Need to get the word out about your upcoming event? You’ve come to the right place! Event-goers are more excited than ever for a fun, engaging event experience, so you need to make the most of that excitement by promoting your event to as many potential ticket buyers as possible. Dive into our team’s event marketing tips designed to help you maximize ticket sales, get your event in front of more people, and keep your attendees coming back for more.

Why does event marketing matter?

First thing’s first: what is event marketing, and how can it help your business? It’s simple! Event marketing is how you spread the word about your event. This can range from asking your friends and family to share it with others, to posting on social media, to developing a multi-pronged digital marketing campaign. Essentially, it’s your chance to connect with potential attendees in a way that makes sense for your business.

Building a marketing strategy is a key step in preparing for your event and will play a big part in your overall success. You could secure your venue, plan your programming, set up a ticketing page, and more; however, until you market the event, no one is going to know to come!

What does successful marketing for events look like? Show people how awesome your event is and all the ways they'd benefit from attending! As you'll learn through this guide, every time you showcase your upcoming event to people, you're drawing them closer and closer to finally buying their tickets.

How the marketing funnel can help

Understanding the marketing funnel is like having a roadmap to create a foolproof marketing strategy for your event. Everyone who interacts with your events’ marketing falls into one of five categories — awareness, interest, consideration, action, or advocacy — and knowing where they are in the funnel helps you meet them with the right message at the right time. From broadest to narrowest, here's a summary of each level of the event marketing funnel and what they're about:

1. Awareness = gaining exposure for your event and getting in front of people so they recognize you
2. Interest = introducing who you are and letting people know what your events are all about
3. Consideration = providing additional information and reasons to attend for those who are seriously considering if it’s worth coming to your event
4. Action = getting people to convert into paying customers (like purchasing tickets!)
5. Advocacy = encouraging their friends about you and coming to your events year after year

The key is to craft a strategy that taps into all these levels because it’s not a one-size-fits-all process. Some potential attendees may need a bit more convincing than others, and that’s okay! Using a mix of marketing channels, like social media for awareness or email campaigns for consideration, ensures you're speaking effectively to people in different stages. While not every marketing effort will result in an immediate ticket sale, every touchpoint nudges someone closer to attending your event. By viewing the big picture and tailoring your approach, you'll create a strategy that inspires action and builds loyal fans for your events!

How do I measure the success of my event marketing?

Before you dive into the nitty-gritty of your event marketing plan, you need to determine specific and achievable goals you want to reach, along with how to measure those goals. To do this, set up key performance indicators (KPIs). Basically, KPIs are targets for your team to shoot for, or milestones to gauge your progress towards a larger goal. As your marketing efforts progress, you can use KPIs to measure how they’re performing and how they’re contributing to your overall goal. Then, use that data to make adjustments to your campaigns as you go. 

Throughout this article, we’ll include KPIs to consider for each marketing channel, so you can evaluate what’s working and what needs improvement to help maximize your ticket sales. And remember, success will look different depending on your goals and the purpose of each channel based on the marketing funnel.

What are the essential channels for my event marketing strategy?

A powerful event marketing strategy starts with selecting the right mix of channels to spread the word and excite your audience. Diversifying your channels — like leveraging social media for eye-catching posts, using email campaigns to directly engage with your most loyal followers, and collaborating with partners or influencers to tap into new audiences — maximizes your reach. While there are even more channels out here, here are the channels we'll dive more into throughout this guide:

1. Social media
2. Email campaigns
3. Your event website
4. Your ticketing page
5. Referral incentives
6. Public relations
7. Traditional marketing
8. Sponsorships

Why is it so critical to tap into each of these? Because people usually need to hear about your event multiple times, and often in different ways, before deciding to buy tickets. A mix of platforms ensures that your event stays top-of-mind, no matter how someone likes to consume content. The result? More visibility, stronger connections, and a much higher chance of filling those seats!

