Getting Your Event Promo Where It Needs To Be

Last time in our event promo guide, we discussed the dos and don’ts of picking an event worth promoting. So now you’ve got another question on your hands:  how do you maximize your event promo? Fortunately for you, there are lots of options. Unfortunately for you, these different options can make it hard for you to align outreach with you target attendee persona. Thankfully we’ve got the top corporate event tips and tricks to help you cut through the noise and get that “yes” from your most valuable customers.

Understanding funnel of reach

All events are important, but not all promos work for all events. The question then is “what kind of promo do I need for this event?” The ideal event promo strategy will accomplish the following goals:

• Promote awareness of your event—no one is going to show up to an event they don’t know about, after all
• Expand the reach of your campaign, both among your core personas and additional prospects
• Move prospects and customers along the customer lifecycle—this is why you’re throwing your event

Using the funnel of reach for your event promo

The good news is that you’ve got a lot—and we mean a lot—of options when it comes to finding the promo that works for you. That’s where the funnel of reach comes in. It’s organized from top to bottom in a rough approximation of coverage versus depth. In effect, the wider coverage promo strategy, the less deeply you’ll be able to push with it. The different parts of the funnel are:

• Targeted display: Expensive and great for covering a wide area, a targeted display is ideal for supplementing event awareness among key personas.
• Paid social: This relatively low-cost strategy is perfect for engaging new leads and promoting your event.
• Social: Inexpensive because it targets your followers, but not as useful for netting new leads or specific audiences.
• Website: Either a dedicated event page or a callout in the events section of your existing site. Can be populated with upcoming details and more information to engage visitors.
• Emails: Mass emails to your databases are the most direct way to drive awareness and invite your desired guests.
• Mailers: Make them an offer they can’t refuse (or at least one that avoids their spam folder) with a direct, physical mailer. Great for cutting through digital noise.
• Sales outreach: Get your sales team involved with phone scripts and canned emails to potential attendees to secure that RSVP.
• The event: Everything leads up to this. Provides the most targeted reach and important engagement

If some of these strategies seem a little outside your budget, you can also consider partner marketing. By partnering with a synergized brand, you can increase your reach while simultaneously cutting costs. It’s a great way to connect with clients in related markets and improve your brand strategy.

Planning your event promo timeline

Even after you’ve built out your funnel of reach, your work isn’t done. You have to plan your event timeline. A well-planned promo timeline is the final piece in the puzzle of executing a perfect promo strategy. Here’s our suggested timeline:

• Six to eight weeks out: Email and social save-the-dates for your client personas
• Four weeks: Establish your event website, invite VIPs through email outreach
• Three to four weeks out: Email invites to your other core personas
• Two to three weeks out: 1:1 sales follow-ups via phone, LinkedIn and email
• One to two weeks out: Remind your invitees to register
• One week out: Reminder to attend via 1:1 follow-ups
• Day-of: Reminder to attend through social channels

Promoting your event is only part of the battle—the other is having an event worth promoting. From dining and cocktail events to interactive activities and shopping experiences, kapow.com helps you source, book and plan corporate events of all different shapes and sizes. Have a specific program in mind? Looking for something custom? Reach out to our event planning team for their favorite recommendations.