In-person events are a fantastic way to promote thought leadership, create brand awareness, and establish authority in an industry. Content Marketing Institute recently reported that 74% of businesses are highly confident in the effectiveness of in-person events as a viable content marketing tactic. But, are businesses getting the most out of their event budget? Is the event reaching the maximum number of people? Without content marketing, the answer is no.
Costly in-person events, although potentially effective, do affect the bottom line. Osterman Research estimates that the cost of an in-person event can range anywhere from $2,500 to nearly $20,000, on average, to implement. Small businesses may shy away from in-person events, as this can be a sizable sum. Let’s take a look at six tips for extending your event’s budget and reach with content marketing.
Create a Video of the Event
Although this seems like a no-brainer, many businesses fail to record their event. Creating a video of the event, its special guests, and attendees is a fantastic way to showcase the benefits of attending your event for those who were too shy to show up this year. Highlighting the benefits of attending your in-person event is a creative way to share memories from the affair while pointing out the value of attending.
Create a Slideshare Presentation
Summarize the main topics and activities of your event in a short Slideshare presentation. This can include topics from guest speakers, takeaways from the event, and the event’s most popular activities. For those who were unable to attend, this is a fantastic way to communicate the theme and purpose of your in-person event.
Write Blogs about the Event
Discussing your in-person event on your business blog is a fabulous way to share your favorite moments of the event with your business’ audience. Make sure to include important takeaways and valuable lessons learned to entice your readers to attend next year.
Create an Infographic
Infographics are a fabulous way to visually display information and communicate ideas. Many people retain information better when provided in a visual format, and creating an infographic is a great way to showcase interesting statistics about your event including topics covered and number of attendees.
Host a Live Q&A about the Event
A fun way to follow up after an in-person event is to interview one of the guest speakers or the event’s host. Interviewing the event’s attendees can provide your audience with a unique perspective on the benefits of attending your company’s in-person event.
Feature a Live Tweet Session from the Event’s Location
In order to add an interactive element to your in-person event, consider hosting a live Tweet session the day of the affair. An exciting way to communicate with your audience, hosting a live Tweet session provides your Twitter followers with a live feed from the event and real-time engagement.
The Takeaway
By following these six tips, businesses will be able to better utilize their in-person event budget with savvy content marketing skills and a little technical finesse.
Has your business hosted an in-person event? Did you use content marketing to get the word out?