1. Social media

• Importance: When it comes to drumming up hype for your event, never underestimate the power of social media! All throughout the year, and especially leading up to your event, you should be posting regularly on your Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other social media profiles. Your event’s social media marketing presence should give them a taste of your unique onsite experiences. This includes posting high-quality photos and videos with short, catchy captions. Then, after your customers buy tickets, keep the engagement going and turn them into free brand ambassadors when they share your event to their own social profiles!

• Marketing funnel level(s): All levels, but especially Awareness and Interest
• KPIs:
  • Engagement rate: Measures the level of interaction with your posts (likes, comments, shares, etc.), showing how well your content resonates with your audience.
  • Click-through rate (CTR): The percentage of people who clicked on your event link after seeing your social media post, helping you gauge how effective your call-to-action is.
  • Follower growth: Tracks how your social media following grows leading up to your big day, reflecting the overall interest and awareness of your event.
  • Hashtag performance: Measures how often your event’s branded hashtags are used, which can give insight into how far your event's social reach is and how many attendees are making content of their own about your event.
• Event marketing best practices:
  • Maintain a regular posting schedule across all your social media channels (e.g., Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn) to keep your event top-of-mind to your followers. This could be anywhere from 3-4 posts a week, up to once a day.
  • Post short-form videos (less than 60 seconds is best!) on TikTok and Instagram to take advantage of their massive Gen Z userbase to find new repeat customers. Take your followers through different parts of your event, introduce them to participating artists or staff, show time lapses of setup, and more.
  • While at your event, encourage attendees to post about their experience using your event’s custom hashtag (e.g., #PrimaFest). When they tag you, be sure to reshare their content on your social profiles to express your gratitude, build credibility, and nurture community.
  • Post entertaining and helpful content that resonates with your target audience. Share details about your event, highlight your community, and give shoutouts to fans whenever you can. High-quality images, videos, and infographics perform best here, including sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes content, or teaser trailers.
  • Offer free tickets or exclusive perks through social media contests or giveaways!
  • Display your social media handles everywhere you can. The more places your handles appear, the more opportunities there are for people to follow. Add them to online posts, printed materials, emails – anywhere you can think of!
  • Include an interactive call-to-action in the post text (not just the caption), like, “Tag the biggest concert-lover you know!” or “Get your tickets while they last!”
  • Create a branded event hashtag and use a few popular, relevant hashtags to expand your event’s reach.
  • Invite your Facebook friends and those interested in your event to follow you right from an action on your Facebook Page. Sometimes getting your event on the map really is that easy!

Deploy paid social media ads

Depending on your event, audience, and budget, paid social advertising may be the perfect way to increase event awareness, gain new followers, and most importantly, sell out your event! Facebook Ads Manager provides a ton of ways to target potential customers on both Facebook and Instagram. When it comes to interest targeting, a user’s “interests” are based on what they share online, the ads they click, the pages they like, and much more. So, you should target your ads to interests relevant to your event. For example, if you’re promoting a music festival, you might target interests like your event’s performing artists, other local festivals, or music in general.

To unlock a new audience and grow your brand awareness after you’ve collected enough purchase data, try exploring Lookalike Audiences. These are created from a source audience of already existing customers. Facebook then identifies common characteristics and creates a new audience for you. Basically, all the heavy lifting is done for you, and you reap the rewards!

With paid social ads, you’re most likely reaching a new audience who may not have heard of your event before, so be sure your ads are friendly, informative, and engaging. Include your event details and a call to action to purchase tickets alongside the “Book Now” button. For your ad creative, always test between static images, short videos, and carousel ads to see what your audience interacts with the most. Remember, this is a brand new audience, so you want to select the best photos of your event to stop people in their tracks as they’re scrolling.

