1. HOW TO DRIVE ATTENDANCE AND
ENGAGEMENT FOR YOUR SEMINAR OR
WORKSHOP

2. Agenda
 Making the most of your event
 Promote & communicate
 Engage with attendees
 Measure your success
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Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact Inc.

3. Making the most of your event
To be successful:
1. Identify your audience’s goals
2. Identify your goals
Considerations Audience Goal Your Goal
Size of Event •Participate, but not faceless attendee •Increase attendance
•Right audience for the event
Value of Event •Make connections and learn •Create loyal and repeat attendees
•Network with peers
Content Focus •Learn from experts •Correctly set level of intensity and
•Engage with speakers delivery of content
Return on Investment •“What’s in it for me?” •Create and stay on budget
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4. Make the most of your event
My Sales Tactics Event
Companies goals
Get attendees to sign up
Seen as thought leader
Increase revenue.
Market private coaching services
Create referral network
What do attendees want?
Learn the proven techniques
 Apply learnings to their business.
A return on investment for attending
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5. PROMOTE AND COMMUNICATE

6. Are you promoting to the right people?
Who do you want to come?
Create an “ideal” attendee profile
 Demographic
 Past attendance, customer
 Age , Geography
 Industry, Educational background
 Influence in networks (local and social)
Where do they spend time?
 Online Use the Event Planning & Feedback section
 Offline of the Survey tool to gather data.
 Print
Where do they look for information about events?
 Your website
 Radio and TV
 Forward Invites
 Word of Mouth
 Search Engines
 Social Media
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Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc.

7. Foundation from those who know you
Get their attention with email invites for those
who know your organization.
Have recognizable brand
79% mark email as spam when they don't know
who the sender is
Optimize subject lines that get you opened
 Capture attention with your headline
Why do I or should I care?
Show your personality
Personalize message to recipient
 Make the invite relevant.
56% mark email as spam if the message is “just not
interesting to me”

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8. Good Invitations cause interest and action
Invitation must include:
 Easy registration or RSVP
 When and where?
 Is there a cost?
 Who will answer my questions?
 Make it shareable
Do your invites do more than ask people to come?
 Engage with video
 Increase interest
 Improve attendance
 Provide event information:
71% watch video on the internet, and the number of streams
should double by 2013– Forrester Research 2009
Video in email can increase click-through rates by as much as
three-hundred percent– Forrester Research 2009
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Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc.

9. Success with Event Invitations
Business Victories
Their challenge:
Promoting weekly teleseminars to educate
customers and prospects.
Boosting teleseminar attendance.
With Event Marketing their results:
"We've seen registration go up 30% to
40%, and it's consistently growing
each week, undoubtedly because
we've started using Event Marketing.“-
Cheri Ruskus, Business Victories
Track your invite going viral:
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10. Does this invite work?
What works:
Headline captures attention and
sense of urgency
Visuals match event theme
Why it does not work:
No way to RSVP on line!
Unclear how to sign up
No personalization
No map for directions on how to
get there.
No way to share
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11. Beyond the one event
Share upcoming events in your email
invitations to increase awareness.
“Attend My Events” button
appears in the Insert menu.
Clicking this option will feature:
–Event Name
–Start/End date and time
–Event Description (if given)
–Location
Event names link to event info
Track which readers are
interested in what events.
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Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact Inc.

12. Leverage Social Media for your invite
Expand the reach of your invitation
through Social Media.
Use Simple Share to promote
the event on Facebook and
Twitter at the same time
■ Customize the message for
each site.
■ Include an image (optional).
■ Easily share to Facebook
and Twitter
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Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc.

