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If you've ever planned an event, you know a lot of detail goes into it. The same is true when it comes to marketing your event. If you want to institute a successful marketing campaign for your event, it should involve the following:  

In short, there’s a lot that goes into successfully marketing an event. Having a marketing plan template gives you a repeatable process for your event marketing efforts.  

Read on to learn about what you should include in your event marketing plan, and how Welcome can help make the process much easier for you. 

Why Should You Have an Event Marketing Plan?

When you’re looking to plan an event, you have to think of it in terms of these stages:  

Pre-Event 

Before the event, you have to publicize it and let your potential attendees know it’s happening.  

  • Build event website/registration page 
  • Identify event goals, objectives, and key messaging 
  • Use previously identified messaging to promote the event through the proper communication channels (organization website, social media, email campaigns) 
  • Track registrants  

During the Event 

During the event, you want to create the optimal experience for everyone who attends.  

  • Use your existing communication channels to promote the event while it’s happening 
  • Monitor social media to gather real-time attendee feedback 

Post-Event 

Finally, you need to follow up after the event, giving the attendees a chance to provide feedback. This will increase the chances of repeat attendees and help to spread positive word-of-mouth for your event. 

  • Gather extensive feedback on how the event went via online channels 
  • Begin promoting the next edition of the event with teaser information based on the great value you provided this time around 
  • Begin planning your marketing efforts for the next event

Having a cohesive, linear trajectory for these phases of the process requires a well-thought-out plan. That’s where the right event marketing plan comes into play. 

Developing Your Event Marketing Strategy

You’ll want to build an event marketing strategy that does the following: 

  • Clearly defines your goals and objectives for the event, and how your marketing efforts will be tied to those goals/objectives 
  • Identifies means of communicating with your important stakeholders, identifying the best ways to connect with them and engage them in a meaningful way 
  • Sets you up for success not just for this event, but for any future events 

Building a Comprehensive Landing Page

Your attendees need an online home base they can go to. A landing page for the event should include the event’s time, date, location, objective, and any major speakers or presentations. This is where you can sell the event to your audience.  

Include the logo for your organization (or any sponsors) here as well. 

Develop Consistent Messaging 

What is it you want to achieve with this event? What value can you expect your attendees to get out of it?  

You’ll want to have clear answers to these questions, and you’ll want that baked into your event-specific messaging. Draft a set of talking points around your event highlighting its primary mission, value drivers, and any VIP or prominent speakers or organizations who will be attending.

Establishing an Email Campaign

You’ve done a lot of hard work to build a strong email list. When you’re holding an event that your subscribers will find value in, let them know! 

The Role of Social Media

Having a robust social media presence to attract users is also vital to your event’s success. 

The type of platforms you’ll use will vary depending on your target audience. A professional association will likely see a lot of value in LinkedIn promotion, while a thought leadership summit of younger social media creators could derive more from TikTok or YouTube.  

How Do I Build My Event Marketing Template?

Some organizations like to use Excel spreadsheets for their event marketing strategy.

You certainly can do this too, if you prefer. But this will involve a lot of time spent manually building and formatting a template.

There are easier ways.  

If you’re looking for a solution to your event marketing needs, look no further than Welcome.