How Can Local London Businesses Promote Upcoming Events?

London is the exciting, bustling capital city of the UK. It has so much to offer its visitors and residents, with plenty of events running throughout the year.

You name it, London has got it. With so many events taking place, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for local businesses to make themselves heard among competitors.

Luckily, this article is here to share some advice for London-based business owners. Below – are several top tips that can help local businesses promote their upcoming events - to make them a raging success.

Create Content for Other Websites

Your company can write valuable content for other websites. The premise is similar to a blog. The content you write - should drive traffic back to your website and promote your upcoming event. You may wonder, why not post this content on my website? By posting it elsewhere, you can promote your event to a broader audience, and people who are unaware of your company will be able to see it.

Delving into the world of content creation takes a lot of time and organisation. You must choose your sites carefully. Ideally, you want to select reputable sites whose target audience would be interested in your event. Once you find sites, write your pitch, and send a follow-up email. There are plenty of guides that can help you get started.

Offer Early Bird Ticket Options

If your audience is exposed to a money-saving offer, they are more likely to take it. This is where an early bird ticket option can help. Offering early bird tickets - at a discounted rate can drum up interest around your event. It also creates a sense of urgency as people need to purchase their early bird tickets quickly as a limited number are available. To customers, it is seen as a reward for acting fast. Early transactions like these can help your event sell out quicker than usual.

The easiest way to achieve this is to use an online ticketing service. You will find plenty of these online. Generate interest in your early bird release by sending out messages to your mailing list. Social media platforms are also valuable resources. Boost social media posts that promote your early bird release and target these toward your audience.

Host Competitions On Social Media

Most people love the idea of winning free tickets to an event. Companies can use this tactic to drum up interest in their upcoming event - while promoting it to people who may have never heard of their company. Host a giveaway for some free tickets on social media platforms and ask entrants to tag three friends in the comments to be entered. Ask people to reshare the post on their page for an additional entry.

It may seem like a simple tactic, but your local business will benefit from free marketing. Your audience is doing the work of promoting your event for you. As a result, you will make one customer very happy, and you’ve also drummed up enough interest in your event to aim for a sell-out. Instagram and Facebook are two popular social media platforms for hosting giveaways of this nature.

Send Out An Engaging Newsletter

No business should underestimate the power of a mailing list. Not only is a mailing list a great way to keep your customers informed about your business, but it is also the ticket to promoting your upcoming events. To create a mailing list, put a call to action on the homepage of your company website, asking people to sign up for exclusive news and offers. Once you have your mailing list, you can send out monthly newsletters.

Make these newsletters as engaging as possible, especially when promoting your event. Avoid making the newsletter too text-heavy, as readers are likely to disengage. Instead, create engaging infographics and colourful PDFs to grab the reader's attention. Before attaching these to your newsletter, your PDF should be compressed first. You can learn how to achieve this by following an online tutorial. It reduces your file size, making it quicker and easier to send to your mailing list.

Utilise Social Media Hashtags

Social media hashtags are a must if you want an easy - and cost-effective way to promote your event to a wide audience. Hashtags were created in 2007; since then, they have taken the social media world by storm. Users can follow specific keywords and phrases to engage in topics they are genuinely interested in. Local businesses can create hashtags specifically centred around their upcoming event. Use a short hashtag that is relevant and descriptive. You want it to be as memorable as possible.

Your event hashtag should be used across your social media platforms. Tag it in all of your posts and also put it in your bio. Once you have your hashtag, make sure you search the internet to check if it doesn't already exist or is associated with any inappropriate content online. If you are struggling to know where to start, take a look at some hashtag examples online. There is a world of inspiration out there to help you get started.

Work With Influencers

An ambassador can be an individual, or group, whose sole purpose is to promote your event through online activities. They can also hand out promotional materials in person. Choosing the right ambassador for your brand can help you gain additional promotion - while helping your event reach its target audience. Influencers have become popular ambassador choices for many. Many front runners have millions of followers, which can become happy customers for many business owners.

Choosing the right influencer to promote your brand is essential. Failure to select the right person could result in bad publicity for your company, which will have a detrimental effect on the success of your event. This will require a lot of research. You must look into your chosen influencers’ target audience. Ask yourself – is this an audience that will be interested in our event? If the answer is yes, make your pitch, and try to get this influencer on board.

Run Social Media Ads

Social media ad campaigns are an excellent way for local businesses to showcase their inner creativity. The idea is you will create engaging content and boost these posts to your target audience. Avoid overdoing it when it comes to creating social media ads. Less is more. Ideally, you want your ad to be less text-heavy. Include a straightforward call to action. In this case, you could advertise your early bird offer, as previously mentioned in this guide.

There are many different types of social media ads that your business can explore. You can learn more about these online. Facebook ads can be a great place to start as it has billions of monthly active users. The ads allow you to direct users straight to your company’s Facebook page. Video ads can also be a popular form of advertising. They are a great way to grab your audience's attention and offer something more exciting than a traditional photo ad.

If you'd like to create your video ad on Instagram, you can consider downloading it and then sharing it on your Facebook page.

Top 5 Exhibition Management Services in LondonLondon is home to a range of venues, from historic landmarks to modern conference centres, allowing for an event experience that can cater to any audience size.