13. Share information on social media about the event
Get more attendees by sharing the event on your networks
Promote the event on a
schedule:
 Weekly
 The day before
 An hour before  Establish a #hashtag
(e.g. #B2Bevent)
 Ask them to retweet
 Watch how followers retweet
 Use a custom message to
encourage attendance.
Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact Inc. 13

14. Using LinkedIn
To promote the event:
 Promote your event in your profile and
updates
− Prove the value of attending
 Invite your connections in LinkedIn
− Provide the event #hashtag
− Include Twitter handles of guest
speakers
− Understand your connections with
InMap:
http://inmaps.linkedinlabs.com/
 Post event notification in Groups
Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact Inc. 14

15. Leverage Social Media Promotion
Tools Before During After
• Promote the event by • Share updates on your wall • On your wall, thank those
sharing the event details and upload pictures from who came to the event
on your wall the event • Answer remaining
questions from event and
send email with link to your
wall.
• Create an unique event • Maximize the opportunity • Encourage people to
hashtag for a re-tweet by limiting continue discussion
• Using bit.ly create short your tweet to 120 • Use tweets to promote next
event URL for tweets characters event
• Customize your Twitter • Encourage tweeting during
background with the the event
event brand • Create a Twitter List of
• Schedule tweets in your conference speakers
advance to promote for others to follow
• List people’s Twitter
username’s on their badges
• Have link to event • Encourage those that meet • Continue networking after
homepage in your profile at the event to connect the event
• Invite connections to
attend
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Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc.

16. Get your event found online
Built-in Promotions with
Social Media and Search
Engine Optimization
■ Increase SEO with keywords
− Topics, speakers, theme,
location
■ Create an event #hashtag to
encourage conversation
■ Feature #hashtag in event
communications
Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact Inc. 16

17. Can your event be found on the Web?
Do you have an event
homepage?
▪Provide more promotional details
▪ Drive desire to attend.
▪Match the branding and colors
“The homepage flexibility provides
a fantastic outlet for other
complementary marketing
strategies such as posting for social
networking and affiliates websites.”
-Shannon Beth Harrington, SB Cre8tive
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Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc.

18. Can your event be found on the Web?
Talk About Content
 List the sessions offered/Agenda
 Link to guest speaker bios, websites,
book reviews
 Showcase new products or services
Enable Interaction
 Provide event contact’s information for
questions
 Feature testimonials of former attendees
 Create and update a “What’s New”
section
 Display pictures from past events or
featured speakers
It „s more seamless for people and easier for everyone. For
people signing up for the events they don‟t have to bounce from a
newsletter, to our website, to PayPal and back-it‟s so flawless and
Include Fine Print easy. What we were hoping for is what we got and so much
 State cancellation and refund policy (if more.-Leslie Sturgeon, Women Inspiring Woman
applicable) and make it fair and friendly
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Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc.

19. Can your event be found on the web?
Feature all upcoming events online or on your website.
Provide a calendar of your upcoming events:
Provide a list of upcoming events on website:
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Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc.

20. Boost attendance with promotional variety
Let them know and they’ll show!
Invitations Homepage Social Media
Send personalized Create a unique event Engage those following
invitations with a homepage you to boost attendance
personal appeal and awareness
Make sure to include: Make sure to include: Make sure to include:
Important event information Information about the event, Updates about the event
To ask recipients to forward topics and guest speakers (Examples: new speakers,
the email to friends and family Regular updates on the discount offers, etc.)
A list of upcoming events homepage, with our easy to Link to registration for the
Encourage to talk about event update homepage event from all posts and tweets
in Facebook and Twitter A “Join my Mailing List” box, to Encourage those who have
Links to register-automatically keep the connected registered to post or tweet they
done for you with Event Use the “Attend my Event are attending-automatically
Marketing Widget” to promote upcoming done for you with Event
events on your website Marketing
Remember: communicate where your audience is listening!
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Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact Inc.

21. ENGAGEMENT WITH ATTENDEES

22. Step 1: Registration
Easy to use self registration
 Decreases errors
 Attendees register when and how they want
Centralized Information and Professional Looking
 One place for all event information
 Same branding for all event communications
 Track and see the details registrant provide
 Have a better event when you know who is coming
Time Saving
 Manual registration = Hours of time vs. Online = time saving
 One person can run the show
 Easy for anyone to manage
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Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact Inc.

23. How registration engages
Cape May County Chamber
of Commerce
Their challenge:
Difficult to get a proper headcount.
Provide adequate event information.
Over-ordering or booking a location that is
too small/large.
Collecting payment from registrants.
With Event Marketing their results:
It took two or three people two or
three steps to register one person
for a $20 lunch. Now, it‟s all
automated. – Vicki Clark, Cape
May County Chamber of
Commerce
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24. Step 2: Acknowledge and Communicate
Have registrants share event information to create event buzz
Registrants can spread
the word about the
event by sharing on
Facebook or Twitter
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Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact Inc.

