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How to Get Leads for an Event You’re Planning: Actionable Tips to Maximize Turnout

September 4, 2023

About to host an event? It’s time to prepare for it and boost its success with proven strategies to generate leads and maximize attendees.
In today's dynamic event landscape, the key to a thriving event lies in your ability to attract and engage attendees. Get ready to take the stage and leave a lasting impression as we teach you how to get leads for an event you're planning.

1. Craft a Captivating Landing Page

Your event's landing page is the virtual doorway. For that, you need to make it compelling and informative to entice potential attendees and get leads for an event you’re planning.

Start by clearly displaying essential event details, like the date, time, and venue. You’ll also want to include a concise but informative event description. How can anyone show up if they don’t know when and where it is?

Next, your event landing page should highlight the unique value and benefits of attending your event. Include eye-catching visuals or videos that resonate with your audience and utilize a user-friendly registration form to seamlessly capture attendees' information.  

Through Norby, you can gain access to a range of features that streamline the entire event management process, such as:

  • Custom event registration forms
  • Unique event page designs
  • Automated email and SMS reminders

Norby’s event suite offers a 14-day free trial, so you can check out all the features for yourself.

You can also use free tools like Canva to design enticing event flyers for your registration page and invitations, which you can use on social media and in your email marketing. Check out our guide on the top 10 ways to build landing pages that convert your audience for more ideas.

2. Leverage the Power of Social Media

One of the best promotional strategies you can use to get leads for an event you're planning is to harness the vast potential of social media to amplify your reach and engage your audience.

You can do this by:

  • Creating dedicated event pages on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
  • Regularly sharing engaging posts, teasers, and behind-the-scenes content to build anticipation — remember to have the link for your event page readily available to generate sign-ups and improve your lead generation
  • Utilizing event-specific hashtags to foster conversations and encourage sharing
  • Running social media contests or giveaways to boost engagement and encourage attendees to bring friends
  • Posting stories on social channels and including the event’s registration link alongside a strong call to action to RSVP or register

Find more tips on event marketing and lead generation through social media with our guide, How to Leverage Social Media to Own Your Audience.

3. Harness the Strength of Email and SMS Marketing

Email remains a reliable tool you can use to get leads for an event you're planning and drive participation.

Some great ways to get event planning leads through email and SMS marketing include:

  • Design attention-grabbing email templates that convey the essence of your event and make it super easy to sign up for the event.
  • Send personalized, engaging emails and text messages with event updates, speaker highlights, and exclusive offers in a drip teaser campaign.
  • Implement automated email and SMS sequences to send reminders, countdowns, and post-event follow-ups using Norby’s event marketing tools.

Ideally, look at your community and network to see who would be a good fit for your event. Reach out to them, asking them to attend the event and share the details with their own networks. Pro tip: Use a tagging system for all of your event attendees to build up your customer relationship management (CRM) database.

You can also use your event to build your subscriber list, offering an incentive in exchange for contact information. For more information on building up your subscriber list, check out How to Build Your Contact List From Scratch With Norby.

4. Collaborate and Form Partnerships

One of the best ways to generate leads at events is to identify sponsors, industry influencers, and businesses to partner with.

You’ll want to forge strategic alliances to expand your event’s visibility and credibility. You can do this by collaborating on joint webinars, co-hosted events, or shared promotions via email, social media, or SMS messaging.

Read more about how to leverage each partner’s audience to reach a wider network and get leads for an event you're planning with 4 Modern Tactics for Attracting and Engaging New Audiences.

5. Utilize Content Marketing

Offering engaging, educational content positions you as an industry expert and attracts attendees to your event.

There are a few ways you can use content marketing to get leads for an event you're planning, such as:

  • Create blog posts, videos, and infographics that address pain points and offer solutions related to your event's theme. Distribute these across your most popular and engaged channels.
  • Share insightful industry trends, case studies, and success stories to pique interest.
  • Promote your content across various channels, including social media, email, and relevant online forums.

6. Run Targeted Online Advertising

If your budget allows and your event is targeting a larger audience, consider investing in online advertising to reach specific demographics and increase your event’s visibility. This allows you to reach a larger audience in less time.

Start by identifying the most suitable advertising platforms, like Google Ads or social media, for your target audience. Then, craft attention-grabbing ads that highlight the key features and benefits of your event. Offer a link to your event’s landing page as well. To learn more, check out our guide, How to Create Performance-Driven Landing Pages.

To get leads for an event you're planning, set up detailed parameters for your ads based on the demographics, interests, and online behaviors of your target audience. Be sure to monitor your ads' performance and adjust your strategy for optimal results.

7. Choose the Right Platform to Generate Leads

Norby’s event suite allows you to put together and run digital events, from custom registration pages to reminders and referrals. Try our free trial for 14 days.

With Norby's help, you can nurture your event leads with email or SMS marketing campaigns to get your audience to take action. Through email and SMS marketing, you can reach your leads directly, hit them with brand storytelling, and convince them to take the next step in your funnel. We suggest setting up a welcome series and then moving on to weekly, biweekly, or monthly newsletters and text campaigns that work in tandem, depending on your bandwidth.

Norby’s integrated platform will enable you to quickly set up high-performing marketing funnels using event sign-ups to collect email addresses and phone numbers. You can tailor your email and SMS campaigns for all parts of the marketing funnel, from top to bottom. Try it out for free today.

Get Leads for Event Planning

Generating leads while attracting attendees is a fundamental aspect of successful event planning. With these actionable strategies, you'll create a robust lead generation pipeline that not only increases attendance but also enhances the overall event experience.

Effective lead generation is a continuous effort that requires creativity, engagement, and strategic execution. Now that you have these tips in your arsenal, you're well-equipped to fill your event with eager participants and create a memorable experience for all attendees.

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