Event Marketing Strategy: Guide, Timelines, & Templates

Events don’t sell themselves. In order to sell tickets, you need to be armed with an event marketing strategy that effectively promotes your event to your target audience, whether you’re planning on hosting an in-person event or running an online event.

But where do you start with event marketing? In this guide, we’ll explore the different types of event marketing strategies you can use to create an event marketing timeline. We’ll also provide advanced strategies and advice for every stage of the event marketing process. We’ll cover how to deliver the right message to the right people with advanced email marketing, social media, video, and other marketing strategies. 

Once you’re ready to start, just fill out the form on the right to get your complete event marketing template. 

Advanced event marketing tips based on timeline 

Pre-launch marketing

Event launch marketing

Post-launch marketing

Post-event marketing

Advanced event marketing tactics and marketing timeline to sell out your event

Did you know that you’ll need to engage with a customer an average of seven times before they’re likely to buy a ticket? With that in mind, an effective event marketing strategy is all about raising awareness of your event.

You want to make potential and previous attendees aware of your event, and your marketing strategy is how you plan to inform and advise them as they make the journey toward buying a ticket.

Here are some of the best event marketing strategies to consider from beginning to end.

Pre-launch marketing

Create a buzz before you launch your event with effective marketing strategies and collaborations.

1. Create audience profiles

Who is your target audience, and how well do you know them? The key to refining your marketing messaging is creating detailed audience profiles and marketing your event to these people.

You may have multiple audiences for one event — for example, both wine beginners and connoisseurs may be interested in attending a tasting — so make sure to create different personas for each.

Here are some questions to keep in mind when creating audience profiles:

• What does each attendee aim to gain from your event? 
• Do they have a problem that can be soothed or solved by attending? 
• How does your event help them to achieve their goal? 

By creating different audience personas, you can tailor your marketing to their goals, pain points, and motivations — and boost your ticket sales.

When you build your own audience profiles, consider their experience with similar events and what they’re looking to get out of your event. Here’s an example: 

Take note of how these don’t just rely on demographic information but also the interests and wants of the audience members.

Anyone Comics understands that anyone, from kids to adults, can have a passion for comics. That’s why they offer events catered to different age groups and interests. For example, Comic Book Art Class for Kids is a kid-friendly event for beginners, while ComiX Jam! is a “study group” for more advanced comic enthusiasts.

2. Brainstorm and research touchpoints for creative marketing ideas

How can you further encourage potential customers to purchase tickets? Throughout the attendee journey, your audience will encounter various touchpoints — from interactions with your brand on social media to opening a marketing email.

Get creative with your event marketing strategy by considering different factors that may encourage potential attendees to buy a ticket at various touchpoints. This could be:

• Prominently showing reviews of past events on your website or social
• Uploading professional photos and videos of your event and venues to social media 
• Showcasing your attendee satisfaction statistics to enhance credibility
• Offering incentives for attendees to buy tickets as early as possible
• Partnering with other local organizations or event organizers for a bigger event
• Hosting live Q&A sessions or webinars with keynote speakers and performers to build excitement
• Setting a countdown timer on your event page to create urgency for ticket purchases

Pro Wrestling Revolution partners with local sports teams like the Modesto Nuts Minor League Baseball team. 

These partnerships help them reach new audiences and find great venues for their shows. They also include Spanish in many of their marketing materials, making sure that both anglophone and Spanish-speaking audiences feel welcome.

3. Create advanced content for the right social media platforms

Using social media marketing for a launch is one of the best event marketing strategies, as it’s key to creating momentum for your event promotion. 

Whether you’re announcing exciting new bands on the festival lineup or dropping clues about the film at your secret screening, there are many ways to use social media for events to boost engagement before you open ticket sales:  

• Assess each social media platform’s audience: When planning your social media strategy, choose platforms that match your event’s audience. Instagram and TikTok are ideal for younger crowds, while Facebook and LinkedIn suit professional or community events. Understanding each platform’s user base ensures your content reaches the right audience. 
• Customize your content for each platform: A one-size-fits-all approach often falls flat, as what works on one platform might not resonate on another. For instance, a LinkedIn post should be more professional and industry-focused, while a TikTok video can be fun and creative to capture attention.
• Run giveaways to grow your following and boost brand awareness: You can get 3.5 times more likes and 64 times more comments from Instagram contests than from a regular post. You could offer free tickets to your event for new attendees — or add extra fun by offering attendees with tickets the chance to win VIP upgrades or add-ons, such as free drinks or merchandise. 
• Balance your content with the “4-1-1” rule: For every promotional post you create, share someone else’s post and four pieces of relevant content from other sources. This keeps your feed engaging and builds trust, while still promoting your event. For example, for a tech conference, mix promotional social media posts with industry articles, speaker spotlights, and influencer retweets.

