Great content and meticulous planning don’t mean anything if your ideal attendees never hear about the event. In this guide, you'll find 12 proven strategies—both online and offline—to get the word out and drive registrations to your event.

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Event Promotion

If you want to make the most of your marketing efforts, identify the tools and tactics with the biggest ROI before you dive in. Below is a list of proven techniques and best practices to build excitement and boost attendance.

Get Clear on Who You’re Trying to Reach

Knowing who you’re talking to is essential for promoting a successful event. Start by asking these questions: Who do you want at your event? What do they care about? Where do they hang out online? Once you identify your ideal attendee, you can create messaging that speaks directly to their needs and interests.

If you’re hosting a professional development conference, for example, you might use corporate-style messaging with practical takeaways. If you’re hosting a kids' summer camp, on the other hand, you might tailor your promotions to match the more playful, adventurous vibe. Your registration page, visuals, and even your follow-up emails will perform better when they’re built with your audience in mind.

Build a Killer Event Landing Page

Your event landing page does the heavy lifting, and it’s the place where curiosity turns into commitment. With RegFox, you can build a beautiful, conversion-optimized page with zero previous tech experience. Here are the key ingredients of a great landing page. 

🔗 Clear headline and event summary at the top of your page. 

📷 Strong visuals: use photos, speaker headshots, videos or highlight reels from last year.

🧳 Key details: List the location, date, schedule, FAQs, and any other relevant information on the landing page. Aim to cover the essentials without overwhelming the reader.
📈 Social proof: Whether it’s testimonials, a “spots left” count, or speaker endorsements, use social proof to spark some FOMO and boost engagement.
🚀 Smooth registration: Use intuitive form fields, mobile-friendly design, and flexible payment options to make the registration path as frictionless as possible. 

Use Email Marketing to Reach People Directly

Even with new communication tools emerging, Email still works—especially when it’s personal and well-timed. With RegFox, you can segment your lists and automate emails. Build segmented lists including past attendees, new leads, and any VIP or exclusive access lists.

Next, write subject lines that spark curiosity or urgency. For example, “3 Seats Left for the Next Founder Roundtable!” In the body of your email, don’t just list logistics; use storytelling to bring the experience to life. After you hit send, evaluate the results. Look at the open rate and click-through rate to tweak your strategy as needed

💡For best results, create a drip campaign. Schedule a series of emails—invitation, early bird promo, reminder, last call—to send ahead of time, and it will lighten your load come event week. 

Make Some Noise on Social Media

For better or for worse, your audience likely spends a ton of time on social media, which makes it essential for event promotion. Choose a couple of platforms where your audience already spends time and then implement these tips.

📅 Share teasers and countdowns to create a sense of urgency before the big day. 

📹 Give your audience a sneak peek behind the scenes with event setup or speaker prep in your stories and reels. 

🗣️ Post about your speakers, sponsors, and any other key players to get attendees excited.  

💰Reward attendees who share your registration page by offering a discount or a prize. There’s nothing like turning your audience into your promoters!

🎉 Create a custom hashtag that’s unique but easy to find and remember.

💼 Run paid ads and strategically use keywords to get in front of your ideal audience. 

Partner with Influencers, Sponsors, or Speakers

Event promotion can be a lot of work, but the good news is, you don’t have to do it all alone. Strategic partnerships can significantly expand your reach. Consider collaborating with sponsors or influencers who align with your event vision. Create shareable promo kits that include images, captions, and custom links they can use when promoting their sessions. You can encourage your keynote speaker to post a reel tagging your event or ask sponsors to feature your event in their next newsletter. 

Offering unique discount codes or referral bonuses is another effective way to boost signups, especially for workshops and business bootcamps. Remember, even a few enthusiastic partners can generate powerful ripple effects across your marketing campaign.

List Your Event on Relevant Online Calendars

Don’t underestimate the power of simple listings. Here are some potential places to list your events.

📆 Community calendars: Chamber of Commerce and local media.
🌐 Niche sites: industry groups, hobby forums, travel platforms.
📢 Free event platforms: Facebook Events, Google Events.

Make sure your listing includes a clear event name, a compelling description, an eye-catching image, and, of course, a direct link to register.

Try Content Marketing to Build Interest Early

Content creates connection, and starting early can make all the difference in building anticipation for your event. Write blog posts that speak to your audience’s curiosity. If your audience is wondering whether they’re a good fit for your conference, write a blog about who can benefit from attending.

 Capture behind-the-scenes moments on video or host a live Q&A to give a glimpse of what’s to come. You can also publish interviews with speakers or special guests—for example, feature an author at your upcoming book event or a researcher exhibit at the symposium. These pieces of content not only add value for potential attendees, but they also boost your SEO and keep your event top-of-mind.

Offer Incentives Like Early Bird and Group Discounts

When attendees register early, it’s a huge advantage for event organizers. It provides you with more cash flow upfront and gives you a better pulse on the demands for your event. Most people procrastinate, though, so give them a reason to sign up sooner rather than later. With RegFox, you can use actions to set up early bird pricing that changes on a specific date. You can also incentivize more people to commit by offering a group discount. This is ideal for company events, school field trips, or sports teams at summer camp.

These tactics also spark word-of-mouth buzz, as people want to share the news with their friends and get a better deal.

Run Contests and Giveaways to Spread the Word

Everybody loves free stuff! Check out the examples below to see how you might entice people to come to your event:

➡️ “Tag a friend and win free registration” - This works great for local workshops or youth events.
➡️ “Share our post for a chance at VIP perks”
➡️ “Enter your email for a free upgrade or swag bag.”

Pro tip: Keep the rules simple and the prize relevant.

Don’t Skip Traditional Promo Channels

With all the digital marketing options, it’s easy to skip over some of the more traditional channels. But remember, just because something is offline doesn’t mean it’s outdated. If your event is local, some good old-fashioned outreach can make a big difference:

 🧷Pin flyers or posters on bulletin boards at coffee shops or community areas.
📰 Share a press release with local media or local influencers.
🎓 Reach out to relevant clubs, nonprofits, or schools
👤 Ask past attendees to spread the word in their circles.

Some of these methods might seem old school, but you never know who’s just one conversation away from attending.

Track What’s Working and Adjust as You Go

While you can create content ahead of time or schedule a series of emails, promotion isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it task. Rather, it’s a process that thrives on real-time feedback. As your campaign runs, keep a close eye on the data. Monitor open rates and click-throughs from your emails.

Check page visits and conversion rates using your RegFox dashboard, and track social engagement metrics, such as likes and shares. Don’t forget to assess the performance of your ads, especially your cost-per-click. The insights available through RegFox data analytics reveal what’s resonating with your audience. When something’s working, double down on it. When something’s falling flat, tweak your strategy and adjust as you go.

Combine Tactics for Best Results

There’s no single silver bullet when it comes to event promotion. Instead, think of it like a recipe: combine the right mix of strategies for your event, your audience, and your timeline. Start with a strong foundation (a clear audience and an optimized page), then layer on email, social, content, partnerships, and promotions. When you use RegFox, you’re not just building a registration page—you’re unlocking powerful tools for promotion, conversion tracking, discount codes, and more.

Need help putting the right mix together? Just reach out to our support team. They’re ready to help you make the most of your RegFox tools.

Here to help you have the best event ever!

— The RegFox team

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