Setting up an event for the first time can be extremely daunting, especially if you don’t have any experience in promoting an event.
Putting on an event is a great way to showcase your personal brand and connect with your targeted audiences. However, getting people to show up and maximise the PR opportunity is just as important as organising the event.
Reaching your target audience is not as hard as you may think, here are some tips on helping your event reach your target audience.
Media release
Media releases are one of, if not the most effective way to get your story across to the media. They enable you to create wide spread media coverage, enhance your brand/company’s reputation and/or manage a crisis.
Therefore, it is vital that your media release and your event is are accurate, detailed and efficient to suit the needs of the busy journalist. Yes, they are always busy.
Listings
Promote in every newspaper and magazine both online and print. Many newspapers and magazines have a ‘what’s on’ section dedicated to events happening locally and have information on where, when, what. Email all the details of your event and a media release to the journalist in charge of the events section wherever you are publishing it too. If you are unsure of who this is, call ask ask.
Find the interesting story behind your event
Sometimes journalists won’t be interested in your event as it may not cater for their readers. A smart way to get the interest of a journalist would be to find an interesting story about something or someone apart of your event. Often a speaker with an interesting backstory will catch the eye of the journalist who will write a story on them, and it is at the end of the interview do they mention that your event is happening.
Social media
With the rise of technology comes a change in the way we receive information. Social media is the perfect platform to create and promote your event. The most popular social media platforms all have various ways where you can allow your event to reach its targeted audience.
Facebook allows you to create pages for an event and even groups to allow your entire audience to be together in one online setting.
Instagram allows you to post pictures of the event prior to it happening. This gives the targeted audience a sneak peak into what’s to come in avertedly creating interest surrounding your event. With the effective use of hashtags under the pics it will allow your event to be shared to a platform wider than your followers.
Flyers
Handing out flyers and putting up posters is the old but informative way to get your event to be known by a larger audience. Putting up posters around where the event is happening is great to get local to know of it, as well as handing out flyers at local shopping centres and cafes.
Advertising
Consider advertising in places you think your target audience will see it. If you are having trouble getting the media interested in the event, consider taking out an advert instead.
Social media advertising is also a great, targeted way to reach your target audience. It can be tricky to understand how it all works, so make sure you do the research into exactly what you need before you start. Otherwise consider hiring someone to help you.
Organising an event can be very stressful time, especially if you are worried it wont reach your targeted audience. But with these tips, hopefully both you and our event will be huge successes.
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Sydney Public Relations Agency, CP Communications provides specialist media, traditional and online PR strategies that get amazing results. Contact us today. For more great tips visit our website www.PublicRelationsSydney.com.au.
