Post-Event Engagement: How to Build Your Audience

Congratulations! Your big event was a success. The crowd cheered, the music played, and everyone had a fantastic time. But wait, your work isn’t quite done yet. 

It’s time to talk about the importance of post-event engagement and why it’s crucial to keeping that crowd engaged long after the curtain call and looking out for your next big show.

As an event organizer, you know that the work doesn’t end when the lights go down. Post-event engagement is a key part of the puzzle. It’s what will set your events apart, creating a lasting impression and building a loyal community. 

So, let’s dive into the world of post-event activities, explore why they are so important, and spotlight how they can power up your event planning game.

Photo by Tanner Ross on Unsplash

Why is Post-Event Engagement Important? 

The buzz after a successful event is an incredible feeling, and you want to bottle that energy and keep it alive. This is where a well-thought-out post-event engagement strategy comes into play. 

Post-event engagement is all about continuing the conversation and keeping your attendees excited, even after the main event has ended. 

The good news is, you’ve already wowed your audience. Now it’s about building a community, gaining valuable feedback, and creating long-lasting relationships. By staying connected, you can: – 

• Maintain the Excitement: Keep your event top of mind. This helps build a loyal following that will eagerly await your next big idea.
• Gain Valuable Insights: Post-event feedback is a goldmine of information. It helps you understand what worked, what could be improved, and what your attendees truly want. 
• Build a Community: Creating a sense of community or belonging keeps people engaged. It also encourages word-of-mouth promotion. People love to share their experiences with others – especially if they are awesome concerts or super funny comedy shows. 
• Increase Brand Awareness: Consistent post-event communication strengthens your brand and keeps it at the forefront of people’s minds. This awareness will benefit future events. Meaning tickets don’t stay in your hands for as long. 

Band plays a show on a small festival stage. Image from Pixabay. 

6 Awesome Ideas for Your Post-Event Engagement Strategy

That all sounds like a great idea, right? But where do you even start with continuing to engage your audience after an event? 

You need a post-event engagement plan. Don’t worry, just like with our Organizer tool, we can help you make the most of that post-event hubbub. Here are some ideas to get you started: 

1. Immediate Follow-Up

It may seem super simple (and it is), but a heartfelt thank you goes a long way. 

Send personalized thank-you emails to attendees and performers within 24-48 hours. We can help you schedule these emails right after the event, making it easy and efficient.

But you don’t need to leave it at personalized emails, take the conversation to your socials too, and post a thank you message there. Just like Driveway Comedy Show did here… 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C9QLdTSyzBV/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

2. Share Event Highlights

Speaking of socials, you can keep the buzz from your event going by sharing recap videos, photo albums, or even behind-the-scenes content on your social media channels. 

This will evoke fond memories and encourage sharing, extending the life of your event. – 

3. Encourage Newsletter Sign-ups

After an awesome event is the perfect time to grow your email list by promoting newsletter subscriptions. This way, you can keep everyone updated on future events and stay connected.

4. Regular Updates 

Now it’s about keeping your audience informed. Send out updates about upcoming events, exclusive content, and industry news to keep your audience engaged and excited. 

Just so you know, TickPick’s push notifications and SMS features are perfect for this.

5. Interactive Social Media Posts

We’ve already mentioned social media, but its power is worth talking about again. Plus, it’s not just ‘Thank You’ posts and event highlights that keep the engagement fire burning. 

You can keep the conversation going with polls, Q&As, and discussion prompts related to the event. This encourages engagement and provides you with all-important feedback from people who were there. One example of this might be a festival organizer sharing a post about how to remove your festival wristband.

As you can see, you can do more than just promote your events on social media. You can also leverage it to unlock the power of your audience

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0aSZB-p5tl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

6. Community Building

Create event-specific groups or pages on social media platforms like Facebook to foster a sense of community. This gives attendees a space to connect, share experiences, and stay engaged long-term.

Posting engaging content in these groups can help keep the conversation alive by giving people the opportunity to leave their opinions. 

Leveraging Feedback for Growth 

Feedback is an incredibly valuable tool. It provides insight into the attendee experience and helps you make data-driven decisions to improve future events. Here’s how to make the most of it: 

Collecting Feedback

Send out surveys and polls immediately after the event via email to gather feedback. Keep them concise and fun, and offer an incentive to complete them. Maybe some free merch or discounts on future tickets?

Alternatively, why not include feedback forms on your event website or app to make it easy for attendees to share their thoughts? This way, you can also capture insights from any attendees who attended, but you don’t have email addresses for. 

Analyzing Feedback

Don your finest snorkel and dive headfirst into the feedback data to identify trends and common themes. Look for strengths to build on and areas that need improvement. – 

Use tools to gauge overall attendee sentiment. This will help you understand the overall vibe, identify specific concerns or praises, and maybe start planning your budget for your next event.

Implementing Changes

Getting all that lovely feedback is one thing, but it’s about more than just using it to make yourself feel great about your awesome show. 

Now you need to convert any repeated thoughts into actions and prioritize changes that will improve future events. We’re talking about things like choosing the right venue for your event.

This is how event organizers understand how to better organize things like parking at Coachella or preparing people with information about essential items to take with them, like our guide to what to pack for Bottlerock.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6UG006vAEZ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Maintaining Long-Term Engagement

The days of printing out flyers and attaching them to every street light in the area are gone. It’s not just enough to engage your audience around the time of your big event; you need to keep that fire burning and aim for long-term engagement. 

One super successful way to do this is by offering early access to future event registrations or special content to keep your audience feeling valued and engaged. 

Or create and manage discussion forums where attendees can continue conversations and network long after the event has ended. This can also be an awesome way to generate user-generated content (UGC) – images and videos of your event from the perspective of your audience – for use across your socials. 

Additionally, why not offer tailored content or event recommendations based on attendees’ interests and feedback? This shows that you understand their preferences and are committed to providing value. 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9K4HqXpWKI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Why is Communication Important for an Event Planner?

Effective communication is the cornerstone of successful event planning. From coordinating with vendors and performers to engaging with attendees, clear and consistent communication ensures that everything runs smoothly. 

It also helps build trust and rapport with your audience, making them more likely to return for future events.

Generate Your Army with the TickPick Organizer App

Post-event engagement is not just an afterthought; it’s an essential part of your event strategy. 

By keeping the lines of communication open and continuously engaging with your audience, you can turn a one-time attendee into a lifelong fan. 

So, embrace the power of post-event engagement and watch your events flourish! Our Organizer App can help you do this by sending targeted emails, SMS, and push notifications to the right people at the right time. 

Check out how the TickPick Organizer Platform can help you ace your event and, ultimately, sell more tickets today.