How many times have you said ‘I didn’t even know that was happening’?

The last thing you don’t want is for people to say the same about your event. Marketing is a key element to the success of your event and there are many different avenues open to you – just make sure you have budgeted for it.

• Visit Isle of Wight – get in touch with as soon as possible – ideally at the planning stage. The PR team there is contacted on a daily basis by specialist bloggers, publications, regional, national and international media outlets, all wanting to know what is going on here. If you don’t tell Visit Isle of Wight, you are missing out on one of the largest (and FREE) ways of getting your event noticed!

• The events page on VisitIsleOfWight.co.uk – one of the most visited pages of the Island’s number one destination website. It is absolutely FREE to add your event to the website (other free online events listing websites are available). Follow this link: https://www.visitisleofwight.co.uk/information/submit-event

• Sell the ‘getaway’ experience – the fact that your event is on the beautiful Isle of Wight shouldn’t be forgotten. Visitors can come to your event and have the added benefit of seeing some of this incredible Island. Encourage your attendees to stay for a night or two, or three or longer and make the most of the fact that they are here. Buy a ticket to our event and get the rest Isle of Wight thrown in for free – an offer not to be missed!

• PR – you can do this yourself, if you are confident in what you are doing. There are PR companies who will take this on for you (normally at a price), however they tend to be best placed to know where and when to send press releases. Done by yourself, PR is free, but make sure you are targeting the right organisations; newspapers, specialist magazines, radio, TV and online outlets all want quality content – and it could be your event that features.

• Advertising – look at your budget. How much can you spend? Get in contact with a media organisation – don’t be afraid, they will be more than happy to take a call that will result in money for them – and it could result in further additional publicity in the form of accompanying editorial for you. They will normally help you create your advert too.

• Social media – increasingly, the world is alerted to your existence through social media. However, creating a Facebook page for your event just won’t cut it. Your outward facing ‘persona’ and imagery on social media has to be correct too – it could be aspirational, inspirational, factual or fun – as long as it is appealing to your targeted audience! Microsoft Publisher did a nice line in posters, but it isn’t 1998 anymore… use images, video or sound to create the greatest impact. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tic Toc, LinkedIn – the list is endless, so choose the ones that will work best for your audience. There are social media companies on the Isle of Wight who can help you create your online presence and suggest timelines and avenues to follow.

• Be aware of emailing – with the introduction of GDPR in May 2019, stringent data protection rules apply and sending unsolicited emails can now result in a fine. Make sure that your email list consists of addresses of people who have signed up to receive information from you!

• Competitions and giveaways – who doesn’t like free things? A competition or giveaway is a fantastic way to gain publicity and will invariably generate a positive feeling towards your event.

• Don’t stop marketing on the day – make sure that you are maintaining an online ‘buzz’ about your event while it is going on. If you are thinking about holding another similar event, get pictures/video/sound/testimonials so you have something to use in the future!