As we move into the post-pandemic “new normal,” people suddenly have more choices as to how to spend their time. Organizations like yours have a unique opportunity to step up and stand out with interesting, engaging events. Of course, that means you also have to step up your event marketing.
We understand the importance of engaging and growing membership in communities, and we firmly believe that the best way to do that is through events. Let’s take a look at how you can increase attendance by optimizing events on your website.
Optimize event discovery
Discovery starts with centralization; specifically, a central calendar that lists all of your events in one place. And not just your own events. It’s also important to include adjacent events in the community that are organized by other chapters, affiliates, partners, etc. This allows you to position your brand as the source of relevant events for your industry.
Provide robust search functionality
Next, take a look at search functionality. Does the event section on your website include a search box? The easier it is for people to quickly find what they need, the better. Make sure users can search for events using event names or keywords and include a robust list of search filters, such as location, event type, topic and price.
Include landing pages in your calendar
We also suggest adding landing pages to your event calendar that are dedicated to specific topics or geographies. Including links to landing pages right in the calendar makes it so much easier for people to quickly learn more about the event.
Promote your event online
To reach new audiences, promote your event on the channels they use. This could include LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, but it most definitely includes Eventbrite, the online hub for events of every stripe.
Add venue details
Adding details beyond the venue’s name and address can help people decide whether or not to attend. Is the venue near public transit? Is parking readily available (and is it free)? Is it wheelchair accessible?
Centralize event registration
Imagine hosting an event via a third party, like Meetup or Facebook Live. Those platforms capture audience data, not you. And that’s the beauty of centralizing registration for all event types (online, offline, free and paid) – you’ll develop a fuller picture of your community members and offer more events they care about.
Socialize event registration
To improve awareness of – and social buzz – around your events, make it easy for people to talk about your events. Turn on comments on your event page so people can chat with each other. Add social sharing capabilities, use a dedicated hashtag for the event, and show a list of who is planning to attend.
Keep the conversation going after the event
Sharing before the event is important, but so is sharing after the event. If people had a great time and learned a lot, give them the option to share their experience with their networks. And let them add their own photos to the event page to help to increase event and member engagement.
Integrate SEO best practices
Make sure people can find your events outside your website and social channels by fully optimizing each event page for search. Pick one keyword you want to be found for and include it in your event title and copy. And make sure you write 160-character descriptions for each event page.
To find out how Localist Events calendar software can help your organization achieve your goals, schedule a personalized demo.
