Tag: event marketing

Choosing the Right Social Media for Your Event

Social media is arguably the most powerful tool for engaging with your audience to boost attendance at your event. However, not all platforms are created equally, and your plan for promoting your event on social media should differ. 

An effective social media promotion will include connecting with your followers before, during and after an event. It should be interactive, fun and informative, but planning and executing content is only half the battle. You’ll need to next choose what platform to post on! 

Facebook

With more than 2.8 billion daily active users worldwide, Facebook is the tried and true platform for promoting content. Be sure your organization has an updated company page with contact information and event details. You can create a specific event page to serve as an additional space to post a link to tickets, announce pre-sale codes or connect with fans. Facebook also allows you to narrow your audience based on numerous demographics to ensure the highest return on investment.  

Do remember to connect the corresponding business Instagram account and don’t ignore comments or messages for too long. 

Instagram 

A must-have in your social media toolkit for posting fun behind-the-scenes, featuring attractions, showcasing vendors and gathering user-generated content from attendees. Since Instagram is entirely visual, you will want to have graphics ready for any important event information or announcements. You’ll also want to be sure your content is being shared to its full potential with Instagram’s features, stories and reels. With stories, photos and videos shared are set to disappear from your profile, feed and messages after 24 hours or can be added directly to your page with highlights. Through reels you can easily create and edit short videos to dramatically drive engagement and expand the outreach of your event. 

Do use a timely hashtag to encourage others to post their experiences and don’t forget to tag your location in posts!  

TikTok

The #foryoupage (#FYP) algorithm is one that hasn’t been cracked yet, but with the right post you can get your content in front of hundreds of thousands (or even millions) of eyes. TikTok has the possibility to give you the biggest possible organic reach, much more so than traditional social media channels like Twitter and Facebook. 

Do join in on viral trends or dances and don’t take yourself too seriously!

Twitter 

Although not always used for event promotion, Twitter still utilizes a powerful tool: the hashtag. Tweet your event details, where folks can purchase tickets and a countdown to the event! Engage with fans by posting interactive polls, hosting a related Twitter space and using an event-specific hashtag to encourage others to post their experiences. And don’t forget about live tweeting! Throughout the event share highlights, what performances may be happening, or keep attendees up-to-date with any last-minute announcements. 

Do monitor what people are saying about your event and don’t #overuse #hashtags. 

Snapchat

Often overlooked, the interactive features on Snapchat are an excellent way to engage with attendees and even garner some user-generated content. Design a simple frame or sticker that represents your event and submit it (for free) to Snapchat’s Community Filters. Once approved, your unique or branded filter can be used by anyone in the immediate vicinity. Feeling extra creative? Explore the creators’ platform Lens Studio 2.0 to design your own augmented reality (AR) camera effects where the possibilities are virtually endless. 

Do host a short form to answer any questions people may have about attending your event and don’t be too salesy, Snapchat is very informal in the field of social media.   

Whichever platform you choose, consistency is key when it comes to social media promotion. Create an editorial calendar and schedule posts to go live in the days and weeks leading up to your event.

Offer VIP Experiences That Sell

Make your event stand out from the crowd by creating exclusive opportunities for attendees.

More guests than you may think are willing to spend some extra money for an exclusive experience, special offers, or additional services. Reserved seating and meet & greets are the traditional VIP experiences, but events and venues should consider instituting more immersive and personal experiences for guests. You can also tier these experiences, offering multiple choices for attendees at different price points to boost revenue. 

In 2022 hosting up-close and personal meet & greets with hugs and photos just isn’t feasible. Restrictions and the level of comfortability of the artist or performer(s) will work on a case-by-case basis, so it’s important to create a plan that is flexible.

Go Immersive

Transport attendees to another dimension! When Caesar’s Palace had to pivot their meet & greets over the past year, they worked with artists to create a one-of-a-kind experience for fans to enjoy. For instance, Donny Osmond’s meet-and-greet was transformed to welcome fans to his ‘living room’ full of memorabilia where he gave an exclusive and intimate concert to VIP guests. 

Getting Creative

The experience economy is always growing, and you can tap into that within the experience you’re already hosting, providing exclusivity and opportunities to create memorable experiences for attendees. This could be as simple as staging an area for guests to take cute and candid pictures for their Instagram.

Offer VIP Accommodations 

For outdoor concerts and festivals, offering upgraded bathrooms, showers, and other accommodations can sell quickly! You could also section off areas around a beer garden, off the side of the stage or near the front and offer tickets at a more premium price point. Small changes or upgrades can go a long way in improving guest satisfaction.

Hosting Private tours

Whether you have a historical venue, put on the largest fair in the state, or are a renowned sports venue, people love getting a behind-the-scenes of the magic. Host private tours for families or small groups for an intimate and personalized experience.  

Pass out goody bags 

Give attendees some souvenirs to take home with them! Include items like a commemorative lanyard and name badge or something handy for the event like portable chargers. These little surprises are great for keeping your VIP guests satisfied with their experience. 

Offering a VIP experience can attract more guests and get you selling higher-priced tickets to boost your revenue. Get creative with what you’re offering! With everyone excited to attend live events again, the competition can be tough–so make sure you are standing out. 

