For small businesses, event marketing can yield big results. The key is, when looking into event marketing ideas, you need to identify the strategies that best suit your business. After all, each one is different. 

Event marketing holds a unique power for now and hopefully in the foreseeable future. In-person events provide an unmatched opportunity to connect face-to-face with your target audience and showcase your brand’s personality – plus generate leads. Limited budgets and resources may want to hold you back, but even as a small business, there’s a way to make events possible and profitable.

Reasons to do Event Marketing (for Small Businesses)

When building a marketing plan, event marketing provides businesses a unique opportunity to fully engage with consumers – something that other marketing channels lack. 

Here are some terrific benefits of event marketing:

• Improve brand awareness and increase visibility among your target audience
• Make in-person connections through face-to-face interactions
• Foster a sense of community
• Promote your products or services
• Build trust among brand followers, consumers and stakeholders

Now, let’s dive into some great event marketing ideas for small businesses to try out for themselves.

12 Event Marketing Ideas You Need to Know:

Here are 12 creative and cost-effective event marketing ideas to put on your radar. And a majority of them are doable with minimum effort. Let’s take a look. 

1. Host a Workshop or Masterclass
2. Organize a Pop-Up Shop or Product Demonstration
3. Fuel the Fun with Interactive Games and Activities
4. Partner Up for Co-Branded Events
5. Leverage the Power of Social Media Pre-Event Hype
6. Extend Engagement Beyond the Event
7. Reach a Global Audience Without Breaking the Bank
8. Offer Exclusive Perks and Incentives
9. Let Influencers Become Your Event Ambassadors
10. Turn Your Customers into Storytellers
11. Feed the Networking Fire
12. Measure Your Success and Learn from Every Event

1. Host a Workshop or Masterclass

Why host a workshop series or masterclass? You’re accomplished in your field, people are hungry for knowledge, and you’ve got insight that they don’t have. Workshops build trust with potential customers and generate leads. And without leads for your business, you’re out of business. 

Creating an event is easier than you think; focus on your target audience’s pain points and offer practical, actionable takeaways. Bonus points if you provide attendees with a free downloadable resource or offer a discount on your products or services afterwards.

2. Organize a Pop-Up Shop or Product Demonstration

Pop-up shops are all the rage for a reason. They create a sense of excitement and exclusivity, perfect if you want to grab attention and showcase your products. Pop-ups are also easy to promote on social media. 

Find a strategic location with high foot traffic and design an eye-catching ‘storefront’ that reflects your brand and personality. Bump up your engagement too, with enthusiastic brand ambassadors and interactive demos. The longer a customer stays, the more likely you’ll win them over. 

3. Fuel the Fun with Interactive Games and Activities 

Who says events have to be all business? Certainly not me! Put some jive in your live events with interactive activities that create a fun and memorable experience. Do you own a bakery? Organize a cupcake decorating competition. Ideas for a boutique? Host a “style swap” party. An IT company that offers tech support? Create a “Guess the Gadget Game” where you blindfold participants (safely) and have them guess different gadgets based on touch or sound. 

All these event marketing ideas can be a fun experience and let people see who you are and what you do. Fuel the fun! 

4. Partner Up for Co-Branded Events

Next on the list is to team up with complementary businesses and co-brand an event. It’s a fantastic way to expand your reach and tap into a new audience. Choose a business that shares your target demographic but doesn’t directly compete. 

Co-host an event with a health food store and prep sample dishes. Your giveaway can be a branded recipe card. 

In the pet industry? Partner with a photography studio and host a pet photo booth. Make it fun and Instagram-worthy with a costume contest. Encourage user generated content (UGC) and promote your dedicated event hashtag on both company’s social platforms.  

5. Leverage the Power of Social Media Pre-Event Hype

Social media is free and it’s your secret weapon for pre-event hype. It also helps you build anticipation and drive attendance! 

To take advantage of the event marketing ideas, create a dedicated event page on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, and highlight the event details, speaker bios (if applicable), and go with custom branded visuals. 

You can take it a step further and buy targeted social media ads to reach your ideal audience. Just don’t forget about features like stories and polls to build the buzz and encourage people to sign up. It’s all about creating FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). 

6. Extend Engagement Beyond the Event 

Leverage the post-event window to nurture new leads who may someday be lifetime customers and referral partners. Send a personalized thank-you email to attendees, share photos and videos from the event on social media, and offer exclusive discounts or promotions to incentivize post-event purchases. You have their attention for just a little bit of time, so make the most of it. Remember Sales and Marketing 101? Ignite their buying curiosity.   

7. Reach a Global Audience Without Breaking the Bank

Virtual events are a fantastic option for small businesses with limited budgets or have a target audience that’s globally diverse. Platforms like Zoom, Webex, and Google Meet allow you to host informative sessions, product demonstrations, or even virtual workshops, and reach attendees from the comfort of their own homes. Check out the stats on the number of remote workers. They could be in your Zoom Room.

8. Offer Exclusive Perks and Incentives

Want to attract attendees? Sweeten the deal at your next event. Let’s be honest, everyone loves a good incentive! 

Encourage event registration and up the number of participants by offering exclusive perks and discounts. This could be anything from free product samples or early-bird discounts to raffle prizes or giveaways. Highlight these bonuses in your marketing materials and social media posts and be consistent in your messaging. Have a co-branding partner? Cross-promote like crazy! 

9. Let Influencers be Your Event Ambassadors

Tap into established credibility by partnering with micro-influencers in your industry. It can be a powerful way to amplify your event’s reach and attract your ideal target audience. 

Be mindful to choose influencers who align with your brand values and share the same client profile. Offer them complimentary event access or exclusive behind-the-scenes content in exchange for promoting your event to their followers. Just don’t forget to be a valuable promoter of their events too. One hand washes the other. 

10. Turn Your Customers into Storytellers

Ah, user-generated content. Social proof that your brand is rockin’ it! Encourage attendees to share their event experiences on social media and remember to mention (a bunch of times) that dedicated event hashtag we talked about earlier. 

With user-generated content (UGC) you’re able to build organic buzz and share the love. Offer incentives like contests or giveaways for the best UGC so everyone is involved – and what about letting everyone win a little something?

11. Feed the Networking Fire 

Networking, while very important for business success, may not always be easy – particularly for introverts. However, events are the perfect setting to encourage networking, and provide your target audience an opportunity to connect with each other and build relationships within your industry. 

Add icebreaker activities or designated networking breaks to help facilitate networking and spark conversation starters. You can even set up a networking board where attendees can share their business cards or contact information. Speed networking is another event marketing idea that’s both fun and productive.

12. Measure Your Success and Learn from Every Event 

Event marketing isn’t a one-and-done deal. Track your event’s success and look at key metrics, attendance numbers, lead generation, and social media engagement. This data tells you what worked well and what areas need improvement. (Assuming of course, you did your part). You may also want to conduct post-event surveys to get some feedback from attendees and use their insights to make your next event even better.

Generate Leads with These Cost-Effective Event Marketing Ideas

When it comes to event marketing, the ultimate goal is to create a valuable experience for your target audience. Use these 12 creative and cost-effective event marketing ideas to brainstorm your next in-person or virtual event. Schedule the ones that most sense on your event calendar. 

Turn your small business events into lead-generating powerhouses that nurture relationships, build brand awareness, and fuel your business growth. 

Robin Samora is an experienced Boston small business marketing consultant who has worked with many brands and businesses to create customized strategies to increase visibility, credibility and sales. Interested in learning more? Set up a call today.