25. Step 2: Acknowledge and Communicate
Reminder communications and confirmation messages increase attendance
Include in reminder:
 Countdown until event.
 Link to a pre-event survey or poll
 Tease info about guest speaker/feature:
 “Forward to friend” link and Social Share button
Include in confirmation message:
 Keep it short and concise.
 Provide contact information
 Feature quotes from past attendees
 Reference the “Add to my Calendar” feature.
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26. During the Event
Event Check-in
Easy attendance
tracking on your
mobile phone!
 Display list of
registrants
 Mark as attended
 Email individual event
registrants
Available on iPhone and Android devices
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Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc.

27. During the Event
Use Twitter:
 Encourage attendees to tweet during
the event
 Non-attendees can participate
 Have attendees post photos and
videos
 Add Twitter handles to name tags
By the end of 2011 over 50% of mobile
Phones will be smartphones. -ComScore’s “2010 Mobile Year
in Review”
50% of Twitter users useTwitter Mobile.
–Mashable.com, “Mobile by the Numbers”
Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact Inc. 27

28. Engage your attendees at the event
QR Codes keep the interaction going
 Direct to your website
 Get feedback via a poll or short survey
 Post video content
How do I build? -http://bit.ly/
Add- .qr at end of shortened url
■ QR Code Section
http://www.socialquickstarter.com
Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact Inc. 28

29. POST EVENT COMMUNICATIONS

30. Post event email and homepage
■ Thank attendees.
– Thank you tweet
– Email
■ Post quotes and photos from attendees
■ Provide links to materials distributed at
the event.
– Host via Slide Share
■ Provide contact info
■ Give participants a way to stay
connected
■ Include link to post-event survey
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Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc.

31. Collect Post Event Feedback
Use a Survey
 Ask about satisfaction with
content, facilities, etc.
 How likely are they to come again?
 Over 60 templates to start with to meet your objective
 How likely are they to tell others
 Includes good questions
about your events?
 You can edit, remove, add, and re-order questions
 You can add your logo, colors and images
 Ask questions that get answers
you can act upon.
 Example: “What didn’t you like
about our last event?”
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Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc.

32. Collect Post Event Feedback
Track conversations with NutshellMail
 Monitor at your event
 Review on your schedule
 Track engagement and review
conversations
 Respond directly from your inbox
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Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc.

33. Feedback and Data for next event
 Determine high value prospects and
follow-up
 Identify the right segments to invite to
your next event
 Personalize your future
communications
 Segment:
– Details such as who paid,
how they paid, demographic,
geographic, etc.
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Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc.

34. Did you meet the objectives?
Measure your objectives by: Measure attendee objectives by:
 Attendance rate  Show rate of regsitrants
 Revenue from the event  Social media conversations
 Data collected via reports and  Feedback in surveys
survey
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Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc.

35. Take the Next Step
Event + Social = Webinars Have Questions?
Success, Guaranteed.
Check out our live We’re happy to help!
Sign up for a free product demo:
Event Marketing trial.
Call us:
Arm yourself with the tools Toll-free: 855-816-6508
and coaching to easily Watch our live demo of the
promote and manage your Event Marketing tool :
online event. Watch your Speak with a personal consultant
event succeed with Constant Wednesdays, 2:00pm EST to have all your questions about
Contact! getting started answered
Toll-free: 866-876-8464
constantcontact.com constantcontact.com/
constantcontact.com/
learning-center
support
Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc.

36. QUESTIONS?

37. Plan- Using Objectives
Share your story:
 Recent or Upcoming Event
 Attendee Objective
 Your Objective
 Value and Content Focus of event
Audience Goal Your Goal
Size of Event
Value of Event
Content Focus
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Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc.

38. Are you promoting to the right people?
Attendee Worksheet:
Attendees-Who is perfect for Where do they spend time? Where do they seek event
your event? information?
In common What is Real Life Online Real Life Online
different
• • • • • •
• • • • • •
• • • • • •
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Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc.