Even when people know about your events, actually getting them to show up is another story entirely. Sometimes, they need a bit of an incentive. An additional motive. Something that makes them think “I can’t miss this.”
In past articles, I’ve talked about different ways to promote your events. Now it’s time to talk about different strategies to ensure attendance is as high as possible. Here’s five ways to do it.
Offer reward points. Have a loyalty program? Here’s a great strategy to make use of it. Offering reward points for event attendees is an easy way to convince loyalty members to show up. It’s a win-win for all involved. If you have a loyalty program, you need to keep it engaging. You need to provide ways to keep your members interested. That includes finding unique ways to earn rewards. Showing up for an event is exactly the sort of reward incentive that loyalty members are looking for. Give it a shot.
Freebies. Okay, so not everyone is in your loyalty program. So we’ll have to think of an incentive for the rest of your customers. Try offering some exclusive freebies to attendees. If your business sells branded merchandise, this can be a good opportunity to give out some of the more inexpensive ones. Think koozies, pens, T-shirts, etc. If you don’t want to invest in freebies, you can always promote that you’ll be handing out coupons.
Cross-Promote. So far, I’ve just listed ways to get your current customers interested. This method involves partnering with other businesses to gather more attention on your event. Events, by their very nature, are a pretty useful way to attract new customers. These are the people that are aware of your business, but just need a little extra push before they decide to make their first purchase. If an event you’re planning has crossover appeal with another local business, consider a partnership with that business.
Charity. Even if your event isn’t strictly a charity-based event, such as a fundraiser or an auction, incorporating charity elements can motivate people to attend. If it’s the sort of event where there’s an attendance cost, you can let customers know that a percentage of the profits will be going towards a charity. Preferably a charity that’s relevant either to the event itself or your business’s brand.
Live stream your event. Have you ever considered live streaming an event on social media? Announcing that an event is going to be streamed online makes it feel important. It’s also a cool thing to do for customers who are interested, but just can’t make the event. It can actually help raise attendance for future events too. Your social media followers who missed out will make a note to look out for their next chance to attend.
Engage With CoGoBuzz
From promoting your latest events to pumping up attendance as high as possible, CoGoBuzz helps get it done. Our state-of-the-art digital marketing service hooks you up with automatic Facebook followers, a branded landing page, a powerful text-based loyalty program, and so much more.
Leveraging advanced WiFi, SMS, and Email solutions, our service promotes your brand directly to your customers’ mobile devices. After a one-time login through Facebook, Email, or phone number, they’ll receive Internet-access and arrive at your business’s custom landing page, where they can check out your latest deals, events, products, and more. From every single customer that logs in, we’ll automatically create a customer profile to aid in your marketing efforts, and help give your email list a boost.
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What strategies have you used (or seen) to boost event attendance? Sound off in the comments!