Marketing for Events
April 17, 2018
In our hometown, there are events that entice people from all over the country to attend—from the Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Showcase to El Tour de Tucson, there are many opportunities for local businesses to benefit from an influx of travelers. Every destination has unique events like these, but how do you reach travelers during their stay? How can you remarket to attendees after they leave and encourage them to plan their return trip? Below, we’ll discuss how you can reach travelers before, during, and after your destination’s awesome events using Snapchat and Geofencing.
Before the event
Increase excitement building up to your event by creating a Snapchat Story featuring photos and videos that encourage engagement. Behind-the-scenes footage, hinting at special guests, interviews with vendors, or sharing updates gets followers involved and make them feel an emotional connection with the event. Being an authority on the coolest things to do during and attractions surrounding the event helps you build trust with your audience.
During the event
Creating a Snapchat Geofilter is an easy way to create brand awareness. Fun photo filters specific to your event create a community between attendees and expose new people to your brand. When people use your filter for their photos, the photos become part of your Snapchat Story. Consider offering an incentive in exchange for using your filter and hashtag—you’ll get attendees promoting the event to all of their followers, which means low-cost advertising for you.
Establishing a geofence around your event and tying it to a strategic digital marketing strategy allows you reach people who enter the invisible perimeter. This means that while attendees are in the area, you can serve ads that are relevant to the time and place. Remember to extend the geofence beyond the event’s exact location and time—people are likely to check their phones while they’re at nearby restaurants and hotels before and after the event, giving you an even greater chance to connect.
After the event
Want to reach event attendees after they leave? While your geofence is active, it can collect data about the people who were within the perimeter, giving you the opportunity to remarket later. You can serve display ads after the event to promote similar upcoming events or encourage another trip to see more of the destination beyond the event. One of the coolest things is that you’ll have a target audience you know is interested in the event ready for next year, which can help you increase future attendance.