Just look at how Cafe Namaste promotes events on Facebook:

They take advantage of Facebook’s longer format to give more event details. They include the time and location, and even a story about the person running the event to add to the event’s storytelling.

If you’re promoting a music festival, you might create a series of TikToks where different artists give a sneak peek at their preparations ahead of time or a clip of a set they’re rehearsing. On Facebook, you could have them write more detailed posts with their own perspectives leading up to the festival.

4. Use partners and sponsors as marketing amplifiers

Event marketing partnerships and sponsorships can be crucial to your event’s success, so reach out to potential collaborators, complementary brands, and media partners to expand your reach.

Consider collaborations with brands and figures who fit your event’s goals, mood, and style — whether that’s a respected figure in the local food scene or a brand whose values fit in with your charity fundraiser.

Not only are they more likely to partner with you if your values align, but their audience will be far more likely to attend. Getting in touch with potential event partners early is a great way to start spreading the word from the very beginning — and you can begin to use their platforms to boost your marketing. Here are some ways to utilize your partners and sponsors: 

• Leverage your social network: Start with your own contacts and secondary contacts when seeking event sponsors and partners. Look for potential partners with similar target audiences to yours, or who may be looking to access your audience.
• Tailor your pitches to their business goals: When approaching potential partners, customize your sponsorship pitches to align with their business objectives. Create a pitch deck to show how partnering with your event can help them achieve their goals, whether it’s brand exposure, customer engagement, or lead generation.
• Mutually promote with sponsors: Build a strong relationship by sharing your sponsor’s content on your social media and featuring them on your event site. This shows appreciation and boosts their brand alongside your event. Mutual promotion strengthens the partnership and raises visibility for both parties.
• Use sponsors to provide unique experiences for attendees: Sponsorships can improve the event experience beyond financial support. Work with sponsors to create unique experiences, like branded lounges or interactive exhibits, offering them direct engagement with attendees. For example, a tech company might set up a demo station at your conference, allowing attendees to try their latest gadgets.
• Use partners’ email lists: Coordinate with your partners to include your event in their newsletters or dedicated email campaigns, and return the favor with your own. This allows you to tap into their established audience, increasing awareness and attendance for your event.

By integrating sponsors into the event experience, you create a win-win situation that benefits both the attendees and the sponsors.

5. Find creative ways to collaborate with influencers and micro-influencers

Did you know that, according to Hubspot, one in four marketers use influencers in their promotion strategy, and it offers the second-highest ROI of any marketing trend?

To find the right influencers to partner with, consider their reach and resonance with your target attendees, and compile a list of potential partners to reach out to. Then, decide which ones are within your budget. 

Micro-influencers are smaller influencers with loyal followings within their niche communities. What makes micro-influencers powerful is their strong personal brand, usually built around their authentic voice and relatability. They’re also more affordable than larger influencers.

Once you’ve found your influencers, ask them to promote your event on their social media channels. Here are some interesting ways you can make the most of your partnership:

• Run a giveaway competition on their page to offer free tickets to their audience
• Create a post, video, or reel about your event, offering an exclusive discount code
• Host a Q&A on their socials
• Organize an exclusive meet-and-greet as a VIP benefit or special prize
• Encourage influencers to use your event-specific hashtags in their posts so you can track the campaign’s success
• Build long-term relationships with select micro-influencers by working together over multiple events to build trust and loyalty with their audience
• Invite micro-influencers to do a live social media takeover for a day or during a specific event moment, giving their followers an insider’s view of your event

By strategically collaborating with influencers, you can tap into their authentic voice and engaged audience to improve your event’s visibility and appeal. This approach helps drive ticket sales and builds a community around your event.

6. In-depth content marketing

Continue to drive interest in your event with strategic content marketing. The type of content you create will differ depending on the nature of your event, but it should be engaging, valuable, and in-depth — and something only you could write.

