Good events don’t just happen. They require intensive planning and a successful public relations promotion to get the word out, create interest, and compel action. PR will help increase the awareness of the event and, when properly targeted, will get that message to the people best positioned to help you generate the buzz you need to fill the venue.
COMMUNITY BREEDS COMMUNITY
One of the best ways to build buzz for an upcoming event, is to create and nurture an online community. This community could be connected by interest in you, your brand, or a common activity related to your brand.
This won’t just happen anywhere, though. You need to evaluate the various social media and web-based platforms to determine which platform is most likely to be frequented and enjoyed by your target market. If your fans won’t use Facebook or Instagram, for example, you are not doing yourself any favors by trying to build a community on those platforms.
CREATE AND DISTRIBUTE STICKY CONTENT
Once your community is up and running, you need to make it very easy for them to share information. Your community can be a huge source of developing event buzz if you give them the tools they need to help you. That means simple messages, images, and videos that connect with the viewer and compel them to share. This could also include a hashtag for social media, as well as a powerful, connective image or video.
FUNNEL REQUESTS FOR MORE INFORMATION
Whether it’s a blogger, media member, or prospective guest, there will be people interested in getting more information. You need to have one person and one place to send them. Maintaining a single media contact and single information hub for the event streamlines the information process, keeps the narrative focused, and makes it simple for busy people and deadline-limited media sources to acquire and distribute promotional information about your event.
PROMOTE VARIETY
Your event may fit snugly under a single topic or idea, but you need to offer subsets of interest and topics beneath that umbrella. That could mean a variety of speakers or a plethora of related events or attractions. The fundamental idea here is to keep people moving, which helps them stay engaged and also tends to attract a larger group of event attendees.
GIVE THEM A TASTE
Whether it’s clips of your keynote speakers or of people enjoying your event attractions, let people see and hear what they could experience – and what they will miss if they fail to attend. Give them a way to see themselves there, enjoying the event, rather than just a list of features and benefits.
ENGAGE EVERY LEVEL OF MEDIA
Once you have all your promotional content in place, invest the time in engaging with every level of media, from traditional print and TV journalists, to radio, web, and social media opinion makers. This should include influential bloggers and YouTube personalities as well. Look at who your target audience gets their information from and go after all of those sources.