So you’ve lined up the most amazing speaker for your next event and fired out the invites. Fantastic! The registrations are sure to fly in, right? Unfortunately it’s not that easy anymore. These days planners have to do a lot of convincing to excite and inspire invitees to click on the register button. It’s all about creating buzz, building momentum and making sure they get that FOMO feeling. Here are some easy tips to help get more sign ups…

#Label

A hashtag specifically for your event is your first step to increasing attendee participation. The correct hashtag can magnify social buzz and help boost attendance numbers. Try to keep it short, unique, but most importantly, relevant. Yours will allow you to join relevant conversations and threads of attendees and the event industry.

Spread the word

Your chosen hashtag won’t be used on Twitter alone. Everyone from Facebook, Google, Pintrest, Tumblr and Instagram have implemented their use. Share it across all media sites accompanied by a link to your speaker page on your event website. You want invitees to get talking online, to voice their concerns and questions. Your speaker can also use this opportunity to customise the angle to take to motivate your attendees. They can only do this correctly by getting to know their audience.

Infiltrate the Speaker Club

Your speaker will have their own fans, followers and contacts, so encourage them to promote your event. Their social reach will not only pick up potential new attendees. This will gain your event wider recognition but also advertise themselves as a sought after speaker. Encourage them to use it to their advantage to achieve a larger audience who, if impressed, will add to their growing fanbase. Don’t forget to tag them in tweets and statuses to share!

More than just a bio!

The majority of your invitees will have to visit your event website for either registration or to see the agenda. It may be your only direct chance to engage them with your speaker. You’ve got a dedicated page with speaker photos and short bios set up. But don’t just stop there. Try sourcing some speaker videos so that your invitees are visually engaged. Or some interesting articles that they’ve written. And don’t forget to add your speaker’s social links to get everyone acquainted.

Pick your plus 1, or 2, or 3

You want your event to be talked about. So how are you going to get some recognition? We suggest getting in touch with your  local journalists and bloggers to tell them all about your event. Offer them the inside scoop on the most anticipated event of the season. Or let them host an special interview session with your speaker before the event. It’s a win-win for everyone!