For instance, if you’re hosting a music festival, you might choose to write compelling long-form interviews with the bands and artists on the line-up and pitch this to a music publication.

If you’re a wine connoisseur hosting an expert tasting event, you could write a detailed article on wine from a specific region alongside unique food pairing ideas — a great way to showcase brand authority and generate interest in your upcoming event.

The key to successful content creation is similar to marketing your event: focus on your unique selling points (USP). What can you offer with your content that other creators can’t?

Whatever your approach to content, make sure it’s audience-oriented — so keep your target attendees in mind. Refer back to those audience profiles you made as you write your blog posts, newsletters, or landing pages. What do they want? What questions do they have that you could answer? 

That’s how you offer real value to your readers.

In fact, according to one study, 83% of marketers agree that quality should be prioritized over quantity when it comes to content, even if it means creating less often.

With your audience identified and your strategy for social media, content marketing, sponsorship, and influencers determined, you’re ready to start marketing your event launch.

Event launch marketing

It’s THE day you officially release tickets to your event. How can you create a buzz and let the world know about your unique offering? Email marketing, press releases, and much more. 

7. Customize ticket pricing for your event

Effective ticket pricing strategies can significantly impact your event’s success, serving both as a marketing tool and a revenue driver.

• Early-bird pricing is a popular tactic that incentivizes attendees to purchase tickets well in advance, creating early momentum, providing you with an early cash injection, and reducing the risk of unsold tickets.
• Discounted tickets for multiple attendees or groups, like a two-for-one sale, is another great way to sell more tickets. 
• A tiered pricing structure is another great way to maximize revenue. You can offer different options such as standard general admission, early access, VIP or premium ticket options, or membership discounts. 

Each tier is priced differently, so you can offer a more customized experience and charge more for the extras. A great trick is to place these in decreasing order on your page so that the “best option” comes first, rather than the cheapest.

• Limited-time sales and promotions can also boost ticket sales during slower periods or as the event date nears. For example, offering a flash sale or discount code creates urgency and attracts price-sensitive customers. Limited-time bundle deals or group discounts can encourage attendees to bring friends, increasing both sales and event exposure.

Providing exclusive experiences, adding value, and catering to different audience segments will ultimately help maximize your event’s revenue.

8. Advanced email marketing strategies

Email marketing is a crucial tool in your event promotion plan. For the first wave of tickets, the aim is to get attendees buzzed about what’s to come. Keep your subject line short and snappy — and entice attendees with your event’s USP.

Throughout the event marketing lifecycle, you’ll want to send a range of emails to keep your audience engaged at every touchpoint — first launch, in the run-up to the event, several weeks before, and a few days before.

• Hyper-personalization with AI: Go beyond basic name recognition by leveraging Eventbrite’s AI to rapidly create email campaigns, social media ads, and event pages customized to your event’s details. Eventbrite’s tools can help you launch ad campaigns 30% faster and set up pages in a matter of seconds.
• Predictive analytics for send-time optimization: Use Eventbrite’s predictive analytics to find the optimal send time for each subscriber based on past interactions. This ensures your emails reach inboxes when recipients are most likely to engage, maximizing open and conversion rates. 
• Advanced segmentation and micro-segmentation: Use your previous attendee data and visitor data to develop granular segmentation strategies — by demographics, behavior, purchase history, or psychographics. Micro-segmenting allows you to create ultra-targeted email campaigns that directly address each group’s unique needs. For example, repeat attendees might receive a loyalty discount, while first-time buyers could be offered a “welcome” incentive.
• Welcome emails and cohesive branding: Welcome emails can have up to a whopping 91% open rate. Use this opportunity to reinforce your brand voice, which should be cohesive across all emails and external marketing materials, such as your event page. 
• Avoid email fatigue with balanced frequency: Sending at least one email a week is generally effective, but avoid sending emails out too frequently (unless your event is imminent). Testing different frequencies with A/B testing can help you determine the optimal cadence for your audience.

At every stage, Eventbrite’s email marketing tools and real-time analytics make it easy to level up your promotion strategy,

9. Build ongoing relationships with the press

Gaining press coverage can help amplify your event beyond your own network and increase ticket sales. It will also help build your future brand strategy, increase links to your website, and potentially boost traffic for future events.

