Creative Ways to Make a Splash Without Spending a Fortune

Is your goal to acquire new customers? Test out a product? Give away samples? Generate leads or make more sales? Think about your end game and what you want to get out of an event, then plan accordingly. Brainstorm with your team before the event, do your research to determine the type of customers you want to attract and execute a targeted strategy based on a clear vision.

Plan your social media schedule

Create content ahead of time and assign your team their social media responsibilities so you can make the most out of any event experience. Assign one team member to respond to each of the social media sites in real time. The posts can all be scheduled ahead of time using sites like Buffer, Hootsuite etc. Save time and frustration using these automated tools, but always be available for comments!

Invite the local media

Send the media a special invitation with a reason to attend your event. Make it unique so they’re intrigued and want to come to your booth to find out more. Once they show up, romance them with a great story. Even if they  don’t attend, the key is in the follow up – with photos and an event recap. You never know.  You could become their next resource or a feature story.  Always be prepared.

Be an Event Ambassador?

Event sites like Eventbrite and Splash are easy to use to promote your event at no cost. Ask friends and family to spread the word and share freely on social media. Create an event link and send pre-written posts for Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. Invite your team to do the same. You’ll be surprised at the ripple effect of sharing!

Get creative

Walk around the local area where your event is taking place and let people know what’s going on. Be friendly and naturally engage. Hand out fun, oversized cards that promote the event making sure it stands out among other activities. Does someone on your team (or you) have a special talent to? Can you sing or play an instrument? Are you an artist asking others to join in?  or have just written a book – perfect for a signing.  All of these tactics are great ways to draw an audience to your booth before or after the event.

Different counts.