Virtual Event Marketing Plan

You can build the greatest virtual event of all time, but no one attends an event they don’t know about beforehand. That’s why we always recommend having an event marketing plan that promotes the experience across different channels at a specific cadence.

In this article, we will show you how to create a virtual event marketing plan that generate leads, increases attendance, and continues the conversation after the event. Once you implement these strategies, you are sure to improve the event experience for all.

Make Your Virtual Event Marketing Plan

Whether your next virtual event happens to be a webinar, live stream, or conference, you need a solid marketing strategy in place. As you create your plan, it’s helpful to think of it in three distinct phases:

  • Pre-event
  • During event
  • Post-event

Pre-event marketing

Pre-event marketing is all the promotion that leads up to the online event. The very first piece to have in place is an optimized event landing page. This is where you will direct all your traffic from the pre-event email campaigns, paid advertising, and social media you develop. Be sure to have your landing page finished 2-3 weeks before the event because this is when you will start reaching out through those channels we just mentioned. Give your upcoming event a prominent position on your home page as well.

Before the event is also a valuable opportunity to include your speakers and sponsors in on the action. Create special graphics and social media content they can share through their own channels to help promote the online event.

During Event Marketing

During event marketing is all the communication that happens on the day of the event, including in the moments right before go time. This period is critical for reminding attendees of the event via email and social media as it builds excitement for your content. Again, encourage special guests to participate in this strategy for maximum effectiveness.

Post-Event Marketing

Post-event marketing is all the messaging that follows the event. It can begin as soon as the event wraps or the next day and continue over the next few weeks. What this looks like depends on your audience. For example, a B2B customer may need additional nurturing post-event than a B2C customer, so you would want to consider developing more opportunities to deliver what that audience needs to convert. In this stage, you will want to send a thank you email along with any promised recordings no later than the next day. After that, you can make email a part of your long-term event marketing plan, as well as paid advertising that remarkets to registrants.

 

Conclusion

Virtual events take considerable resources to plan, manage, and execute. By creating a virtual event marketing plan, you can increase the return on your investment by generating more leads, increasing event attendance, and delivering a memorable experience that lasts long after you sign-off.

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