How To Crush Your Next Event Promo

Marketers know that event marketing is a full contact sport from the moment you concept your idea until the dust settles after the event is over. Which is to say: it’s a lot of work. A lot of rewarding work, but work nonetheless. If there’s one place where any marketer (yes, even us) can stand to improve a little, it’s in event promo. It’s a question we at Kapow get almost daily: “how do you get people to show up?” If you struggle to stick the landing on your event promo, or could just use a little refresher, we got you. Check out our tips below.

Why host an event in the first place?

Let’s start with the basics. Why host an event in the first place? It’s no secret that meeting someone face-to-face fosters a close, meaningful connection. How much more meaningful? An hour of face time is analogous to 5 pieces of video content, 10 calls or 20 emails! But if that’s not enough for you, there’s other reasons to host live events. The very act of inviting someone to an event creates 5 additional touchpoints between you and your client. And that’s regardless of whether they even end up attending. Obviously you do want people to attend your event though.

To that end, it’s important to zero in on your main personas and determine why you’re throwing an event in the first place. If you need a little refresher in that regard, we’re here to help.

Picking an event that’s worth the event promo

When planning an event, we at Kapow advise everyone to keep abreast of the 3 C’s—keep it cool, convenient and compelling.

Keep it cool: Coolness is exactly what it says on the tin: the “it” factor that’s going to hook your guests with an offer they can’t refuse. It’s ideal to give your event an edge with a unique offering or trendy factor that your guests will have a hard time turning down.

Some examples of “cool” events you can find on the Kapow site:

• Late night cocktail party in a space styled after a midcentury Irish house at The Late Late in New York
• Host a scavenger hunt at the San Francisco MoMA with Museum Hack in San Francisco

Make it convenient: Chances are your key personas are movers and shakers, meaning that it’s imperative you avoid making a pain point out of getting to and from the event. Things like picking a central location and utilizing mobile additions can go a long way toward getting that yes from your desired attendees.

Invest in compelling content: If your content is compelling, you don’t need to worry as much about having a cool event. Obviously presentation is important, but you need to determine what the purpose of your event is. Is it to get the word out about an exciting product or service you provide? To keep yourself top-of-mind for clients—both new and returning? Regardless of your desired outcome, utilizing Kapow can take the headache out of finding an event that’s the perfect fit for your needs.

Want more handy tips and tricks? Of course you do! Kapow’s full Promo Playbook is available now right now for your perusal, chock full of tips, tricks and much much more to help you crush the promo for your next event.