To target the right publications, consider the titles your audience typically reads — as well as journalists who specialize in your event type or event format, whether that’s music criticism or food writing.

Here are a few tips on writing a good press release:

• Come up with a compelling hook and find your unique story angle: Why is your event new, exciting, a first, or a novelty? Does the event have an interesting backstory? Are there any exciting figures attending?
• List the basic details of your event: Keep things simple to help the journalist find key information easily. These include the date, time, location, special guests, and your contact information — plus a link to your event page. 
• Add value to your press release: To increase the chances of gaining coverage, offer free tickets — such as VIP or press passes. You could also offer interviews with yourself, other organizers, or event partners.
• Develop a strategic outreach plan: Identify and contact local journalists who cover similar events and target niche publications that match your event’s theme. This ensures your press release reaches the most relevant audience.
• Use press release distribution services: Consider using these services to widen your reach and get your press release in front of more media outlets, increasing the chances of coverage.
• Engage media contacts post-release: After sending out your press release, follow up with your media contacts by offering additional content, exclusive interviews, or special access to encourage more in-depth coverage.
• Repurpose press release content for multiple platforms: Adapt your press release content for use on social media and blogs to extend its reach and impact across different social media channels.
• Pitch with a journalist-friendly headline: When pitching your story, frame the headline from the journalist’s perspective. Make it simple, clear, and compelling to increase the likelihood of your event being featured prominently. 

10. Use cutting-edge video marketing

Captivate your audience in the lead-up to your event with engaging videos you can share across social media and in your email campaigns. From short teaser clips to longer reels, videos are essential to your event marketing — in fact, 78% of event marketers say video helped increase their sales.

For social media, create short, snappy clips to give attendees a flavor of the event. Choose captivating visuals, catchy music, and soundbites from previous attendees.

Whether you’re hosting a festival, a workshop, or a panel, one of the best ways to market your event is to show other attendees enjoying themselves. This is known as social proof and a great way to do this is to use video from previous events.

You might also choose to create longer videos on YouTube for a more in-depth look at your event. This could include Q&As with your event partners — such as speakers or artists — as well as vox-pop style interviews with attendees from a previous event.

To push the creative boundaries, here are a few more suggestions:

• Offer 360-degree virtual tours of your venue for an immersive experience
• Create shoppable video content, allowing viewers to purchase event merchandise directly
• Share behind-the-scenes vlogs and launch user-generated content and video campaigns
• Develop interactive event agendas with embedded videos

By leveraging these advanced video marketing techniques, you can create compelling, shareable event content that not only builds anticipation but also drives ticket sales and attendee engagement.

11. Retargeting potential and past attendees

Retargeting is a powerful strategy where you re-engage individuals who have previously interacted with your brand. You can use tracking technology (usually cookies or pixels) to follow users after they leave a website and then display targeted ads to them on other websites or social media platforms. You can also retarget people who have attended previous events.

Here are some ways to make your retargeting super valuable: 

• Set a cap on the ad frequency so as not to overspend or overwhelm them.
• Segment past attendees according to the type of event they attended to retarget the right crowd and tailor your messaging accordingly.
• A/B test your retargeting Ad campaigns using Eventbrite’s marketing tools.
• Avoid retargeting ticket holders by using conversion and exclusion tracking pixels. Conversion pixels let you know when someone has bought a ticket, and exclusion pixels exclude them from your campaigns.

Once you’ve launched your event, you need to keep up the momentum with your post-launch marketing.

Post-launch marketing 

As your event approaches, amp up the momentum by running paid campaigns and incentivizing attendee referrals.

12. Paid promotion

Whether it’s paid social media advertising, Google Ads, or retargeting, now’s the time to put cash behind your campaign. Paid promotions are a great way to reach a wider audience in the lead-up to your event, and there are a few ways you can make yours even more effective:

• Add countdown-style copy to let attendees know that it’s their last chance to grab tickets
• Invest in high-quality images or graphics that grab your audience’s attention.
• Create “lookalike audiences,” like those offered by Facebook Event Ads, to find audiences that match your current customers, and target them with your ads.
• Place native ads on high-traffic industry websites or blogs that align with your event’s theme. Native ads blend seamlessly with content, making them less intrusive and more engaging.

