Event listings websites form a fundamental part of any event web marketing strategy. Free listing services like Yelp, Qype (in Europe), Upcoming, Eventful, LastFM and dozens more offer event promoters usage of an enormous local and global audience that could reach over 78 million event-goers monthly. With this sort of reach, it’s fundamental that promoters take advantage of this free promotion method.
The professionals are obvious – free of charge, promoters have access to many new channels for marketing event information, ticket links and artist lineups. This may drive awareness, attendance and, critically, ticket sales. By piggy-backing about the popularity of many of the world’s top event sites, event organisers can overcome relative obscurity particularly with brand-new events. You can find, however, some downsides. Adding listings to these sites is time consuming, taking up hours or even days depending on the quantity of events and the way many sites are used. Additionally, sometimes editorial restrictions for the individual listing sites make it tough to categorise events properly and premium content can steal away reader attention.
In order to use listing sites as effectively as possible, promoters should think about these:
Ensuring your events are properly categorised:
Always tag your events with many different specific keywords. Don’t merely use terms like ‘music’ or ‘gig,’ attempt to delve into minor genres and make use of artist names, venue names and locations to help you searchers at the same time.
When there’s no field for tags when submitting your event, include it in a email on the listing site editor, or add tags for the event description. There is no part of listing your event on listings sites if there is no-one to think it is!
Making your event stand out:
Always use an image and ensure it matches the editorial criteria in the listing site (some sites require large images, some small, plus some a particular size ratio). Listings with photos less difficult more prone to attract reader attention
Always incorporate a ticket link. If someone is browsing a listings site and finds your event, you would like to help it become relatively easy so they can attend.
Use lists or bullet points when describing case or lineup. Big blocks of text are difficult you just read and off-putting for readers around the listings sites.
Time efficiency:
Seek out internet marketing software for event owners that enables promoters to automatically post event listings to 40+ sites at the same time, meaning you only list your event details once and the rest are posted automatically. Here is the most reliable and efficient approach to list events online
Offer internships. Many the younger generation are curious about entering the events and entertainment space and therefore are ready to benefit really low stipends to add event make an effort to their resume. Get interns to assist with event listings as well as in return offer them the chance to get involved in other areas of your event work
Pick the best listings sites and overlook the others. While this means you’ll lose out on a number of the web audience of event-goers, you’ll save time by picking the top Four or five sites relevant to your events.
Never underestimate the price of free listings sites – there is no better way, free of charge, to reach a sizable audience of internet readers looking for events – who you need to reach! Try adding your event to free listings sites and see which of them work best for the events.
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