You’ve opened your eyes to the growing trend of influencer marketing, and now you’re wondering how to organise blogger events so you can get in on the action.
Read this article to learn…
- What to think about before planning the event
- How to plan the blogger and influencer event
- How to secure VIP guests and sponsorships
- Ways to engage with your attendees during the event
Have a clear goal in mind
The bloggers you invite to your event will be treated to a (hopefully) great experience that they can write about afterwards. But you should also have a clear goal for the event.
Let’s have a look at some of the ways your business can benefit from blogger events.
1. Written reviews and backlinks
One of the most obvious ways you can benefit is for the bloggers to write about your business and link to your website from their blog. Backlinks from bloggers will boost your website’s SEO.
2. Video reviews
Many bloggers also make videos (or vlogs) for social media platforms. A two-minute video shoutout to your business can bring you lots of exposure if the vlogger has a large following.
3. Social mentions
You don’t even need written or video reviews of your business to gain exposure. A simple tweet or status update with your business tagged can widen your online reach considerably.
4. Networking opportunities
Your blogger event is also an excellent opportunity for you to build long-term relationships with bloggers and influencers. These relationships will help your marketing strategy in the long run.
5. Marketing collateral
Take a lot of photos and videos of your blogger event. You can use these as collateral for your online marketing campaigns. Remember to tag the bloggers in your posts for extra exposure.
6. Good causes
Finally, you can use the blogger event to promote a good cause. Many influencers want to align themselves with charities, so you can also use it as a selling point for your blogger event.
How to plan blogger events
A successful blogger event will require meticulous planning on your part. Not only will you have to plan everything else related to an event, but you also have to secure influencer guests.
See what’s involved in planning a blogger event here below.
1. Timeline
Pick a date for your event that’s far enough in the future that you have time to plan properly. Map out everything that needs to happen between now and the day of your event.
2. Budget
Set an approximate budget for all the event activities, and allow for a small buffer in case things go south. Include any potential revenue streams, such as merchandise sales and sponsorships.
3. Venue
Choose a unique venue that will appeal to the influencers you want to attend. If your business already operates out of a venue, you can save some money by hosting the event there.
4. Theme
Decide on an event theme that appeals to the bloggers and influencers, but make sure it is also in line with your brand.
How to secure VIP guests and sponsorships
You now need to court influencers and get them interested in your event. (It’s also a good idea to partner up with other businesses who might be interested in the event attendees.)
1. Shortlist bloggers
Use social media tools to find influencers in your niche. Shortlist the ones you feel could benefit your brand the most. Evaluate whether they will realistically be interested in attending your blogger event.
2. Connect on social media
It’s a good idea to connect with the bloggers on social media before you send out the official invitation. That way, they’re more likely to notice and respond to your invitation.
3. Send out event invitations
Design an event invitation with a site like Canva. Include all relevant details, such as time, date, location, and purpose of the event. Then send it out to everyone on your shortlist.
4. Use a ticketing platform
A good way to keep tabs on who has RSPV’d to your event is to use a ticketing platform. Even if your event is free to attend, you can gain valuable insights from the platform’s analytics.
5. Leverage attendees
Many bloggers and influencers hang out in the same social circles. Once you’ve secured a few notable guests for your event, don’t be afraid to ask them to nudge their buddies.
6. Follow up
The people you want to attend your event will likely be in high demand. If you haven’t received a response to your invite, feel free to follow up with a kind reminder about your blogger event.
7. Partner up with other businesses
You’re not the only business interested in courting bloggers and influencers. Use your event as an opportunity to partner up with businesses who might be interested in sponsoring your event.
What to include in blogger events
You could easily put together a successful event and have people mingle around some good food and plenty of booze. But there are better ways to engage your event attendees.
Let’s look at some ways you can make the most out of your blogger event.
1. Talks and presentations
Bloggers, just like other writers, love a good story. Introduce them to your event and your business by taking them on a journey they can later write blogs and create vlogs about.
2. Classes and workshops
A great way to engage your influencer attendees and give them something to tweet about is to introduce them to a new concept. Give them a masterclass in what your business does best.
3. Live demos
Show your attendees what your business does by treating them to a free session. Host a food tasting if you run a restaurant or give out free facials or manicures if you run a beauty salon.
4. Q&A sessions
Your attendees may have questions for you after hearing your talk, learning what you do, and trying out your product or service. Host a Q&A session and make sure you record it.
5. Interviews
Make sure you’re able to facilitate private interviews at the event. There’s a good chance attending bloggers will be interested in interviewing you or your business partners about your vision.
Reach out to those VIPs
Influencer marketing is not going away anytime soon. That’s because it’s a natural extension of word-of-mouth marketing.
Organising blogger events can help you massively increase the online profile of you and your business, so it’s definitely a worthwhile pursuit.
Know any bloggers or influencers? Let us know in the comments!