What Content Do You Need For Events and Conferences? | Melotti Media

What Content Do You Need For Events and Conferences?

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Conferences and events are big business today.

They span across every industry and are an effective marketing tool to communicate directly with customers in a very interactive way.

But in order to have a successful event, you need an audience to both attend and love the experience.

This means you need excellent event content which piques their interest, inspires them to buy a ticket, and leaves a lasting impression.

Let’s discuss how to create great content for your events and get those people in your doors.

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Whether you’re an exhibitor or running your own event, engaging your customers is absolutely crucial if you want to be successful.

This is done by creating content with compelling copy throughout every step of their event journey.

Events can be an effective form of marketing

If you’re involved with events in any way, you’ll know that events and conferences involve a lot of hard work; but the pay off for your business can be quite extraordinary if you do it well.

In fact, in my experience, I’ve found that functions like trade shows, seminars, panels and other similar events can be a far more effective way to interact with customers than simply sitting behind digital advertising and hoping for leads.

This is because these events offer a personalised and highly interactive experience that can’t be delivered by most other forms of marketing.

So, events and conferences are a great business strategy – but if you want to see success, you need to support all of your event efforts with content.

Why does your event need content?

People today don’t just rock up to events by chance.

They research and review lots of information before doing anything, which means your business needs to be producing relevant content if you want them to care.

Effective content before, during and after your event allows you to increase your presence. It helps persuade the right people to register or buy tickets first, and then deliver a fantastic experience throughout.

​This all starts with effective copywriting to create quality content for your event.

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What actually is copywriting?

So, what is copywriting?

Copywriting is the use of words and language to offer value and inspire people to take action. In your case, to learn more about your event, register their interest and attend. But it does much more than this – it holds their attention and leaves a lasting impression long after they leave, too.

​Quality copywriting is what helps you build all of the supportive content you need for your event.

For example, you need copy (text) to fill your website, draft your emails, write your video scripts, craft your event collateral, compose your pamphlets  and so on.

​All content marketing comes from quality copy written by a copywriter.

Event content: where to begin?

Always start with your audience.

Who are they, what’s in it for them and why should they care about your event?

If you don’t know who you’re talking to, then your content and messaging is going to be poorly targeted and very ineffective. It may also be confusing too.

Take the time to define your ideal attendees and their core needs so that you can speak directly to them through your copywriting and trigger a positive response as a result.

Benefits before features

When producing copy for an event, it’s all too easy to default to telling them all about the features of your event, such as how many speakers, what information is being shared, what’s on offer, where the venue is and so on.

​These details are essential and good to include, but start with the benefits to the audience first, especially when it ties into their emotions. 

Example 1 (targeting an attendee)

Feature: We have 5 industry professionals who will be presenting on relevant topics.

Benefit: Set your career up for success with the insights provided by our 5 industry professionals who will share their experience and advice with you, to help you get ahead.

Example 2 (targeting an exhibitor)

Feature: The expected number of registered attendees will be around 1,000 people a day.

Benefit: Your team will have the opportunity to have direct, face-to-face contact with around 1,000 of your potential customers every day to chat, educate and close deals.


It’s by communicating the benefits using event copywriting that provides people with answers to the all-important “why should I attend?” and “what do I gain from this?”

Create useful pieces of content

Once you have the ground-rules down for how you’re going to write, you can begin to map out your content marketing plan for your event.

This should focus on the scope of content you are going to create to enhance the experience for everyone involved.

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What types of content does an event need?

While every conference and event is different, generally speaking you need to have the following pieces of content available.

Content before an event

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Before the event, your content needs to create hype, provide information and facilitate the entire journey leading up to the big day.

The earlier you start to prepare, the better! You want to encourage buzz and generate interest through several different touch points.

This involves a sizeable scope of content to meet the needs of many different audiences, which includes:

  • Your event website
  • Landing pages
  • Registration and ticket sales pages
  • Thank you text
  • Social media posts and hash tags
  • Video and podcasting
  • ​Blogs and content marketing
  • Advertising 
  • Exhibitor information
  • Attendee information
  • Invitations
  • Event descriptions
  • Speaker bios
  • Printed promotional materials (flyers, posters and brochures)
  • Emails and EDMs
  • Local event calendars
  • ​An agenda
  • Press Releases
  • Internal processes and documents
  • Applications
  • Reminders

Content during an event

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During your event, it’s all about being live and in the moment to keep everyone excited and pumped. 

You want your content to show everyone enjoying themselves and getting into the spirit, and covers everything that’s happening. You also want to use it to encourage networking and to capitalise on the event’s activities as they unfold.

This provides an effective opportunity to amplify the experience in the present, improve convenience by offering updates and notifications, and help attendees get the most out of their time.

It’s also a good way to show the people who didn’t attend what they’re missing!

This includes:

  • Live content!
  • ​Updates and notifications
  • Social media 
  • Posts from the day
  • Daily wrap ups
  • Key learnings from presentations
  • ​What’s on tomorrow
  • Event notifications
  • Prizes and competitions 

Content after an event

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After an event, the show may be over but your content marketing sure isn’t!

This is your chance to really leave a lasting impression, gather testimonials and reviews, and nurture attendees to foster strong relationships into the future.

You can also help gauge future interest in your next event and take feedback for improvements.

Most businesses focus most of their efforts on following up all of the potential leads that came to see them, and thanking current customers for stopping by.

The content you create here really drives the final part of your event strategy. This will determine how successful your event was by the Return On Investment (ROI) you get as a direct result.

The content for after an event includes:

  • Thank yous
  • Follow-up emails and EDMs
  • Additional pieces of collateral
  • Sharing presentation slides
  • Announcing winners of competitions
  • Nurture marketing
  • ​De-briefs
  • Invite reviews
  • ​Re-caps of the entire event
  • ​Key learnings 
  • ​What’s next?
Just remember- the key to a successful event is all about providing content that offers people value. In other words, what your attendees actually want.

Do this, and you’ll host an event that they’ll never forget!

How Can Melotti Media Copywriting Help You?

To engage your customer and achieve ongoing business success today, you need quality copywriting and consistent content. However, we understand that this is easier said than done.

You’re time poor and spread thin, and writing isn’t your expertise. So, focus on what really matters, while we take care of all of your copywriting and content marketing needs!

For more information or to speak to a quality copywriter to get the results your business deserves, contact me now at chris@melottimedia.com.au.

I can sharpen your words to achieve your goals, today!

Christopher Melotti

Melotti Media Copywriting and Marketing Solutions
www.melottimedia.com.au
 
Click here to view the Copywriting FAQ page for all you need to know ​​

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