As an event organiser, it’s easy to feel like you’re just another face in the crowd when it comes to promoting your business or your venue.

Even if you diligently post on social media, send emails, and pay for Google advertisements, seeing all your hard work and effort go to a one-time sale can be frustrating.

At Eventbrite, we’ve helped hundreds of thousands of organisers with their event marketing, and here’s what we’ve learned: The key to generating crowds of enthusiastic event attendees is community building.

In this article, we’ll talk about how to build an impactful venue and event planner marketing campaign and break down examples of event organisers who are nailing theirs. Let’s go!

Rethink your approach to event marketing

It’s no secret that the events industry is competitive. As of 2023, there were 5,509 party and event planners in the UK alone.

Like any business, event organisers and venue owners tend to focus on marketing strategies that aim to drive ticket sales and attract as many people to their upcoming events as possible. If this is the approach you’re taking, you might want to reevaluate the way you think about marketing as a whole.

Design Theory explains that branding has the power to impact a consumer’s physiology and that the most effective way to build a brand is to focus on a marketing approach known as “brand tribalism.”

A brand tribe is a collection of people who share the same attitudes and emotional connection with a brand and identify themselves with the product.

The idea is to avoid focusing on selling tickets to different people every time. Instead, borrow from the recurring revenue model and put your time and effort into a marketing system that builds brand loyalty.

This might seem counterintuitive at first, as creating exclusivity seems like it could decrease your event attendance rates. But building a tribe of loyal attendees has long-term benefits for your business, such as:

Think of it this way: Don’t focus on marketing your events to the broadest audience possible. Instead, think about how to promote your type of event as a unique experience to a small tribe of the right people — your target audience.

Implementing brand tribalism in your event marketing plan can make attendees feel like they’re part of an exclusive community and actually enhance their enjoyment of your event.

Picture of country dance party

3 elements of powerful event planner marketing

As an event organiser, you should put just as much thought into making your marketing campaign as creative as the event itself, if not more so.

Impactful event marketing relies on your ability to make attendees feel connected to your brand and eager to join your tribe. Here are some ways to use brand tribalism to elevate your event planner marketing.

1. Focus on social proof

Social proof is a powerful tool that helps you create a sense of community around your event. It’s the theory that people are influenced by the actions and opinions of others.

For example, a couple is more likely to try a restaurant that a local food influencer on TikTok has recommended than one that has no Google reviews or social media following.

Attendees have limited time and money — they want visual proof that your events are as good as you claim.

Some ways to use social proof to build a community include:

Social proof instils confidence and credibility in your brand. Take the Circa Sandridge Barton, for example.

Of the 417 Google reviews left by attendees, not only are most overwhelmingly positive, but they’re also accompanied by photos, specific details about the event and their experience in the restaurant.

These added details act as additional proof that their events are worth attending.

Screenshot from Circa Sandridge Barton Google reviews page.

Invest in influencers (even if they’re expensive)

Investing in influencers can be a powerful way of creating brand trust and driving action, even if it means spending more money upfront.

In 2023, influencers have more sway over people’s actions than traditional celebrities, with 61% of Gen Z and millennials trusting influencer recommendations.

Different types of influencers to target include:

While macro- and micro-influencers can be expensive, the rewards can be significant. For example, although one post from a macro influencer on YouTube may cost £7,500, it could lead to people discovering your events for years to come.

Build your community and sell more tickets!

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The Best Event Pricing Strategy To Help You Sell More Tickets

2. Create hype around one distinguishable feature

Cultivating hype is one of the most effective ways to attract more attention to your successful event. However, with the vast amount of content available online, you’ll need to get creative!

In the video linked in the intro, Design Theory explains that branding can directly impact the experience a potential customer has with your product. For instance, wine in a bottle that feels heavier when poured may be perceived as having a more satisfying taste than wine from a lighter bottle.

Therefore, in your marketing campaign, it’s important to create a unique aesthetic and feel around your events. If your event looks exclusive and cool, event participants are more likely to enjoy it.

Instead of promoting everything you offer, focus on one distinguishable feature that makes it unique and appealing to your target market. One event company that has this down to a science is event organiser Willy and their Musical Theatre Raves events.

Screenshot of the comment section for an instagram post from Musical Theatre Raves.

(Image Source)

The Musical Threatre Raves organiser uses event trends, guerilla marketing techniques, and event footage on their social media pages to promote their events hosted in different cities all around the country.

They do this by highlighting their rave nights, where different performers get on stage to perform musical theatre ballads in various venues.

Musical Threatre Raves sells the idea that by attending their events, you can witness a truly different way to enjoy musical theatre.

There’s no doubt that your event has something special to offer your audience, so make sure your audience understands what they’ll miss out on if they don’t attend!

Lean on your compelling brand story

Sharing your brand story is a powerful way to create hype around a specific aspect of your event.

Your audience is interested in knowing who you are and why you do what you do. They want to connect with your brand on an emotional level and, more importantly, find out if they can trust you.

For example, Taste + Liquor is an award-winning event organiser that sets out to host the best and coolest brunch events around the UK. They use their Eventbrite page and social media accounts to showcase their brand and build a community of loyal followers.

Here’s how you can use your brand story to connect with your audience:

Remember that your business is more than just a business — it’s a part of who you are. Attendees, sponsors, and artists are drawn to brands that are genuine and transparent.

A crowd enjoys a pool party

3. Use an event marketing platform

Converting cold traffic into loyal tribe members is a challenging task, even for the most experienced event marketers with the best marketing plan.

That’s why it’s essential to concentrate on marketing your venue or future events to audiences that are already interested in your niche and therefore have a higher likelihood of resonating with your brand.

One of the most effective ways of doing this is by using an event marketing tool like Eventbrite.

By partnering with Eventbrite, one of the world’s largest event platforms, you can increase your exposure and credibility among avid event-goers. These audiences rely on Eventbrite to discover new and exciting things to do on the weekend, the latest shows to see, or venues to visit.

While social media marketing is a powerful tool for promoting your event, leveraging targeted traffic sources like Eventbrite can significantly improve your return on investment and boost conversion rates.

It’s a bit like going fishing in a pond or a lake — while both work, it’s a lot easier to catch fish in a pond.

Traditional marketing methods don’t allow precise audience targeting. That means you’re likely spending money on consumers who aren’t interested in your content.

Instead, Eventbrite allows you to:

Improve your event marketing strategy with data and analytics

You can also determine the effectiveness of your marketing through Eventbrite’s data and analytics tool.

You need to understand what the data is telling you about each of your promotional campaigns to make informed decisions about your event planner marketing. With this information, you can easily identify what is making an impact on your target audience.

Eventbrite allows you to:

By leveraging these insights, you’re better equipped to develop a successful marketing campaign that connects with your target audience.

Woman painting on stage

Level up your event planner marketing strategy

Understanding the power of your brand and how you are unique and different from the thousands of other event businesses out there is crucial when it comes to event planner marketing.

By establishing a strong connection with your attendees and building a loyal tribe rather than solely focusing on selling as many tickets as possible, you can create a steady stream of income and long-term success for your venue or event business.

The best way to get your event in front of attendees looking for cutting-edge companies like yours is to use Eventbrite. Our powerful platform puts you in direct contact with your target audience to help you grow your tribe.