Unlock the Power of Event Marketing
Event marketing can make or break an event. Done well, it's a powerful, compelling tool for content creators and influencers to engage their audiences and hype their brand! Ignored or done poorly... well, you get back what you invest into it. So let's get into event marketing, from the different types of events to their benefits, event promotion ideas and strategies, and a guide to developing an effective and exciting event marketing plan of your own, to amp up your visibility and better connect with your fans and your target audience!
What's Event Marketing - And Why Is It So Important?
Event marketing is a promotional strategy that utilizes events to promote a brand, person, product, or service, essentially serving as a direct line from the event itself to the focus of that event (you!) Marketing events can be staged either online or in-person, but both types of event are designed to engage the audience directly, bringing you and your brand to the people; and you can do event promotion via your socials, your livestream, or your own event website.
For content creators and influencers, event marketing can be a major boost, because it fosters personal connections, increases brand visibility, and allows for real-time interaction with your attendees and fans. By hosting events and being present and likable, creators and influencers can make their brand more memorable, meet their supporters, create a buzz, and build a loyal and involved community around their content.
The Benefits of Great Event Marketing!
Audience Growth
Event marketing can attract new followers and expand a creator's audience by reaching people who might not have discovered them otherwise. Hosting a compelling, on-trend marketing event gives you the opportunity to draw in a wider audience, who you'll then get opportunities to connect with on a more personal level, so they'll want to follow you and engage with the content you create. Speaking with your target audience at your event also gives you the chance to better understand why they're supporting you, and what they enjoy about your content and/or product; keeping mental notes on this feedback can help you continue to improve your work.
Networking Opportunities
In addition to attracting new fans, marketing events provide a platform for creators and influencers to connect with industry peers and influential figures in your niche. Email or socials pitches are great - but it's even better to meet with potential collaborators in-person, so you can build familiarity and a stronger business and creative rapport. Event marketing also makes it easier to convert fellow creators into co-creators, because it provides opportune moments to hold those one-on-one conversations that'll help you find common creator ground to build upon.
Building Credibility
It's a well-known fact that fans support creators they trust - and customers purchase from brands they trust. So hosting successful marketing events demonstrates IRL (in real life) a creator’s expertise, reliability, and personality, enhancing their credibility in their niche. Meeting your supporters face to face also helps them feel more connected with you as a person striving for your goals and working to present enjoyable content; those connections can go a long way toward keeping that support coming in.
Monetization Opportunities
Marketing events can also afford opportunities for multiple revenue streams, from ticket sales to exclusive merch items. In the tickets department, you can sell both standard tickets for entry to your event; and you can upscale another set of tickets (and your revenue!) but selling premium entry that could include a bonus event like a dinner or meet-and-greet for your attendees after the main event is over. If you're already working with a brand, your marketing strategy could include sponsored space at your event. And of course creators can generate custom merch with an ecommerce site like Fourthwall to sell at your marketing event for even more profit plus extra brand awareness!
Types Of Event Marketing
Workshops and Webinars
Workshops and webinars are great ways to share your expertise via event marketing, and further position yourself as someone worthy of support. Educational sessions where creators share their expertise on a particular topic both provides value to attendees and shows off your skills; online seminars on a similar theme allows you to reach a global audience, share knowledge, and interact through Q&A sessions. Workshops and webinars can be organized for virtually any brand, topic, or discussion point, as long as you have enough material to present to your target audience.
Live Panels
Collaborating with fellow creators and influencers can take on so many different forms, and one of these can be a live panel (in person or online.) Once you settle on a topic (or topics) of discussion, you can share insights and stories, take questions, enjoy friendly banter between yourself and your fellow panel participants, and engage with a broader audience. Another benefit of doing this is that each panel participant will likely bring in their own fans - and doing so opens up all of your audiences to each other, so you can share the fan growth!
Launch Parties
Another type of event is a launch party, which is an excellent event marketing opportunity! Unveiling new creations, products, or services to your attendees at a dedicated event generates buzz and anticipation among fans. You can also build extra anticipation throughout the event - which will encourage attendees to stay longer - by having a featured creation/product that won't be revealed until later on the schedule, adding even more hype and giving your fans something extra to be excited about.
