There was an article published in the March/April 2023 issue of PCMA Convene Magazine written by Kimberly Hardcastle-Geddes called “How to Use Social Proof to Market Your Event.” Read the full article by clicking here. PodiatryMeetings.com was founded on this concept and we believe the power of reviews and testimonials can be the difference between a successful event and an epic event that our industry talks about for the rest of the year. The good news is – you already have everything you need. All you have to do is open the tap and let it flow.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know all about the power of “influencer marketing”. Think about your past events. Who are your repeat attendees? Who are the exhibitors that come every year without fail? When you read the surveys after the event, what are the positive messages? These people are your champions, your ambassadors, your “influencers”. Connect with them to see how you can benefit from working together. Invite them to be on a committee or council. Ask them to promote your organization and events on their social media profiles. Who in your industry is an up-and-comer? Who’s names do you keep seeing everywhere? Reach out to them – invite them to your event, or simply ask for 15 minutes of their time so you can understand your industry.
Are you looking for more exhibitors or sponsors for your event? Find out who they are talking to, reach out to those people and ask them to put in a good word if they can. Sarah and I have good working relationships with several organizations in this industry and we try to do this any chance we get. I’ve mentioned before, the number one question we get asked from exhibitors is, “what conferences should I go to?”
Podiatry is a family. We’re all friends here. Use your resources.
For some inspiration, here are a few highlights from the article…
“Bring in the experts (and celebrities). Industry luminaries are often thought of when creating speaker lineups and influencer marketing. But even if you’re not bringing them in as official influencers for your attendee-acquisition campaign, a few words of praise or simply having their names associated with your brand can go a long way.”
“Leveraging partner-in-promotion tactics, like scripted posts and images that make it easy for speakers, exhibitors, and even other attendees to promote their presence at your event, can also lead to more conversions.”
“Think of authoritative figures in your industry who can give your show their stamp of approval and feature their endorsement in your campaign materials.”
-Ann Dosen