The current generation of consumers has admitted, many times, to wanting to be actively engaged in whatever they’re doing or attending instead of acting as “passive consumers.”
The difference between the two is that an actively engaged participant has a role – something to do before or during the event – while a passive consumer will buy a ticket and simply attend.
So give them what they want.
Before the event, you can engage attendees by inviting them to participate in contests, virtual or real-life scavenger hunts, polls, online community forums, and more. All of these will take a little effort on your part to set up, but the engagement from your attendees will improve loyalty to the event’s organization as well as the event itself.
This interactivity can be as simple as inviting fans to share a picture of themselves or a favorite pet with the event’s hashtag.
A scavenger hunt could include taking photos of items related to the event and posting these on the event’s social media event page. Facebook groups make perfect communities to invite fans to have conversations before, during, and after the event.
Creative ways to engage your fans will go so much further than simply repeating what someone else has done. Even so, interactive marketing gives you a serious leap ahead of organizations who don’t engage their fans. There’s no downside, and only loyal fans to win over.
Use the power of Instagram & Facebook Live to give people a glimpse of what’s going on in the background. Event planning is a marathon so there’s a lot to showcase and people love a glimpse of what goes into the process. This also builds up momentum and anticipation as you get closer to your event date. So turn on those cameras, make some video, have some fun and watch the difference it makes at your next event!