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.
This is done by creating content with compelling copy throughout every step of their event journey.
Events can be an effective form of marketing
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?
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.
What actually 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?
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
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
This should focus on the scope of content you are going to create to enhance the experience for everyone involved.
What types of content does an event need?
Content before an event
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
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
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?
Do this, and you’ll host an event that they’ll never forget!
How Can Melotti Media Copywriting Help You?
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