Using social media to remarket to potential ticket buyers

Did you know you can target specific website visitors who engaged with your website but have yet to purchase a ticket? With remarketing, you can zero in on those who have shown interest but haven’t quite sealed the deal. These users are way more likely to place an order than those who haven’t heard of your event before, so it’s often more effective to re-target them again rather than start a new, broader campaign. You want to run remarketing campaigns where your audience already spends a lot of their time, like on Facebook and Instagram. If you have customer lists from previous years, remarket to them too! Uploading these lists to Facebook lets you target those specific users via social media ads. Well-timed, targeted, and interesting remarketing ads can easily be the most effective part of your social media marketing toolkit!

‍Here are a few tips to maximize the power of your remarketing ads. Use reminder language to get your audience to buy tickets, while also adding new information about your event. Then, you could feature a testimonial from a recent attendee or influencer, or highlight a part of your event they might not already be aware of. Create a sense of urgency to get customers to buy tickets right away. (e.g., “Tickets are selling fast – get yours before it’s too late!”) Offering a discount to these audiences is another great motivator, like 20% off children’s tickets or free parking. Sometimes the opportunity to save a few bucks is the only push they need!

2. Email campaigns

• Importance: When sent to the right people, email marketing can be a powerful and affordable way to get the word out about your upcoming event. You can build targeted email lists from different sources including past attendees or newsletter subscribers. You already know these audiences are interested in your event, which means they’re more likely to engage with your content and make a purchase!

• Marketing funnel level(s): Interest, Consideration, Action, Advocacy
• KPIs:
  • Open rate: The percentage of recipients who opened your email. This helps determine if your subject lines and timing are effective.
  • Click-through rate (CTR): Measures how many people clicked on links inside your email, which can indicate how compelling your event details or offers are.
  • Conversion rate: The percentage of recipients who took the desired action (e.g., bought tickets or registered), showing the direct impact of your email campaign on ticket sales.
  • Unsubscribe rate: Tracks how many people unsubscribed after receiving your email, helping you understand if your email content is not resonating or is being sent too frequently.
  • Ratings on post-event surveys: In your follow-up emails, these ratings from your post-event survey help you measure success in your event operations and learn areas where you can improve. It's also important to look at your overall response rate, seeing how many people are willing to complete the survey in the first place.
• Event marketing best practices:
  • Include an attention-grabbing subject line that stands out in the inbox (emojis are highly encouraged!). For example, the subject line for a winery event might look like this: "It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere 🍷".
  • Use your pre-header text to expand on your subject line, like the following: "The Chicago Wine Festival is back and bigger than ever! Grab your tickets today!".
  • Conduct A/B tests on different subject lines to see which ones drive the best open rates.
  • Use dynamic content to personalize your emails! This could include incorporating your recipients’ names either in the subject line and/or in the body of your email as well as tailoring content to their preferences. The more targeted your emails are, the better!
  • Send out event email invitations to get those currently in your community excited about your next event!
  • Incentivize early ticket sales by offering discounts if customers purchase tickets by a certain date, or encourage your audience to share your event with their social circles by offering group discounts (e.g., giving them 15% off when they buy four or more tickets).
  • Add an exciting header image from your event to get your audience hyped up about coming! Make sure to also add details about your event, like where and when it is and what to do there.
  • Make sure your emails have one clear action for the recipient to take, such as "Buy Tickets Now" or "RSVP Today" with a link to your event listing.
  • Send out email blasts directly from your ticketing platform (ideally for free!). Since all your ticket buyer information is already stored there, this will help keep costs down and segment your customers easier than ever before!
  • Make sure to send a thank-you email after your event to encourage them to come back again! You could include a post-event survey or even a discount towards future events.

3. Your event website

• Importance: On top of being the central hub for all your information (e.g., event details, ticket sales, and real-time updates), your website can bring in traffic from various channels to help turn them into excited event-goers. A well-designed website not only boosts your event’s credibility and showcases your brand, but it also creates a seamless, user-friendly experience that encourages visitors to take action. As people search online for events near them, your website is a perfect page that could land on. Plus, it effortlessly integrates with other marketing efforts like social media and email campaigns, making it a powerful tool to guide potential attendees from curiosity to commitment!

