When an event wraps up, the conversations, connections, and excitement don't have to end there. Post-event engagement is more important than ever in today's fast-paced digital landscape.
By maintaining momentum and staying connected with attendees, you can create a continuous loop of engagement that keeps your audience excited, strengthens relationships, and maximizes the return on your event investments. Here's how to build a year-round marketing machine that turns one-time attendees into a thriving community.
Capture and repurpose event content
Your event is a goldmine of content waiting to be rediscovered and repurposed. Every moment you've captured - photos, videos, speaker insights, panel discussions, and attendee feedback - can become the foundation for ongoing marketing. Create a content library to keep these resources organised and accessible for future campaigns. Here are a few ways to breathe new life into this content:
- Highlight reels and recap videos: Compile event footage into a highlight reel that shows the energy and value of your event. Share it across social channels, your website, or email newsletters to keep attendees reliving the experience.
- Blog posts and articles: Use key takeaways from speakers, panels, and sessions to create insightful blog posts or thought-leadership articles. This will keep the content circulating and establish your event as a credible knowledge source.
- Social media snippets: Short, memorable quotes from speakers or images from key moments make excellent social media content. Spread these snippets over time to keep the engagement steady and your event top of mind.
- Create a post-event podcast series: Turn speaker sessions, panel discussions, or attendee interviews into a podcast series. This allows audiences to revisit key insights and attracts new listeners interested in attending future events.
- Develop infographics for quick insights: Summarise important statistics, key takeaways, or session highlights in visually engaging infographics. Share these on social media or include them in post-event reports to provide value in a quick, digestible format.
By repurposing content, you turn each event into a consistent stream of value that continues to engage audiences long after the last session ends.
Nurture Relationships with personalized follow-up
Personalised communication is one of the most effective ways to maintain post-event engagement. Attendees appreciate the effort of a direct follow-up, and this personal touch can make them feel valued and more likely to engage with future events.
- Send thank-you emails: Start with a sincere email reflecting your gratitude for their participation. Include highlights from the event, memorable photos, or a special message from a keynote speaker.
- Personalise invitations: Go the extra mile by crafting customised invitations for VIP attendees, exhibitors, and loyal participants to your next event. Highlight what they enjoyed in previous events and preview what's in store.
- Segmented newsletters: Send targeted newsletters with content that matches attendee's interests, offering insights and topics related to the sessions they attended or the feedback they provided.
- Develop email drip campaigns with session highlights: Set up a post-event email series that delivers session highlights, quotes, or top moments. This not only reinforces key content but also nurtures attendees for future events.
Personalised follow-ups are a powerful way to solidify connections and make attendees feel seen and appreciated.
Create a community hub
Building a community around your event fosters ongoing interaction and keeps your audience connected between events. Establishing a space where attendees can engage and share ideas turns your event from a one-time occurrence into a community-driven experience.
- Social media groups: Platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn make creating groups dedicated to your event community easy. Members can share resources, post questions, and network with like-minded professionals here.
- Event forums or Slack channels: If your attendees are tech-savvy, consider creating a private Slack channel or an event forum. This virtual meeting space can be where attendees can discuss industry trends, upcoming events, or recent insights.
- Develop a resource hub on your website: Set up a resource hub with recordings, downloadable content, and exclusive resources from your event. Promote this hub in your communications so your audience knows where to access valuable information.
- Organize (monthly) virtual meetups: Keep the energy going with virtual meetups or Q&A sessions where attendees can reconnect, discuss industry trends, or dive deeper into popular topics from the event.
A dedicated community hub keeps your event's momentum alive and gives attendees a reason to stay engaged until the next event.
Extend value with educational content
The best way to keep attendees engaged is to position your event as an ongoing source of value and expertise. Providing continuous educational content ensures that your audience sees your event as more than a one-time experience.
- Host follow-up webinars: Building on popular event topics, webinars deepen attendees' knowledge while keeping them connected to your brand.
- Publish case studies: Share stories of how attendees or sponsors benefited from your event. Case studies act as both testimonials and educational content, showcasing real-world success.
- Distribute white papers and reports: Offer in-depth insights into industry trends or event-specific themes that align with the content of your recent event. Attendees value tangible, actionable information, and these resources can serve as valuable lead magnets.
Educational content builds authority and shows that your event is a dependable resource for industry knowledge.
Encourage user-generated content and social proof
User-generated content (UGC) adds authenticity to your marketing efforts and expands the reach of your post-event engagement. Encouraging attendees to share their experiences fosters a sense of community while gathering valuable social proof.
- Create an event hashtag: Encourage attendees to post photos, quotes, and stories using a unique event hashtag. This UGC can be reshared across your platforms to increase visibility.
- Feature attendee testimonials: Collect testimonials and feedback from attendees to use in marketing materials. Featuring real experiences builds credibility and invites others to engage.
- Host a post-event photo contest: Run a contest where attendees can submit their favourite event photos. Reward the winner with a ticket to the next event, offering a fun incentive for participants to relive and share their experiences.
Encouraging user-generated content helps your event engage new audiences while strengthening its reputation.
Launch early-bird campaigns and teasers for future events
Capitalise on the excitement from your recent event by previewing what's next. Early-bird campaigns and teasers can drive anticipation and boost early registrations, especially if you emphasize unique features or discounts.
- Early-bird pricing: Offer exclusive early-bird discounts as a thank-you for past attendees' loyalty. Make it clear that the best rates are available for a limited time.
- Preview future event themes: Share teaser content for your next event, including potential themes, speakers, or new event formats.
- Exclusive invitations: Send priority invitations to past attendees and event community members, offering them first access to register.
By harnessing the momentum of your recent event, you encourage attendees to commit early and generate excitement for what's to come.
Conclusion: make your event a year-round engagement machine
Post-event engagement is an invaluable part of a successful event strategy. By capturing content, nurturing relationships, building community, and encouraging user-generated engagement, you can transform a single event into a year-round engagement machine. This maximizes your event's impact, builds lasting relationships with attendees, and positions your event as a vital part of their professional journey.
As you build a year-round engagement strategy, remember that planning for post-event content and follow-up activities starts well before the event day. With our event software, you can seamlessly organise these activities - from scheduling content creation during your event to planning follow-ups that keep attendees engaged long after. Let our tools help you turn each event into an ongoing success story!
