Promoting A Business Event: Before, During And After

Business events can be opportunities to build new connections, boost your credibility, improve brand awareness and, most importantly, generate new leads. Success can often hinge on how well you promote your event - not just beforehand, but also during and after the event. In this post, we’ll explore exactly how to effectively promote your event across all three phases. 

Before the event…

This is when most of the promotional work takes place. You need to get people attending your event, which requires a targeted marketing strategy. Start by pinpointing your audience and then work out the best way to connect with them.

A few different ways to promote your event in advance include:

• Social media announcements: Start promoting your event on social media several weeks in advance. You could consider counting down to your event with new posts each day or every few days. 

• Targeted email invites: If your event is aimed at existing customers, consider sending out invites via your mailing list. If you’re trying to get new customers, consider sending out cold emails to individuals and companies who you think may be interested in attending. 

• Flyers and posters: Distribute flyers and posters of your event in key locations to generate further buzz. Guides like this one at Marq offer some tips on how to launch a successful flyer campaign.

• PPC ads: Consider publishing ads for your event online such as search engine ads, display ads or even video ads. 

During the event…

If guests can come and go to your event as they please, doing some promotion during the event might help attract last minute attendees. If not, it can still be an opportunity to report on your event and show consumers what they’re missing. 

Several promotional tactics to consider during the event include:

• Social media updates: Share information live on social media such as event hashtags and location tags. You should also consider hiring a professional photographer and sharing some photos during the event if you can - platforms like Event Photography could be a great place to book trusted event photographers. 

• Live-streaming: You could even consider live-streaming part or all of your event. For paid ticketed events, you could set up a paid private livestream for those who cannot physically travel to the event. 

• Promotional products: Promotional products like branded tote bags, branded water bottles and branded pens can serve as reminders of your event. You can hand these out to every attendee at your conference. At events like trade shows, giving out certain promotional products may even attract people to your stall. 

After the event…

The marketing doesn’t end when your event has finished. Spend the days after your event chasing up leads and recapping to help spark conversation and get your brand noticed. 

A few ways to promote your event after include:

• Thank you messages: For large events, consider sending out a mass thank you email or thanking attendees on social media. For small events, consider personalized thank you messages. This positions your brand as being appreciative and thoughtful. 

• Photo and video highlights: Go through all the videos and photos from your event and share the most eye-catching and impressive ones. Don’t overlook user-generated content - attendees may have posted photos and videos that you can share on your own channels. You could even consider creating a highlights video made from various footage of the event (you could use this to promote similar future events). 

• Feedback requests: Consider asking attendees for feedback to see what they thought of the event. This allows you to see what you did right and wrong, while also being a chance to reconnect with attendees and keep your event on their mind.