Stay Organized with Trello

  Are you having trouble staying organized? Is your wall calendar just not keeping up in the digital world? Here at Saffire, we’ve started using Trello to stay organized! Trello is a collaboration tool that organizes your projects into boards. In one glance, Trello tells you what’s being worked on, who’s working on what, and … Continue reading “Stay Organized with Trello”

 

Are you having trouble staying organized? Is your wall calendar just not keeping up in the digital world? Here at Saffire, we’ve started using Trello to stay organized! Trello is a collaboration tool that organizes your projects into boards. In one glance, Trello tells you what’s being worked on, who’s working on what, and where something is in the process.

Trello uses “cards” which contain each of your tasks or ideas. In each card, you can add members, labels, checklists, any attachments and even a due date. Each card is filed under a list and can be easily moved from list to list. For example, you can have a “to do” list, “overdue” list and a “completed list” and easily move the cards to their appropriate list. Cards and lists are then housed under boards in order to stay organized and keep your projects separate. You can also add an unlimited number of members to a Trello board in order for multiple people to collaborate.

Trello boards can be extremely effective as both a meeting agenda and task tool. We use trello boards to list out our agenda in cards. Then, we take notes under each agenda item, assign a task to someone and put a due date on that action item.

 

 

Another great way to utilize Trello is to place your marketing editorial calendar into a board. You can switch to a calendar view and anyone on your team can see what posts, emails or content is scheduled to be published so your team can plan accordingly, whether that means graphic design or preparing copy for social media.

 

 

For our event planners, this can be an extremely powerful tool to help keep your event prep work organized. Tasks can easily be seen by your team such as when tickets go on sale or entertainment announcements are made. As we all know, plans can drastically change and Trello makes changes easy! Simply drag & drop a card onto a new date on the calendar and the due date will update automatically.

 

 

There are endless uses for this powerful tool! Let us know if you use Trello and how you use it!

 

 

 

 

 

The Three P’s to Gaining Sponsorship

Earning the Digital Sponsorship Dollar (& Keeping It!) Do you know what businesses and organizations are spending in sponsor dollars these days? Do you know what it would take for YOU to see some of those dollars? The fact is, sponsorship continues to rise! The amount of revenue is growing, but the problem is the … Continue reading “The Three P’s to Gaining Sponsorship”

Earning the Digital Sponsorship Dollar (& Keeping It!)

Do you know what businesses and organizations are spending in sponsor dollars these days? Do you know what it would take for YOU to see some of those dollars? The fact is, sponsorship continues to rise! The amount of revenue is growing, but the problem is the people who are getting that money are receiving less. More money is being spent, but it’s being distributed between fewer and fewer people.

“The sponsorship pie is growing, but being cut into fewer pieces.” – www.sponsorship.com. The largest slices are reserved for properties that can meet the high standards required by a new breed of corporate partner. These are the people who ask for SMARTER partnerships.  Once again, the growth rate for sponsorship spending will surpass outlays for traditional advertising in North America. Projection for spending in 2015 is $21.5 billion!

At Saffire, we believe in the Three P’s to gaining sponsorship – Prepare, Personalize, & Provide. Preparing to work with sponsors in a digital age, Personalizing by coming up with creative ideas to market to your sponsors so they will want to partner with you and Providing them with results they need so they will want to work with you again.

Prepare to Partner with Sponsors

Consider yourself a salesperson because sponsorship is sales! Start early in the year, network, do your research, and understand your value! Be smart about what you’re offering your potential sponsor. Basic research before you meet with them is HUGE. Finding the right fit for your company can be a little tricky, but you’ll want to look for “natural fits” by things like: customers, products, geography, past sponsorship experiences and people who work there. Make it clear to them that you’re taking their partnerships seriously and you’ll do whatever it takes to gain their trust! Things like adding a logo to your site at the time of the sponsor meeting can make all the difference. How can you use your sponsors that will be the best partnership for everyone? Sometimes you’re paying them, using their product and they’re giving you sponsorship dollars. Find things you can do to support your sponsor’s business. Saffire’s tip is “People will find a way to work with people they like”. Leaving a good impression and creating bonds with people goes a long way.

Personalize your Packages tailored for each Sponsor

It’s important to make your sponsors feel special. A good rule of thumb with sponsorship packages is to give more than what they’re expecting. This will make them feel special, which will go the extra mile when your event comes around again and they are considering who to partner with. In order to do this, it’s essential to know the most basic components of your organization, which can be provided as benefits to sponsors. You can add value by offering year-round marketing, hospitality, and onsite event promotion

Put sponsors on your online! Create emails, social media shout outs, online advertisements or consider naming the event after your Sponsor. You can also have a dedicated Sponsors page on your website that features your list of sponsors. If you’re looking to get a new website and don’t have quite enough funding for it, this is a fantastic way to get it! Most digital marketing doesn’t cost you anything but time and effort. Give your sponsors space on your YouTube channel, add sponsor logos to print-at-home tickets or name your entire event after a sponsor.  Other ways you can feature your sponsors offline are by creating sponsored charging stations on the event grounds, photo booths with sponsors or utilizing their services on fairgrounds.

Provide Measurable Results

Sponsors like data. Sponsors have to have that data to justify why they’re giving you so much money year after year. The best ways to show sponsor ROI are Google Analytics & Audience Survey. Audience Surveys assist and measure ROI, show recognition, attitude and the image you’re showing. Google Analytics is great, but it can be really hard to narrow down once you get it set up. Everyone should be able to get this data from your website. Show sponsors things like Total visits, Audience overview, visits on the Sponsors page of your website, engagement and clicks to leverage ideas for more success in the future.

We believe that the Three P’s – Prepare, Personalize and Provide will help you gain sponsorship (and keep it!).