Alexander Kesler is the founder and CEO of INFUSEmedia, a leading demand generation firm that has made the Inc. 500 list of the fastest growing private companies in America in 2018 and 2019. He leads a team of digital marketing experts who specialize in B2B lead generation, content marketing and syndication, ABM and intent strategies, data processing and validation, programmatic media buying and brand amplification.
In case you missed it, start here with an introduction to B2B digital event amplification strategies. This is part 2 of three in a series.
Every event needs an arsenal of knowledgeable speakers — and the bigger the name, the better. If you’ve invited notable figures to speak at your event, this is your chance to tap into a new audience. Not only do well-known industry leaders attract more attendees simply by having their name on the poster, but you can also borrow their reach to promote your event. When you book your speakers, make sure you ask them to also promote the event on their social media to give their fans a chance to discover your event and become more familiar with your brand.
Celebrity speakers also bring more traffic and engagement to your social media pages, so this is a great way to gain some long-term followers.
A bland promo campaign signals a bland event, no matter what the reality might be. Therefore, your promo content needs to hit every note and stand out on every platform. You can create more long-form content like videos and blog posts for desktop users, while mobile users should be targeted with photos, quotes, highlights, and even gifs related to your event.
Compelling visuals are clearly a must if you want your audience to remember your event. Make sure your event page has a clean, yet compelling design that’s reflected in all the other promotional materials — consistency is key.
In general, there are two types of content to use for an event and deploy strategically based on the event’s stage: informative content and buzz content. Informative content is typically related to branding, awareness and education and includes the most essential information about your event, such as registration dates, location and speakers. Buzz content, on the other hand, is focused on lead generation, customer engagement and upselling, and is meant to excite your audience and build anticipation. Games, awards and giveaways are all examples of buzz content.
Your editorial calendar should include a good balance of informative and buzz content in order to create immersive experiences and compel your audience to attend your event. Make your content shareable, likeable, and pinnable.
Raffles, lotteries, and giveaways have been around forever for a good reason. They require fairly little effort and a minimal investment from entrants for the chance to win a substantial prize. What does this mean for you? A lot of engagement in a short time and a highly valuable lead list.
Combining social media and giveaways is a surefire way to extend your reach. For example, you can offer several tickets (as many as you can afford to give for free) and require entrants to share and like your post to enter. This method will raise awareness about your event. Alternatively, if you think mailing contacts will be more beneficial for your company in the long run, you can ask entrants to give their email addresses and subscribe to your mailing list. You can add this contact list to your existing one or even send them tailored emails based on their interest in your event.
You can find part three of this series here.