You could concentrate your spend just a couple of weeks before each early bird offer, or a few days before your event launch. 

Before running paid promotions, you’ll want to know that your efforts will pay off — that’s why Eventbrite Ads is a powerful tool. In fact, Aykut Events used Eventbrite Ads to get a 488% return on their ad spend. 

Eventbrite Ads allows you to promote your event directly within the Eventbrite platform, targeting highly relevant audiences who are already searching for events. You can target them based on factors like what they’re searching for and where they’re located, so that you only go after the most relevant and interested audience. Here’s an example of what one can look like, right at the top of a relevant search:

Combine this with smart social media ads to reallocate your budget to the audience segments bringing in the most clicks, engagement, and sales. For more tips on paid promotion, check out our complete digital marketing guide.

13. Attendee referrals

Many organizers focus solely on bringing in new attendees, forgetting that they have a strong network of potential advocates that they can already tap into. Here are some ways to bring in plenty of high-quality referrals:

• Leverage word-of-mouth marketing: Encourage existing attendees to promote your event by offering incentives, such as referral fees, to motivate them.
• Use Eventbrite’s affiliate tools: Create promotional tracking links for affiliates to easily monitor who is driving ticket sales.
• Amplify with social media: Combine referral efforts with your social media campaigns to expand the reach of personal referrals.
• Integrate referral incentives into your marketing strategy: Use attendee networks to make your promotions more personal and effective.
• Boost sales and engagement: This strategy not only increases ticket sales but also strengthens engagement within your event community.

By integrating referral incentives into your broader marketing strategy, you can leverage your attendees’ networks, making your promotional efforts more personal and effective. This strategy not only boosts ticket sales but also deepens engagement with your event community.

Post-event marketing

After your event, your marketing strategy doesn’t stop — make sure to use positive reviews and photos to sell your next event.

14. Use existing materials to market your next event

In the lifecycle of event marketing, your previous event can fuel your next — so make sure to utilize your material. Positive reviews are an excellent way to encourage attendees to purchase tickets for your next event, so sending out post-event feedback surveys to attendees should form part of your event marketing strategy. 

Here are a few more advanced strategies for how to build on your past success:

• Create a highlight reel: Compile the best moments from your previous event into a short, engaging video. Share it on your website, social media, and email campaigns to generate excitement for your next event.
• Develop case studies: Turn positive reviews and attendee feedback into detailed case studies that highlight the value and success of your event. Share these with potential sponsors, partners, and attendees.
• Incorporate testimonials into future marketing: Feature testimonials from satisfied attendees in your promotional materials, landing pages, and social media ads for your next event to build trust and credibility.

Showcasing the success of previous events — and how much attendees enjoyed them — is a surefire way to increase demand for your next event.

15. Refine your event marketing strategy

Whether you’re planning your pre-event launch or creating an early bird buzz, the roadmap above can help you shape and structure your event marketing strategy.

To refine your marketing strategy for your next event, take a look at what went well and what could be improved next time with our tips below.

• Post-event surveys: One of the best ways to assess the success of your event is to pay attention to attendee surveys — so make sure you send your post-event surveys out a few days after the event. What did attendees most enjoy? What would they like to experience more of next time? You might also want to ask your event partners — either with a survey or informally by email, depending on how many brands or influencers you partnered with — similar questions, so you can build on what went well next time.
• Attendee analytics: Alongside post-event attendee surveys, it’s also useful to take a look at the source of your sales. Did most ticket sales come from a particular demographic? If so, how can you better target that demographic next time? Did you generate a lot of sales after a specific social media ad campaign, or did the majority of registrations come from attendees with an influencer discount code?

Understanding the source of your sales and audience demographics is key to refining your marketing strategy and boosting your success for your next event. Eventbrite’s real-time analytics are an excellent way to assess your marketing efforts — giving you actionable insights into your audience profiles, ticket sales, and conversions.

Get the most out of your event marketing strategy efforts

Putting together an effective event marketing strategy certainly takes time and work. But it’ll pay off as soon as you see the excited attendees coming through your doors. That’s what makes it all worth it to us, anyway.

If you’re ready to market your own event, download our event marketing template at the top of the page! It’s a complete template that allows you to plan out your entire event marketing process, from pre-launch social media research to post-event refining.