• Marketing funnel level(s): Awareness, Consideration, Action
• KPIs:
  • Traffic volume: Measures the number of visitors to your website, indicating general interest in the event.
  • Bounce rate: Tracks the percentage of visitors who leave your website without interacting. A high bounce rate might suggest that your landing page isn’t compelling enough.
  • Time on page: The average time visitors spend on your event website, which can indicate how engaging and informative the site is.
  • Conversion rate: The percentage of website visitors who complete the desired action (e.g., sign up or purchase tickets), showing the effectiveness of your website in driving ticket sales or registrations.
• Event marketing best practices:
  • Your event website should be easy to navigate with clear, concise information about your events (date, location, agenda, etc.) and where to buy tickets.
  • Ensure your website is optimized for mobile devices since this is how the majority of people will be viewing your site.
  • Showcase past event attendees' testimonials or media coverage as social proof on your site to build credibility.
  • Make sure it takes as few clicks as possible to navigate from your website to your ticketing page, so the path to registration or buying tickets is intuitive.
  • Optimize your website for search engines (i.e., your SEO strategy) by including keywords related to your event type, venue, and target audience.

4. Your ticketing page

• Importance: As an essential starting point to your marketing campaigns, you need an eye-catching event ticketing page to link to. Your event page should act as an extension of your brand, display key event details all in one place, and make it easy to purchase tickets in just a few clicks. A streamlined, well-optimized ticketing page minimizes buying friction, improving the user experience and boosting conversion rates. Plus, it seamlessly integrates with other marketing tools, giving you insights into sales performance and engagement to fine-tune your strategy for maximum success!

• Marketing funnel level(s): Consideration, Action
• KPIs:
  • Number of tickets sold: Tracks how many tickets have been sold, which is the most direct measure of event success.
  • Tickets per visitor: Tracks how many tickets each visitor buys on average, which can help you understand purchasing behavior.
  • Number of event check-ins: In some cases, the number of event check-ins may be more important than the number of registrations (especially if you’re hosting a free event). If a lot of people are reserving tickets for your event but not showing up, you may want to adjust your marketing efforts to keep people excited and engaged between ticket purchase and event day.
• Event marketing best practices:
  • Get your tickets on sale early so you have plenty of time to reach potential buyers.
  • Build a ticketing page that perfectly matches your branding! This can include the images, colors, and creative messaging on your page.
  • Share this link everywhere! Post it across your social media channels, in your emails, on your website, and more.
  • Create a QR code to this ticketing page (TicketLeap auto-generates one for you!) to incorporate on flyers to post around your community.
  • Make sure your ticketing page is optimized for mobile devices. Most ticket buyers are making purchases right from their phones, so working with an online ticketing system that makes your event page look great on any device is key!
  • Offer early bird pricing or ticket discount codes to incentivize purchases before the event.
  • Highlight your most important event details including the date, time, location, and anything they need to know beforehand, like parking info, refund policy, dress code, and other frequently asked questions. 
  • Display how many tickets have been sold or how many are left to create urgency and encourage potential buyers.
  • Offer a sensible weather guarantee for your outdoor events so attendees are more willing to purchase a ticket with peace of mind that they'll get a refund due to inclement weather.

The power of ticket discounts

You already know a great way to boost your ticket sales is by offering exclusive discounts to select audiences. Early-bird specials are key in enticing event-goers to purchase tickets early. Group tickets are great to incentivize big purchases so family and friends can attend together for less. Loyalty campaigns reward your customers and keep them coming back again and again. No matter how you offer specially priced event tickets, make sure you’re tracking these efforts! Attach unique tracking parameters on your URLs when linking back to your event page for each promotion, influencer, or discount code so you know exactly where sales are coming from. 

