Inbound marketing strategies are used to generate buzz around your event before it takes place - email, content, SEO, and social networking are key here. Create content which speaks directly to the right attendee ( persona) about the advantages of attending your event. Use these target-rich content in your inbound email marketing campaigns to connect with a audience that already has been engaged with your website and business. Email inbound marketing for events works by getting the name and email address of the recipient as well as the contact information for your event on the list of leads that you have pre-loaded into your auto responder series.
Social media is also an important part of inbound marketing for events. Use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, StumbleUpon, and Google+ to create content which encourages people to connect with you. A quick way to do this is to set up groups within each of these social media networks and invite followers who follow your brand or product to join. Be sure to provide them with ways to connect with you online. You can also use Google's content network to post and publicly track any social media posts related to your brand and your event.
Another great strategy inbound marketing for events is the follow-up call and response. You can send a short message to all attendees the day after the event, encouraging attendees to pass out your materials at the next event. Call and response allows you to highlight some of the highlights from the event while thanking attendees for their participation. It also gives you the chance to discuss any lingering questions attendees have and answer any questions they may have. This is the perfect opportunity to reiterate what was discussed in the post-event survey.
An inbound marketing campaign should not stop there, however. Attendees need to know that you are listening to their feedback and considering their opinions in helping to plan the next event. Contact the guest of honor, asking for feedback as it relates to the guest of honor and how the guest of honor could help improve the program. Invite a panel of guests to the next event so that they can offer their input as well. The goal is to make sure your inbound marketing for events is not only working now, but will continue to work in the future.
Once you've begun to build your inbound marketing for events program, consider how you can expand it. This should include creating a press release and sending it out to local newspapers and television stations. Contact the news organizations and ask them to run a story about your next event. If they agree, add your event brand to their reporting. You can also send your inbound URL to their newsletter. If they have a Facebook page, ask them to use your URL as the link to your events page.
Use social media to market your inbound marketing for events even after your event is over. Social media can give your business a boost in the sense that you can reach more people quickly. You may want to use social media to announce after your event that you have new shows or activities. As your social media posts show up in your inbound marketing for events, the more people will be able to connect with your updates.
An inbound marketing for events strategy should also include the use of hashtags. hashtags are short term keywords that can be associated with any type of information you wish to share with attendees. For example, if you have a DIY show in Chicago, your guests could search for "DIY in Chicago." The hash tag you use should include your location and/or event details so that attendees can instantly learn about your event. When someone searches for "DIY in Chicago" on a popular social network like Twitter, for instance, they will see your post and find out about your show.
This is an inbound marketing strategy that you should incorporate into your next event marketing plan. Remember, your goal is to attract new guests to your events. In addition, your guests should be able to stay connected to your other social media efforts. Find out how you can leverage the power of hashtags before you start your next advertising campaign. You won't regret it.