
Events are a staple of many successful B2B and B2C businesses. But how those events are marketed critically determine the success or failure of said event. For the hosts of successful events, it means profits, more customers/clients and most importantly – an increased impact on the world.
For those who’s events fail, it means a negative balance sheet and the loss of opportunity to impact the wider world.
That’s why getting Event Marketing right the first time is so important. Sure it’s possible to fail forward, and get better next time… but it’s much better to simply learn from other peoples mistakes and get your event marketing right the first time.
Having helped people to fill their events for over 5 years using state-of-the-art event marketing, I know what works and what doesn’t.
And today I want to give you a quick glimpse into that, and share the 3 biggest things people get wrong about event marketing… so you can avoid making those same mistakes and make your first or next event much more likely to succeed.
Let’s dive in!
1. Expecting everybody to turn up (they won’t sorry!)
A very common mistake and misconception about events and event marketing is that everybody who signs up to attend your event – whether for free or for a fee – will turn up.
Now sure, at the time of signup they probably had all of the intention in the world to come. But things happen, life get’s in the way.
What was once a priority for somebody, may not be any more. Perhaps they’re having to choose something else over your event as a matter of urgency.
There’s many reasons, but the fact is that you can’t expect 100% of people to turn up.
Why is this an important mistake to learn sooner rather than later?
Well, not only is it quite upsetting to have expectations quashed when less people turn up… but more importantly your events success is down to how many people turn up. So you want the maximum to turn up.
If you have capacity for 100 people, and you expect them all to turn up, you won’t get more people signed up. So you will end up with under capacity.
The bottom line is always oversubscribe, be logical in your expectations and don’t take it personally when people don’t turn up – it’s not you, it’s them!
2. Creating an event before considering the demand
Another common and major problem is creating an event without first testing the demand and need for it.
What happens is somebody comes up with an idea for an event that they think would be amazing and valuable for their audience. They decide to run with it, based solely upon their own beliefs.
But SHOCK – they are not their target audience. So when they start their event marketing, people are not signing up. What they thought would be great, has failed.
Instead it’s best to first consider your audience and then create an event for THEM – not the other way around. To do this you need to really get into your target audiences head… look at feedback and comments they make…. The problems that your current customers/clients face… you can even invite your list and social followers to fill out a quick quiz.
By creating an event that you know your audience wants makes the success of your event and event marketing significantly more likely. DO IT
3. In-Person trumps virtual
A common misconception before 2020 and the days of covid, it was widely believed that in-person events were much better than virtual events.
Why? Because successful events require an audience to be engaged… and being in person in a room with them must be more engaging than if on Zoom right? Wrong!
It’s been proven that virtual events can be just as engaging, if not more, when done virtually instead of physically in-person.
There’s many other benefits for doing virtual events (more cost-effective, easier to run, etc.) but on the basis of engagement and success from that alone, you shouldn’t discount virtual events.
That said, there is and will always be some events that are better in person. That’s just how it is.
BUT the lesson to learn here is very much being open to trying and testing virtual, not just going straight to in person physical events!
How We Fill In-Person and Virtual Events
At least two of our clients host events that we fill for them each and every week.
If you want to learn how we help fill events, and how we can help you to fill your event – in-person or virtual, free or paid, click here.
Sell more. Inspire more. Change more lives.
Take care,
Dan
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