Sign up with a free event ticketing platform

While you can create a successful event marketing strategy on your own, using an event ticketing and management system sure does make it a whole lot easier! With TicketLeap’s free, user-friendly system, you can get your event on sale in just five easy steps. Plus, we have built-in tools to help promote your event, integrations with Google Analytics and other services to learn more about your ticket buyers, and branded event pages that will wow your customers!

5. Referral incentives

• Importance: These are a game-changer for your event marketing strategy because they tap into the unmatched power of word-of-mouth marketing. By encouraging attendees to share your event with their friends, family, and colleagues, you expand your reach in a way that is genuine and trustworthy. Personal recommendations carry immense credibility, making it easier to convert interest into ticket sales and helping you fill your event with enthusiastic attendees!

• Marketing funnel level(s): Advocacy
• KPIs:
  • Referral conversion rate: Measures how many people who received a referral offer actually converted (e.g., purchased tickets). This shows how successful your referral program is in generating ticket sales.
  • Number of referrals: Tracks how many new people were referred to your event, indicating how well your referral program is being shared.
  • Referral revenue: The total revenue generated through referrals, providing insight into the financial return of your referral incentives.
  • Referral traffic: Measures how many website visitors came through referral links, showing how well your referral program drives traffic to your event site.
• Event marketing best practices:
  • Provide enticing rewards, such as discounted tickets, VIP access, or exclusive merchandise, to motivate people to refer their friends!
  • Use tracking tools or unique referral codes to easily measure the success of your referral program.
  • Include time-sensitive offers or tiered rewards to encourage people to act fast to take advantage of your deals.
  • Provide pre-written text or social media templates for your advocates to share, making it easier for them to refer others.
  • Actively promote your referral program on social media, email campaigns, and the event website to increase visibility.

Partner with influencers

Want to tap into one of the most popular event marketing trends? Scope out local personalities and social media influencers with a devoted following, and work with them to arrange a partnership! Micro-influencers could be the most effective here, with loyal fanbases ranging from 10k-100k followers. They could share video content leading up to your event with an exclusive discount code, and document how much fun they're having at your events. As authenticity becomes one of the most important marketing trends, you might even find that influencer marketing can be more affordable and powerful in reaching new audiences than other paid advertising methods!

6. Public relations

• Importance: When you’re looking to increase awareness of your event, don’t forget about your community! There are plenty of news outlets, magazines, podcasts, blogs, or other local-specific, high-traffic websites you can place ads in or write a sponsored post for. A lot of these outlets offer banner ad placements, in-article ads, and even paid inclusion in their email newsletters, and could help get more publicity for your event, turning readers into potential event-goers.

• Marketing funnel level(s): Awareness, Interest
• KPIs:
  • Media coverage volume: Tracks how many media outlets have covered your event, giving insight into the reach and interest of your PR efforts.
  • PR impressions: Measures the potential audience reached through press mentions, articles, or interviews.
  • Sentiment analysis: Analyzes the overall tone and performance of your media coverage, helping you gauge the public’s perception of your event.
  • Media engagement: Tracks how much interaction (shares, comments, etc.) media articles are generating, reflecting how well the coverage is resonating with audiences.
• Event marketing best practices:
  • Start pitching your event well in advance to local journalists and media outlets to secure coverage leading up to the event.
  • Consider using an AI writing tool like ChatGPT to give you a solid starting place when writing your perfect press release!
  • Provide a comprehensive press kit with high-quality images, event details, and media contacts to make it easy for journalists to report on your event.
  • Focus on unique angles or noteworthy elements of your event that will attract media attention, such as headlining speakers or community impact.
  • Collaborate with local influencers or thought leaders to amplify your event’s reach and credibility.
  • After your initial pitch, follow up with reporters and outlets to keep your event on their radar.

7. Traditional marketing

• Importance: You can take your promotional efforts offline, too! Classic marketing tactics like flyers, print magazine and newspaper ads, and even billboards are an additional way to drive ticket sales. These channels are especially effective for reaching locals in your community who might not engage as much with digital platforms, ensuring your message reaches a wider demographic. Plus, when paired with digital marketing efforts, traditional methods add an extra layer of visibility and can make your event even harder to miss!

