Article written by: Erin Depot, FPM Team Member
Fall tends to be one of the busiest times of year for events. From fundraisers and conferences to community celebrations and launches, calendars fill up quickly once September arrives. For many of our clients at First Position Media, events are some of the biggest moments on their marketing calendars.
But successful event marketing is about much more than promoting a date and hoping people show up.
The best event campaigns start early, build momentum over time, create excitement while the event is happening, and keep the conversation going after everyone goes home. Whether the goal is ticket sales, attendance, fundraising, awareness or simply bringing a community together, a thoughtful plan can turn one event into weeks, or even months, of meaningful marketing.
One of the most important parts of event marketing happens well before the event itself: planning. At FPM, that starts with communication. We work closely with our clients to understand the event, the audience, the goals and what success looks like. From there, we work backward from the event date to create a timeline that gives each part of the campaign enough room to do its job. The earlier those conversations happen, the better.
Fall events like Hollister House Garden’s Garden Study Weekend on September 12 and the Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center’s annual fundraiser, The Wonder of Bonsai, on September 18 are good examples. Promotion needs to build gradually so audiences have time to discover the event, learn more about what makes it special and ultimately decide to attend or support it.
One event announcement is rarely enough. Think about your own behavior. You might see an event on Instagram and keep scrolling. Then an email arrives a week later. You see another post highlighting a speaker, activity or interesting detail. Eventually, you click through to the website and register. Each touchpoint builds on the last.
Depending on the event, our work at FPM might include branding and graphic design, social media, email marketing, website content, digital advertising, public relations, print materials, signage, photography, video and more. The goal isn’t to be everywhere just for the sake of being everywhere. It’s to use the right combination of channels to reach people at different points in their decision-making process.
Our work surrounding the upcoming publication of Faith and Fortune: Henry and Amelia Champlin and America’s Maritime Ascendancy is a good example. Rather than treating the November 17 publication date as a single marketing moment, we’re building a larger campaign around the book, including events leading up to its release. Social content, print materials, event promotion and other communications work together to introduce the story, build familiarity and maintain momentum as publication day approaches.
Once event day arrives, the marketing doesn’t stop. Events create some of the best content opportunities because they show your organization or business in action. Photos, video, attendee reactions, behind-the-scenes moments and real-time social content can give people who aren’t there a reason to pay attention, while reinforcing the experience for those who are.
The key is planning for this ahead of time. Who is taking photos? What moments need to be captured? Are there speakers, sponsors, donors or partners who should be highlighted? Is there a hashtag or account attendees should tag? Are there opportunities for Stories, Reels or other real-time content?
For a multi-event campaign, this becomes even more important.
This summer, we supported The Griswold Inn’s GRIS250 Birthday Celebration, a series of events held in June and early July as part of America250. Because the celebration unfolded over several events rather than a single day, content from one moment could help build excitement for what was coming next.
Thinking through these opportunities before the event begins means you’re capturing content with a purpose, not simply taking photos and figuring out what to do with them later.
One of the biggest missed opportunities in event marketing is treating the event itself as the finish line.
You spent weeks or months building an audience around this moment. Keep talking to them. More importantly, remind them why the event mattered in the first place. The CT Spring Boat Show, held annually during the last weekend in April, is a great example. The boats, exhibitors and waterfront setting may be what initially draw people to the show, but a major initiative of the event is raising funds and awareness for Sails Up 4 Cancer. Post-event marketing gives us an opportunity to bring that purpose back to the forefront by sharing the impact of the event and reminding audiences that their participation helped support something bigger.
The same thinking applies to other events. A fundraiser isn’t just about the evening itself. A book event can continue the conversations and stories introduced that day. An anniversary celebration can reinforce an organization’s history and its connection to the community. Post-event content might include photo galleries, recap videos, attendee testimonials, fundraising results, sponsor recognition, thank-you emails, media coverage and highlights from the day. Instead of simply saying, “Thanks for coming,” it’s an opportunity to close the loop and show audiences what their participation helped make possible. And for annual events, you’re already laying the groundwork for next year. A strong recap reminds attendees why they should return and gives everyone who missed it a reason to pay attention the next time around.
A great event may last a few hours or a few days. Great event marketing can extend its impact much further. The events we support at FPM are all different. A garden weekend requires a different strategy than a fundraiser. A book launch isn’t marketed the same way as a boat show. A months-long anniversary celebration has different needs than a one-night event. But the foundation is the same: plan early, communicate often and give your audience multiple opportunities to connect.
When your social media, email, website, advertising, PR, print and visual content work together, you’re not simply promoting an event. You’re building anticipation, creating an experience and giving your audience reasons to stay connected long after it’s over. And when the next event season rolls around, you won’t be starting from scratch. You’ll already have a story worth continuing.
Planning an upcoming event? Connect with First Position Media to build a marketing strategy that makes the most of every moment before, during and after the big day.
