- Offer a special deal for people attending the event. That’ll encourage people to get in touch.
- Consider using an alternative to a business card — try these ideas for size.
- Hand out flyers with a treasure map that leads people to your stand or product. Check out these awesome flyer templates!
Draw people in with food. Like we were saying, people love getting free stuff — especially if it’s tasty food!- Get involved on social media in real-time during the event. Make sure to use a hashtag, and for extra points tag or mention the organizers or participants.
- Consider hanging out personalized bags with your brand on them. If people are getting lots of flyers and other papers, they’ll need somewhere to keep them – and your brand’s bags are just the spot!
Remember to keep things authentic. Lots of brands do really crazy, out-there stuff, but gimmicks can backfire if you’re not careful. Stick to what you think will work for our brand.- Hand out samples of your product if you can. It’s easier to convince someone to buy something they already know they like!
- Keep a close eye on the competition. What are they doing?
- Follow up after the event. A lot of the time, people go home from an event with approximately a million business cards and no clue who they belong to.
Are there drinks or parties after the event? If so, you definitely want to be there! It’s a great chance to chat to people in a less formal setting and get to know them better.- Are there brands you admire going to the same event? Talk to their representatives! Even better: have ideas for how you might be able to join forces and work together.
- Practice what you’re going to say beforehand. That goes for everyone, from event speakers down to people who are there to network. Practice makes perfect!
- Think about hosting your own event for your brand. It can be a good way to establish your brand as a leading voice.
See if you can team up with another brand to cross-promote. The classic example of this is Heinz ketchup promoting Ore-Ida french fries on bottle labels. Can you pair up with a partner brand?- Make a point of talking to people one-on-one. This will make you and your brand more memorable!
- Have a giant game for people to play. It sounds silly, but these have been a bit hit at lots of events recently, from giant Angry Birds to giant ping pong!
- For a multi-day event, give away your freebies on the second day of the event. A lot of brands do it right away on the first day, so you can stand out by doing things a bit differently.
- Hand out free T-shirts at the event. Whether people wear them at the event or later it doesn’t matter — it’s free advertising either way!
- Pass out something for your brand (flyers, sweets, discounts, samples – anything, really) outside a big event…even if you aren’t attending the event. Say you have a T-shirt company.
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Tips to Creatively Promote Your Brand at Events
