New Year events are all about fostering community spirit and celebrating new beginnings. However, chances are there are also other events and gatherings competing for crowd and attention. There are local fairs and festivals, New Year’s eve parties, charity events, and even concerts and performances. How do you make sure that your New Year Event becomes one of the first highlights of the year?
Here are some solid ways to promote your New Year Event and start the year with a bang!
1. Use Social Media
Social media is effective for virtually any type of marketing. Its broad reach and targeting options make it a solid way to attract the specific demographics you’re looking to target. It can also help build excitement leading up to the event as people can easily engage, share, and comment, and you can answer their questions and concerns in real time. As long as you plan your social media promotions well, it’s definitely going to help increase event attendance and visibility.
2. Create a hashtag
The event should have a unique hashtag to track excitement and engagement and make it more discoverable. Encourage people to post and share using the hashtag. The hashtag should sound simple, memorable, and festive. It should be relevant to your event’s theme or purpose, and it’s also a good habit to always check if your chosen hashtags are unique and haven’t been used for other topics or events.
3. Create Eye-Catching Posters and Flyers
While social media posts can get lost or forgotten after a scroll, flyers are more tangible and thus could leave a lasting impression. Maximize community bulletin boards or distribute them in high-traffic areas like coffee shops, libraries, and grocery stores. Your flyers should be able to successfully build excitement and curiosity. It’s also relatively low-cost, and you’re free to use event flyer templates online.
4. Collaborate with Local Businesses
There are different ways to strike a win-win deal with local businesses. For example, you can offer cross-promotion. They can display your posters and flyers in their shops in exchange for a mention or promotion during the event. If you’re looking to offset costs, you can also seek sponsorships from local businesses. They’re most likely inclined to help because all attendees are locals who are essentially their market too.
5. Offer early-bird discounts
An appealing discount rate can be a compelling way to entice people to purchase their tickets early. Discounts typically range from 10% to 30%. Another way is to incentivize group purchases. People usually go to these events with family and friends, and group discounts can be a great way to go. Make sure to share details and announcements about any ongoing promotions and discounts on your social media pages, website, or email list.
6. Promote in Local Newspapers and Radio Stations
Many local newspapers have event calendars, and although newspapers sound a bit outdated, they still hold value in terms of community engagement. Lots of people have moved digital, but certain demographics still love reading newspapers. Radio stations are also another alternative. They can still reach a broad audience since some community members are still in tune for news, entertainment, and local happenings.
7. Leverage email marketing
If you already have an email list, make sure to send newsletters and announcements as well. Create a solid email sequence including event teaser emails, countdown emails, and other updates. For those who have not bought tickets yet, you can send early-bird reminders. You can even continue the email sequence after the event by sending post-event follow ups, sharing event highlights and photos, or gathering feedback through surveys.
8. Organize a Countdown Campaign
Countdown durations could span 10 days or even two weeks leading up to the event. It could be a social media countdown for online engagement or an actual countdown display near the venue for a more festive anticipation and celebration. This buildup will make your New Year’s event feel more exciting and special.
Just remember that the key to a successful New Year’s event promotion just lies in building anticipation. It’s all about bringing the community together and making it one of the many festivities to kick off the year with excitement and a sense of unity. Try implementing some of the tips above and be consistent in your promotional efforts starting two or even three months before the event. Creating a buzz takes time, so start early and prepare to put in the effort and creativity to make it an unforgettable start-of-the-year celebration. If you can successfully promote it and it becomes a yearly event, it will be a go-to gathering that people can look forward to year after year.