What are some of the best ways to promote a private event?
March 18, 2020 2:58 pm
Now, before we go any further, you might be wondering why you’d need to promote a private event – such as a birthday, engagement party or company party – all that much. After all, it’s a private event… depending on what exact event you’re organising, you’ll presumably be inviting the likes of your colleagues, friends and family, rather than expecting pop stars or Hollywood actors to show up.
However, the ‘private’ nature of such an event doesn’t necessarily mean promotion won’t come into the picture at all. The reality is that there are ways to drum up hype about your upcoming event among the people that matter, beyond simply sending them paper or emailed invitations.
So, here are a few of the methods we reckon you should try.
Determine your target audience
Whether it’s a promotional event, birthday, wedding or any similar private function, you’ll first want to be sure of who this event will be for.
Are you looking to holding a corporate event for select members of a specific industry, for instance, or will this be a ‘friends and family’ affair? And if it’s the latter, which members of your extended family – who you might not even be in regular touch with – will you need to contact?
Use the appropriate channels to reach out to possible attendees
One other reason why it’s so crucial to pick out a target audience first, is that this, in turn, will enable you to use the right channels for getting in touch with them, instead of wasting your time promoting your event through channels that hardly anyone in your target audience uses.
Thankfully, in today’s world, there are very few people who aren’t online in some capacity, so this is a good place to start. Consider, then, all of those messaging and chat capabilities that such platforms as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook have, as well as any email contact lists you have.
Consider how to bulk up the invitee list with relevant people
So, you’ve done all of the above, but the list of potential guests is still looking a little sparse. What’s next? Well, we’d suggest extending your reach a bit.
You might look back at who has attended events you’ve organised previously. Or if you have literally never planned a private event before, you could consider who went to your sister’s recent engagement party, or what firms turned up to your rival’s promotional event… you get the idea.
Alternatively, of course, you could reach out to the wider world, promoting your event with a social media hashtag that could then continue to be used through the event itself.
As part of this, you might allow people to enquire about your event online, rather than revealing location and date details straight away, so that you can select the guests you feel would be most desirable and appropriate.
Make a big fuss about what will make your event special
Will your company be holding this event to show off a new product or service, or to celebrate a major milestone? Maybe it’s Joe’s 30th, or Angela and Tom’s 25th anniversary? What about the event itself – will there be a particular in-demand entertainer there, or a respected speaker? Maybe the venue will be one worth getting really excited about, or there’ll be certain cuisine served there?
Looking to our own services here at Save the Date, it might cross your mind to hire a Magic Mirror photobooth, too. One of these could be just the thing for helping to ‘break the ice’ between guests who might otherwise be hesitant to talk to each other – especially if they’re complete strangers.
In fact, you don’t have to look far to hire a Magic Mirror photobooth at a great price. Simply call 07854 457776 or email info@savethedateuk.com to learn more about this, or any of our other sought-after hire items or packages. They could well be the big factor that helps to make your next promotional event memorable for all of the right reasons!