Wondering how you can ensure that your local event marketing efforts are fruitful? Want to increase your local event attendance? Whether you work at a local community organization, non-profit, or business, these local event marketing tips will help you improve your marketing efforts.

Local event marketing is crucial to ensuring that your local events are well-attended and successful.

I was recently talking to a non-profit board member about their upcoming events. They mentioned that they had been struggling to get people to attend their events, even though they provided valuable resources at each one.

Their team would put in a significant amount of effort to plan the event, find a location, secure catering, and partner with sponsors, but they couldn’t find a way to get people to attend. I consulted them through these same steps to improve their local event marketing that we’ll go through:

1. Auditing Your Organization’s Systems and Timelines
2. Identifying Your Target Audience
3. Mapping Out Stakeholders and Allies
4. Identifying Your Marketing Channels
5. Providing Value on Your Marketing Channels (Organically)

1. Audit Your Organization’s Systems and Timelines

No matter how good your marketing efforts are, they will not be effective if your organization’s systems and timelines are not efficient. It’s important to look at the bigger picture of your team and processes to understand if the problem is rooted in your organization’s operations rather than the marketing itself. Here are some key aspects to consider:

Audit Your Systems

Does your team approach marketing as a key piece of event planning from day one? This is the lens that you need to view your systems. Here are a few ways to ensure your systems are optimized:

• Integrate Marketing into Event Planning From Day One: Marketing should be a core component of your event planning process, not an afterthought. Ensure that your marketing team/marketing manager is involved from the very beginning, so they have ample time to develop and execute a comprehensive strategy.
• Streamline Internal Communication: Effective communication between departments is crucial. Make sure that everyone involved in the event, from planners to marketers, is on the same page regarding goals, timelines, and responsibilities.

Give Yourself Enough Time for Your Event Marketing

There’s nothing worse than needing to market an event with just one week before the actual event. It’s important to give yourself and your team enough time to market your event. The timeline may vary depending on the nature of the event:

• New Events: If it’s a new event that requires educating your audience about the event topic and its value, start your marketing efforts well in advance, potentially several months or a year ahead.
• Targeting a Different Audience: If your event is targeting a different audience than usual, you’ll need additional time to research and reach this new demographic.

2. Identify Your Target Audience

Knowing who your audience is can make or break your event’s success. To effectively market your event, you need to have a clear understanding of who you are trying to reach. Here’s how you can pinpoint your target audience:

Conduct Audience Research

• Surveys and Feedback: Utilize surveys and feedback from past events to understand what types of events resonate with your audience and why.
• Demographics and Psychographics: Consider both the demographic (age, gender, location, etc.) and psychographic (interests, values, lifestyle) characteristics of your potential attendees.

Segment Your Audience

Once you have a clear picture of your target audience, segment them into different groups based on their preferences, behaviors, and needs. This will allow you to tailor your messaging and outreach strategies to resonate with each segment.

3. Map Out Stakeholders and Allies

Having the right partners and allies can significantly amplify your event’s reach. Identifying stakeholders and allies who share your event’s mission or have a vested interest in its success is key to broadening your audience base.

Identify Key Stakeholders

• Local Influencers and Community Leaders: Engage local influencers and community leaders who can help promote your event to their followers and networks.
• Sponsors and Partners: Collaborate with sponsors and partners who can offer additional marketing support, whether through their channels or by providing resources during the event.

Build Alliances

• Cross-Promotion: Work with other organizations or businesses to cross-promote each other’s events. This can expand your reach and introduce your event to new audiences.
• Volunteer and Ambassador Programs: Consider establishing volunteer or ambassador programs that incentivize people to spread the word about your event.

4. Identify Your Marketing Channels

Not all marketing channels will be effective for every event. It’s important to identify which channels will most effectively reach your target audience and achieve your event goals.

Leverage Digital Marketing Channels

• Social Media: Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok can be powerful tools for promoting your event. Create engaging content, such as videos, polls, and countdowns, to generate excitement. Remember to tailor your marketing platform to the audience that you are targeting. For example, if your event is targeting younger, Gen Z audiences, Tiktok and Instagram would be great platforms to promote your event. 
• Email Marketing: Use your email list to send targeted invitations and updates. Segment your list based on attendee interests and past behavior to make your emails more personalized and relevant.

Don’t Overlook Traditional Marketing

• Flyers and Posters: Physical marketing materials can still be very effective, especially for local events. Distribute flyers in high-traffic areas, and post posters in local businesses and community centers.
• Local Media: Reach out to local newspapers, radio stations, and community blogs to see if they can feature your event.

5. Provide Value on Your Marketing Channels (Organically)

The key to successful marketing is not just promoting your event but providing value to your audience along the way. By delivering useful content that resonates with your target audience, you build trust and increase the likelihood that they will attend your event

Share Educational and Engaging Content

• Create Helpful Resources: Share content that educates your audience about the topic of your event or offers tips related to the event’s theme.
• Engage with Your Audience: Respond to comments and messages, ask questions, and encourage your audience to participate in conversations on your channels.

Highlight the Event’s Unique Value Proposition

Make sure your audience understands why they can’t miss this event. Highlight what makes your event unique, whether it’s a special guest speaker, a new experience, or valuable takeaways that attendees will gain.

Final Thoughts

Local event marketing requires careful planning, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of your audience. By auditing your systems, identifying your target audience, mapping out stakeholders, choosing the right marketing channels, and providing value through your marketing efforts, you can significantly increase the chances of your event’s success. Implement these strategies, and you’ll be well on your way to hosting a well-attended, impactful local event.