10 ways to promote your event in the Lakes Region this fall

Fall is here: a time for foliage festivals, pumpkin carving contests, costume parties and more.

However, with the recent pandemic, your event plans are probably looking a little different this year. Whether you’re still having an in-person event or you’re going virtual, you won’t want to miss these tips to promote your event in The Lakes Region this Fall.

1. Use a hashtag

Creating a hashtag for your event (whether in person or virtual) is a fun way to gain engagement from the audience. Every time you talk about your event, make sure you use your #hashtag.

If others are talking about the event, encourage them to use the hashtag as well. This is a great way to see photos of the event and what people are saying. 

2. Use social media

Social media is a great way to get the word out about your upcoming event, and you can reach a wide range of people who both live in the area and others who might make the drive to the event, or might attend online if you are going virtual.

Facebook — Create an event page. You can post all the details and updates as they come, and you can even add a “find tickets” link to make it easy for customers to purchase tickets. You can also boost event pages to a specific target audience if you are okay with spending a small amount of money

Instagram — Share teaser images of the event, or photos from a similar event you hosted. Instagram is a visual channel, so you may even want to share the behind the scenes of the event preparation

LinkedIn — For a professional event, use LinkedIn to reach potential business people who might be interested in networking. Share the details of the event and a link to purchase tickets

twitter — Here you can share quick, real-time updates of event preparation. 

Don’t forget to use your hashtag!

Keep in mind, the social media marketing doesn’t stop after the event. You will want to share updates both during and after the event, so those who could not attend can see what they missed and make sure they’ll be there next time.

3. Add your virtual or in-person event to The Laconia Daily Sun calendar

Click here to see The Laconia Daily Sun Calendar. Located on The Laconia Daily Sun website, this is a great place to showcase your event to the local community. 

Included in the calendar listing is a short description of the event, a photo, your business information, and a link to your website. 

The best part? It’s completely free!

4. Make your tickets easy to buy

As we discussed earlier, adding a “find tickets” link to your Facebook event page is a great way for customers to access tickets. However, you don’t want this to be the only way they can purchase tickets.

What if a customer hears about your event on the radio and goes to your website for tickets, rather than Facebook? You will want to have a link to purchase tickets readily available on your website. 

Share this link on social media and all your advertising channels so that customers know exactly where to go when they are looking to buy.

Do you ever see “link in bio” on Instagram? Make sure you put the link there as well so you can share teaser photos and direct customers to the link.

5. Write a press release

A press release is a great way to let your target audience know about an upcoming event. For example, if you are throwing a fundraiser that helps your community - you’ll want it in your local paper.

Check out our blog post on how to write a press release here

6. Promotional videos

We understand that as a small business, video creation can seem intimidating. If you have a decent cell phone with a video camera, that’s all you really need. Promotional videos can simply be a video on your story showing your team getting ready and excited for the event. 

If you’re more tech savvy and want to create a longer video, that’s great, too. 

7. Local advertising

Don’t forget about traditional advertising methods. Oftentimes when trying to reach a local audience, this is the way to go. The Laconia Daily Sun reaches 34,000 people daily through online and print readership. A weekly advertisement promoting the event can go a long way. 

There are also several digital advertising options available through The Laconia Daily Sun. Check out your local radio stations, or try direct mail - a mix of multiple marketing channels is the best way to get the word out!

8. Sell special ticket options

Early bird tickets — give customers who want to purchase tickets early a discounted price. If someone is interested and this option is available, they are likely to buy early

Group tickets — maybe someone is thinking about coming to the event with a group of friends but it seems too expensive. Offer them a discount if a certain number of tickets are sold

VIP tickets — add in a special experience for attendees who are willing to pay a little extra. Make sure it's worth it, though

9. Find your audience and just tell them about it

This works for both social media and in person. If your target audience likes to hang out at certain restaurants, go there and put a flyer up. Talk to the wait staff and the bartenders and ask them to spread the word - it’s something their customers would be interested in, so why not?

The same thing works on social platforms, if there’s a similar event online or a community group, go post about your event and send out the link. Get people talking about your event by talking about it yourself.

10. Keep promoting after the event

Raise awareness about your business by posting photos of the event on social media, or sending a press release to your local paper talking about how successful the event was or how much money was raised. Be sure to thank your attendees for coming, donors for donating, and everyone who helped you bring the event together. Keep in mind that past events are a great way to advertise for future events.