
Let’s not forget that event marketing companies are not just marketing to gain attendees, you also need to market to potential sponsors. In the end, they’re going to be the key to lowering costs and gaining more interest. Create clear sponsorship packages that are easily conveyed, but also make sure to include flexible options. Nearly all sponsors are a good sponsor!
Conclusion
Most of your event marketing plans will come down to trial and error. Plan whatever you can and just be ready when opportunities start to present themselves. The Event Planner Expo team created this basic marketing template in an effort to guide you. It’s a great starting point, but of course, there are many more facets that can be added.
Need help with creating the perfect marketing plan for your event? Contact our team who can help you with further resources and tools that will lead to a successful event!
