3. Communication plan
Without consistent communication, any chopping and changing along the way can get lost in translation. This applies to your marketing efforts and communication about your event, generally. Specific to your marketing efforts, set up weekly calls with your wider event marketing team (and any agencies) as the event draws closer, and ensure that an escalation plan is firmly in place. Keep conversations flowing throughout, making sure that the right people have the right information – it enables everyone to do their job properly.
Additionally, ensure you have an effective communication plan in place to relay information to attendees. What brand voice do you want to use? What is the agreed tone of voice? do you want to be formal and informative or more casual? This will likely depend on the type of event. Do you want to talk often or in soundbites?
4. Social media plan
Social content is fast-paced, so you need a social calendar that can be adjusted in real time and a detailed escalation and approvals process. It is worth planning as much of your social copy as you can prior to the event so you can easily post in real time. Once a good framework is in place, this can be tweaked according to how the event goes. Social activity prior to the event will help create a sense of excitement and anticipation so keep make sure the language lures attendees in.
A plan should also be in place to deal with social activity when things don’t go according to plan. Protecting your event from negative feedback is crucial to your reputation and future events you run. Our guide to managing a social media backlash outlines the key steps you can take to cover your social platforms if a crisis hit.
5. Live from the event
Where possible, collect information, trends and stories at the event and use them to create content after the event. Network with attendees to really capture the essence of the event – what are they enjoying the most? Any stand-out moments? What stories will they want to re-visit after? You can tell when someone is writing from experience – it will bring the event to life for your digital audience.
If your budget can stretch, consider having an editor on the ground at the event. This person can pre-plan to ensure they are there for certain parts of the event – this may be an important seminar at a conference or a particular act at a music festival – and can speak to relevant people to get quality quotes.