Can Holding An Event Have Any SEO Benefit For A Business?

If you are running a business in this day and age, you probably already know the importance of having a strong digital presence. But this does not stop with having a visually attractive website and social media pages, you also have to make sure people can find you.

This can be achieved by utilising SEO strategies such as optimising your website, producing valuable content, guest blogging, and link building. These are the usual steps most companies do to increase web traffic. But do you know that another great technique that can provide amazing SEO benefits is to host your own event?

A lot of business owners tend to forget the many benefits of holding an event to promote their businesses as they would prefer to focus on digital marketing. However, what you may not realise is that you can hit two birds with one stone because when you hold an event, you can reap the benefits of face-to-face marketing while improving your online presence at the same time. 

Generate Press Coverage

Hosting an event is always an opportunity to generate free media coverage. You can send out a press release to announce your event, invite press people and bloggers to attend and cover your event, and also send out post-event stories. Majority of newspapers and magazines have online versions too so this is still in line with your digital marketing and SEO strategy . When journalists write about your event whether in print or online, you are already expanding your reach and the chances of increasing your web traffic are much higher.

The key to having the media write up about your event is to make sure you are offering something unique. Just announcing the launch of your new product line, for example, will not gain much attention as this will only be seen as an advertisement. Many journalists either avoid these hard-sell events or even if they come, they’re probably just there for the drinks and will not write about your event, much less your product.

To spark the media’s interest, make sure there is something newsworthy to write about. Do you have a local celebrity in attendance? Are you aiming for a Guinness World Record? Or maybe you’re awarding inspiring leaders in your community? These are just some examples of how you can position your event to make it interesting for journalists.

Create Social Media Buzz

Social media visibility is another great tool to increase your SEO ranking. When you hold an event, you have the unique opportunity to have all the attendees talk about you all at the same time. It may sound simple but the reality is, just because your guests attended the event, it does not follow that they will automatically talk about it. So how do you encourage them to talk about you on their social media pages? Here are some helpful tactics.

Provide fast Wi-Fi and log-in stations

Having a fast and reliable internet connection during your event can increase the chances that your guests will tweet and post about it. It will also be useful to have a few log-in stations with laptops or tablets for guests who may not have their smartphones with them (just in case!). You can also use these devices to encourage people to sign-up for your newsletter so you can build your database. Just make sure to always secure your laptops and tablets during the event to avoid a data breach.  

Create an event hashtag

Having an event hashtag will make it easier for you to track which guests are talking about your event on their social media pages. Don’t make your hashtag too long or too complicated but you must also make sure your event hashtag is unique. For example, if you are hosting a food festival, just using #foodfestival can be very generic and someone surely has used it before. Try to include your brand in the hashtag so you can actually own the hashtag.

When your guests use your hashtag or mention you in their social media posts, don’t forget to like and interact with their post. This is a great way to increase engagement.

Have something Instagrammable

Many people have become very selective on what to post in their Instagram feed or even in their IG Stories. Make your guests want to take photos by providing interesting details at your event. If you do not have a celebrity in attendance, you can compensate by having photogenic spaces or holding your event in a breath-taking venue.

Depending on the nature of your event, you can have interactive stations, unique freebies, and other visual gimmicks to make them want to snap a pic. It can even be as simple as setting up a well-lit photo wall in the reception area so your guests know where to take photos. These are examples of smart techniques to keep your guests engaged while they are at the event.

Produce Amazing Content Opportunities

Your event can also be a great source when you are producing your own content. Aside from the pre-event announcements and post-event press release, there are many different content opportunities that you can maximise. Here are some examples. 

Guest Image Gallery

You can hire an event photographer to take professional looking pictures of your attendees and post them on your website and social media pages. Tag your attendees or send an email with the link so they can grab, retweet, or share the photos.

Interactive Polls

Hold a poll during the event about an industry-related issue. It can be something really trivial or serious, but make sure it is relevant and timely. Post the result of the poll in your website with a brief write-up about it. This can be a great Facebook post, and if you have a good topic, it can even go viral.

Videos

Many experts agree that 90% of communication is visual. Instead of just writing up a post-event PR story, consider shooting a video with highlights of your event. Because HD cameras and editing software programs are very accessible nowadays, you don’t even need to spend a lot of money to produce a short video. You can even utilise the LIVE function of YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram to broadcast a live feed of your event!

Increasing your Online and Offline Presence

Holding an event is highly beneficial in improving your presence online and offline. It can be a part of a 360-degree integrated marketing effort that will surely help your business gain more eyeballs and generate more traffic