Event Promotion Tools
Which tools do you need to promote an event?
Event promotion tools are the software you use to tell people about an event and move them to register. They fall into a handful of categories: email, social media, an event landing page, ticketing links, QR codes and paid advertising. You rarely need all of them.
This guide explains what each category does, how to choose between them for your event and which parts Eventdex covers. It is a companion to the event promotion ideas guide, which covers what to say, and the event marketing plan, which covers when.
Updated by the Eventdex team
4.7/5 from 39 reviews on each
The main types of event promotion tools
Start by looking at what job each tool does. Most events need one tool for each of the first three rows and add the rest when there is a reason.
| Category | What it does | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Reaches people who already know you, with reminders and invitations | Past attendees, members, customers, speakers' lists | |
| Event landing page | Gives every channel one place to send people, with the details and a register button | Every event |
| Ticketing and registration links | Turns interest into a registration or purchase | Paid or capacity-limited events |
| Social media tools | Posts and schedules updates where your audience already is | Events with public reach |
| QR codes | Link printed or on-screen material to the page | Posters, flyers, slides, badges |
| Paid advertising | Buys reach beyond your own lists | Events that need new audiences and have a budget |
Email tools
Email is usually the first and most dependable channel, because the audience has already chosen to hear from you. The tool needs to schedule sends, use templates and reach the right list.
Eventdex's event planning page describes email campaigns with your own templates, scheduled ahead or sent at once, to your attendees or a Mailchimp list. Its ticketing page describes designing and sending targeted email campaigns through integrations with marketing platforms. If you already use a dedicated email platform, keep it and link it to your registration page.
What to look for
Templates, scheduling, list segments, a way to see who registered and a way to stop sending to people who already have.
Use it for
Save-the-date, invitation, reminder, last-chance and logistics emails. See the invitation email template guide.
Event invitation email template
Event landing page and ticketing links
Every other tool points here, so make it work before you spend on anything else. A page needs the date, place, agenda or speakers, price and one clear register button.
Eventdex's pages describe branded event pages with a registration button and ticketing with payment gateways. The ticketing page also describes sharing event links on social media. Eventdex does not say it will host or write your wider website, so confirm how the event page fits with your own site.
How to choose event promotion tools
Pick tools from your plan, not from a feature list. A short sequence works for most teams.
Set the goal and the audience
How many registrations, from whom. Past attendees need email, new audiences need reach.
Fix the landing page first
Every channel depends on it, so get registration working before promotion starts.
Choose one owned channel and one reach channel
For example email plus social, or email plus paid. Add more only when you can run them well.
Check that tools connect
Registration data should flow to your email list, and links should be trackable by source.
Set a budget and a review date
Decide in advance when you will check results and what you will cut or add.
A starter stack by event type
These are planning suggestions, not product specifications. Adjust them to your audience.
| Event | Start with | Add if needed |
|---|---|---|
| Internal or member event | Email and landing page | QR codes on posters |
| Paid conference | Landing page, ticketing, email | Social posts, paid ads, speaker kits |
| Free webinar | Landing page, email reminders | Social posts, partner emails |
| Trade show or expo | Landing page, email to exhibitors' contacts | Social, QR codes on signage, paid ads |
| Fundraising gala | Personal invitations, email, landing page | Social posts, QR codes on invitations |
Measure what each tool brings
Use a separate link or code for each channel so you can see where registrations come from. Eventdex's ticketing page says organizers can track the success of promotional efforts, and its reports describe registration and sales data. Compare the sources weekly and move effort to those that bring registrations.
Measure and plan
The event marketing plan guide covers goals and timelines, and the ROI guide covers what to count.
Event marketing plan
The Eventdex platform
Promotion tools inside the platform
- Event ticketing softwareBranded event pages, ticket types and QR-code tickets.Learn more about Event ticketing software
- Event registration softwareRegistration forms, confirmations and attendee data.Learn more about Event registration software
- Event planning softwarePlan the event and send email campaigns from templates.Learn more about Event planning software
- Event analyticsRegistration and sales reporting for your event.Learn more about Event analytics
“Very smooth... Liked selecting meetings and blocking off time. Amazing! Would use again! ... I met with the people I wanted to meet and appreciated the option to read the profiles and decline meetings if someone would not be a good fit.”
University at Buffalo
Eversource Energy
Georgia Tech
Influence Communications
FAQ
Event Promotion Tools: common questions
What are event promotion tools?
They are the software you use to get an event in front of the right people and move them to register: email tools, a landing page, ticketing and registration links, social media tools, QR codes and paid advertising platforms.
What is the best tool to promote an event?
There is no single best one. A clear landing page with a register button is the foundation, and email is usually the first channel to add because it reaches people who already know you. Then choose a reach channel that fits your audience and budget.
Do I need paid ads to promote an event?
Not always. Many events fill through email, partners and social posts. Paid ads help when you need to reach new audiences and have a budget to test. Eventdex's pages do not describe running ads, so you would buy them from the ad platforms.
Which promotion tools does Eventdex cover?
Eventdex's pages describe branded event pages, ticketing, registration, email campaigns with templates, event links for social media and tracking. They do not describe publishing social posts or running paid ad campaigns for you.
How do QR codes help promote an event?
They link posters, flyers, slides and signs to your registration page, so people can sign up straight from a phone. Give each placement its own code or link so you can see which one works.
How many tools should I start with?
Start with a landing page, a way to register and one email list. Add social media or paid ads once those work and you have the time to run them well.
Promote and sell tickets with Eventdex
Start with a free interactive floor plan, or talk to an event specialist on +1 (866) 434-5088.
Social media, QR codes and paid ads
These widen the reach once the basics are in place.
Social media tools
A scheduler and a content calendar help with regular posting. Eventdex's pages describe sharing event links on social media and tracking promotional efforts, but they do not describe publishing to social networks on your behalf, so use your usual social tool for the posts themselves.
QR codes
A QR code on a poster, flyer, slide or sign takes people straight to the registration page. Test each code on a phone and use a trackable link so you can see which placement works.
QR codes for eventsPaid advertising
Search and social ads reach people who do not know you yet. Eventdex's pages do not describe running ad campaigns. Buy them through the ad platforms and send the clicks to your event page.