Fan Meet and Greets
Meet and greet marketing events give fans the opportunity to meet their favorite creators and influencers in person, creating a memorable experience and strengthening the fan-creator bond. There are multiple ways to execute this sort of event, too. You could hold a small convention-style event with other creators; host a performance or panel event followed by a photo op or signing sessions; or make it more casual, like an evening meetup with music and refreshments for your attendees. Virtual meetups could even be held on your own event website.
Pop-Up Experiences
Pop-up experiences or shops are temporary, themed events that provide unique, immersive experiences related to the creator’s brand. These are especially great for brands that are primarily digital (like your Fourthwall shop!), so you can really bring your products (and yourself) "to life" with an in-person experience for your fans. For example, a musician's pop-up schedule might include a short live performance, a casual aftershow reception, and a merch section where fans can check out samples from your Fourthwall merch line IRL; a gamer's pop-up could feature a mini gaming tournament with several fellow gamers, and an autograph session alongside the merch displays.
Create Your Event Marketing Plan!
Event planning is essential to the success of any event marketing strategy! Here's how to get your own marketing event going in eight steps:
Decide the Budget
The first step is simple, but sets the foundation for the rest of your marketing event: determine the financial resources available for the event and carefully allocate them across various expense components such as your venue of choice, production, decor, merch, and your promo/marketing strategy.
Target Your Audience
The next step of your event planning is to identify and understand your target audience, so you can better tailor the event experience to their preferences. Establish clear, measurable objectives for the event, such as increasing followers, generating sales, or enhancing brand awareness.
Choose Your Theme
Choose a compelling event theme that aligns with your brand and also resonates with your target audience - and then create a great branding message to generate hype for the event. A standout tagline or slogan and eye-catching promotional materials will inspire your supporters (and brand new guests) to attend; make sure you clearly outline what they can expect at your event without being too wordy. Concise, fresh, and exciting are the promo goals you're aiming at!
Plan the Schedule
Plan the event timeline carefully, considering the best dates and times for maximum attendance and engagement. Ensure that your event offers clear value to attendees, with engaging and relevant content that meets their expectations and interests.
Lock Down the Content
Before you commit to the finalized version of your marketing event, make sure you've locked down everything, from the venue (or broadcast channel) to catering/refreshments; decor; your schedule of events; ticket prices/procurement and event registration; your event website or dedicated socials; and any other special effects or other additions you'll be featuring. And definitely make sure any special guests are confirmed, with signed contracts.
Promote, Promote, Promote!
Event promotion is where your socials (and more) come into play! It's time to be your own event marketer, using as many marketing channels as you can to create a buzz about your event and ensuring it reaches a broad and relevant audience. Using your social media channels with a relevant hashtag, promo videos, streamer announcements, email marketing, and press releases are all effective promotion ideas and great event marketing tools. And a link to your event website could be included on all of your event promotion materials as part of your marketing strategy.
Deliver a High Quality Experience
It's go time! On the day/days of your marketing event, focus on providing a seamless and engaging event experience that fulfills the promises made in your promotional materials. Have fun and keep in mind that every attendee you meet at the event is one of two things: an existing fan and supporter of your work, or a potential new one!
Gather Feedback
After you've celebrated your successful event, gather feedback from your attendees to understand what worked best, and to identify areas for improvement. Feedback can be acquired from online surveys, email marketing, or on a community gathering place like Discord, and is the most valuable stat you can research to prep your marketing strategy for your next event!
Elevate Your Event Marketing with Fourthwall
No matter what type of event you’re staging, partnering with Fourthwall helps you magnify your event marketing efforts by providing you with a whole suite of easy to use, highly customizable content creator tools, plus a home base for you and your brand so you can welcome in supporters and fans old and new!
Fourthwall offers great features for content creators and influencers like custom shops, which allow you to design and sell your own merchandise at events; custom websites to serve as that aforementioned home base; and memberships, so you can give your fans a central gathering place and guide them to your events. Fourthwall really is the ideal business partner for any content creator's event marketing strategy - join Fourthwall today and take your event marketing game to the next level!