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Which Marketing Channels Should You Use For Your Event?

Which Marketing Channels Should You Use For Your Event?

Choosing which marketing channels to utilise depends on your audience, industry and budget. In this article we’ll explain the methodology in choosing which channels will work best for your event.

Understanding your audience

How should you allocate resources between physical and digital promotion? We are living in an increasingly digitalised world, but there are still markets where physical promotional materials like flyers and posters are effective.

For many events in developed countries, physical promotion may not be necessary. The majority of the target audience lives online and can be easily reached through digital channels.

Events targeting a younger audience should prioritise social media and influencers. On the other hand, events aiming to attract an older demographic should focus on traditional forms of marketing such as radio, print, direct mail, and billboard campaigns.

To determine the best approach, start by researching your competitors' strategies and identifying what has been successful for them:

  • Are your competitors solely focusing on Instagram and TikTok to attract a younger audience?

  • Do they have a multi-platform strategy using Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google, and YouTube to target all age groups?

  • Are they primarily relying on Facebook and physical marketing to attract an older audience?

  • Are they utilising LinkedIn and YouTube to attract business and corporate individuals?

Once you understand your audience, you can identify the platforms through which they can be accessed. 

How big is your budget

If your budget is limited, the channels you choose to spend your money on will be limited as well. I have worked on campaigns where Instagram was the only marketing channel for paid ads, as well as campaigns where we ran ads across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, Twitter, and Google. 

For those with a smaller budget, I would recommend focusing on one or two channels for running paid ads. Target specific interests and a smaller radius to make the most of your budget.

For medium-sized campaigns, it is advisable to use a combination of three or more channels. Each channel will have its own audience. If appropriate, consider investing in influencer pages to quickly spread the word, and use physical marketing to raise awareness near your venue.

For large campaigns, such as festivals and conferences, it is best to allocate budget to as many channels as possible. Measure the effectiveness of each channel and adjust budgets accordingly to prioritise the better-performing ones.

Influencers

Using influencers can be an effective method to reach a targeted group of users who share a passion for a topic relevant to your event. If chosen wisely, the return on investment from using influencers can be higher than that of social media ads.

You have the option to conduct your own research to find relevant influencers. However, there are also specialised platforms and agencies available to help you connect with the right influencer for your objective. Some popular platforms include:

If you prefer not to use a platform, you can hire an expert from Fiverr: https://www.fiverr.com/

Examples

See below for some recommended channels for events of different sizes and different industries.

150 Capacity Educational Talk

  • Instagram & Facebook: targeting specific interests related to the top

  • LinkedIn: targeted professions related to the topic

500 Capacity Food Festival

  • TikTok: targeting those who engage with food content

  • Twitter: targeting follow lookalikes on similar food pages

  • YouTube: target viewers of food specific content

  • Instagram & Facebook: targeting those with specific food interests

  • Pinterest: targeting those who have engaged with food related pins

15,000 Capacity Music Festival

  • Instagram & Facebook: targeting the fans of artists playing at the festival

  • Tiktok: target those who have expressed an interest in music festivals

  • Snapchat: target those who have expressed an interest in music festivals

  • Twitter: target follower lookalikes of any of the artists playing at the festival who have Twitter

  • Spotify: targeting listeners of artists playing at the festival

  • Google PPC: targeting users who search for music festivals or competitor key words

  • YouTube: targeting viewers of content featuring the artists playing at the festival

  • Pinterest: targeting festival specific pins

  • Influencers: targeting individuals who regularly attend similar festivals

  • Paid PR: paying publications to create content focused on the festival

  • Billboards: purchase billboards local to the festival

  • Radio: purchase sound bites on local radio stations

  • Print: distribute posters into local shops

  • Flyers: distribute flyers to attendees exiting similar events

Once you have identified your target audience, researched your competitors, and allocated your budget, you will have a better understanding of which marketing channels are most suitable to use.