Tips for event communication

1. Amount of content

The first tip in making a communication plan is to increase the amount of information at every step of event communication. on a marketing website you only show the highlights. The invitation already contains a few details of your event and on the registration website you publish the complete program. 

2. The right timing

Are you organizing an event by innovation or is it recurring event where participants of a previous editions are invited? Send the invitations far in advance. In this way invitees have the time to see if this fits in their planning and to possibly respond to the invitation. Keep the invitation short, inviting, but above all clear. People get messages throughout the day and do not have the time or attention span to read a long, detailed invitation.

Even when you are organizing an event what is not on invitation, making the event timely is very important. Give people time to decide whether to be present at your event. A timely announcement with some reminders in the run-up to the event is the best communication strategy for your event. Always provide impartial feedback on the invitation before you send in. have the invitation read but someone who is not a part of the planning, so you can be sure that no crucial information is missing.

3. Use social media

The use of social media runs like a red thread through the event communication plan. To make your event as alive as possible it is essential to be in contact with your audience before, during and after your event. Social media plays a major role in this. Where previously only use was made of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, nowadays the social media channels Snapchat, Pinterest and Instagram are certainly no longer missing. There the competition is not as big as on the first mentioned channels and thus you can win your winnings. Do not forget to adapt your content to the strengths of each medium (textual, visual, hashtags, etc.).

Before the event

Since 58% of all internet users are active on social media, it is important to build a relationship with your event you can create an interactive, online platform. You can indicate that they are present at your event prior to the event. Confessors will see this possible and that will probably encourage them to go to the event. In addition, they can share content of your event respond to it.

During the event

Where social media is important for communication prior to the event, this also applies during the event. During the event, current messages/updates can be placed for the public on a social media wall, where they can then react to it again. Also the placement of photos and videos will increase the interaction on the social media platform. Have you ever thought of a mobile app? 80% of the time spent on a mobile is in the use of apps. Create a specific app for your event. With a timetable and all sorts of other useful information you can easily improve the experience of your visitors. The video below shows the possibilities of a social media wall during events.

After the event

using the right social media channels before and during the event, you have built up an interactive community around your event. For sponsors, exhibitors and for you as organizer this is important and also the perfect opportunities. Stay active on social media even after your event to keep your community ‘alive’ until possibly the next event.

4. Registration should not be a burden

Repeat of your event must be easy and quick. A flexible website is essential for your participants and for you as an organizer. Mare sure that it is also user-friendly for mobile devices, so that registration is also quick and easy. It won’t be the first time data is entered incorrectly during registration. Make it possible for participants to change their details afterwards. This way you can easily prevent a lot of problems.

5. Send reminders

Repeat is the power of a message! It is possible that when you organize an event by invitation, people forget to register. Therefore, send a reminder for a week or two weeks after sending the invitation. The same applies to people who have already registered. They too make mistakes and the registration for your event may have been forgotten. Send a small reminder to everyone who has already registered about two weeks before the event.

6. Welcome the participants

D-day! The day of your event has arrived. Send the participants a WhatsApp message or a text message in which you welcome them a few hours prior to the event. Make your audience enthusiastic and wish them a wonderful event. A WhatsApp message or a text message is unexpected and gets ten times more attention than a regular mail.