This post takes a look at one of the most powerful tools companies like yours have for generating new business – hosting an event. Whether it is a webinar of your own, an in person event at the office, or a fun outing, hosting an event gives you the chance to present your value proposition in an engaging way and jump start sales conversations.

Business events come in a slew of different shapes and sizes, but there are a few basics to consider: Will your event be in-person, or hosted via a webinar? Do you plan on giving a formal presentation, or would you rather host a more casual, round table networking event?

Regardless of the type of event, there are several key components of a full-fledged campaign that you will need to keep in mind as you begin building the structure of your campaign.

Getting the word out
Of course, you will first need to get the word out about your event so that you have attendees. You’ll need to put together an email template that you can send to your desired contacts in order to collect RSVPs. This should include a call to action button that will direct interested parties to a landing page where they can register. You’ll need to be sure that your registration form captures all of the information you need to collect – If this is a lunch and learn, do they need to select a meal? If this is a webinar, will you be presenting at multiple times to accommodate attendee’s busy schedules? If so, you’ll need to include a meal choice or time slot choice in the form.

Social posts
If your event is open to anyone who’d like to attend, social posts are an excellent way to supplement your email campaign. These posts should also include a link to the landing page. Encourage your social followers and connections to spread the word to their network so fresh prospects can sign up if their interest is piqued. Of course, if you are only inviting a select group – say, this is an event open only to your VIP clients – you’ll want to stick to a campaign, at least digitally. We’ll look at the phone call element shortly, which is another important piece.

Send reminder emails
Your job is of course not done once you’ve launched the campaign! You’ll want to remind those who haven’t signed up of the value in doing so – Put together email templates that remind your contacts they still have time to sign up to attend.

For those who have signed up, make sure to send an email thanking them for their RSVP, and include any relevant additional information. Depending on the lead time, you may want to send multiple sets of reminders to each group. Whether you choose to send a ‘day of’ reminder would be dependent on the nature of the event. A webinar can, of course, take last-minute registrants, whereas a  lunch and learn or dinner event likely would need more notice. You can of course still plan to send a ‘day of’ reminder to those who have already registered, regardless of the nature of the event.

Megan Cramer is a Marketing and Sales Enablement Consultant at Mindmatrix, providing strategic consultation on marketing and sales best practices, assisting with technical needs, and interfacing with leaders in our organization to help develop new processes and program additions to best serve our clients.