• Marketing funnel level(s): Awareness
• KPIs:
  • Reach: The total number of people exposed to your traditional marketing materials (flyers, posters, ads, etc.), helping you understand the overall awareness generated. While you can get exact numbers from digital channels, these numbers for your in-person advertisements are likely rough estimates based on foot traffic.
  • Event awareness: Use surveys or polls that track how many people are aware of your event due to traditional marketing, helping you determine if they’re reaching your target audience.
  • Redemption rate for promo codes: If you use promo codes in print ads, this measures how many people use the code, giving you insight into the effectiveness of your traditional marketing push.
• Event marketing best practices:
  • In posters, flyers, and billboards, use bold visuals and simple messaging that stand out to passersby. The rule of thumb for billboards is that people will only read it for six seconds - so keep it short and sweet!
  • Advertise in places where your target audience is likely to be, such as local cafes, universities, or community centers. You could even collaborate with local businesses or organizations to cross promote through flyers, posters, and co-branded materials posted in their buildings.
  • Send postcards or brochures to a curated list of potential attendees, especially if your event is niche or local.
  • Secure guest spots on local radio shows or TV stations to increase event awareness in your community.

8. Sponsorships

• Importance: Event sponsorships are a powerful addition to your event marketing strategy because they boost your event's credibility while expanding your reach to new audiences through the sponsor’s network. They also bring valuable resources — whether it’s funding, products, or services — that can elevate the overall event experience. Plus, sponsorships are a win-win, offering your partners increased brand visibility and deeper audience connections while helping you create an unforgettable event.

• Marketing funnel level(s): Awareness, Advocacy
• KPIs:
  • Sponsor engagement: Measures how actively sponsors are engaging with your event through social media mentions, event presence, or other collaborative activities.
  • Sponsorship revenue: The amount of financial support or resources provided by sponsors, helping you evaluate the value of your sponsorship deals.
  • Brand exposure for sponsors: Tracks how often your sponsors’ logos or messaging are seen by event attendees or through marketing channels, helping evaluate the ROI for sponsors.
  • Sponsor satisfaction: Typically measured through surveys, it gauges how satisfied your sponsors are with their partnership and exposure, which can influence your future sponsorship deals and strengthen your relationships with them.
• Event marketing best practices:
  • Find sponsors whose target audience aligns with your event attendees so you can create mutually beneficial partnerships that drive genuine engagement and maximum value.
  • Give sponsors more than just logo placement — offer opportunities for them to engage directly with your audience, like hosting a workshop or Q&A, putting up a sponsored photo booth, or placing a booth in an area with high foot traffic.
  • Build a compelling event sponsorship package, featuring different levels with varying benefits to appeal to a variety of business sizes and budgets.
  • Feature your sponsors across all marketing channels (e.g., social media, email, website) to increase their exposure.
  • Try partnering with local restaurants to pass out discount coupons for your event to their customers. This might be just what you need to give your ticket sales that extra boost!
  • After the event, share the data and feedback you collected with sponsors to show them the return on their investment and build strong future partnerships.

Master the art of marketing for events

Event marketing is key to your event's success! With the right strategy and tools, you can fill your event with excited attendees and make it the talk of the town. By leveraging the channels and best practices outlined in this guide — social media, email campaigns, referral incentives, traditional marketing, and more — you can build a well-rounded plan that gets your event in front of the right people at the right time. Remember, every touchpoint matters, whether it’s a quick social post, a targeted email, or a partnership with local company sponsors.

Ready to take your events to the next level? TicketLeap makes it easy to sell your tickets and promote your event all in one place. With user-friendly tools, customizable ticket pages, and built-in marketing features, it’s the perfect ticketing platform with a full set of features to help you streamline your efforts and maximize attendance. Start building your marketing strategy today and see just how much buzz you can create for your next event. Let’s make it an unforgettable one!