Event Listings

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Event listings are an essential component of promoting any event, as they increase visibility, drive attendance, and help potential attendees find and learn about what it has to offer.

Posting your event on the right platforms increases the chance that your target audience sees it. To improve your searchability and appeal, and to optimise your listings, make sure to: 

  • create engaging descriptions 
  • use relevant keywords 
  • feature professional visuals.  

TIPS 

Benefits of event listings 

Listing your event on popular online platforms comes with many advantages. 

  • Some platforms or websites, such as Eventfinda and your regional tourism organisation’s events pages, may help you reach a large, active audience searching specifically for events. This can help you boost your reach beyond organic social media or email efforts. 
  • Event listings on these platforms can rank highly in search engines, helping your event show up in search results when people look for similar activities or locations. 
  • Many event listing websites offer tools to help your event reach specific demographics. 
Choosing the right platforms 

List your event on the platforms that are most relevant to your target audience.  

  • Regional or local event listing websites reach audiences looking for local events, making them ideal for small or community-focused events, through to large events. 
    • waikatonz.com - publish your upcoming event on eventfinda.co.nz for it to appear on the waikatonz.com website. Visit the Eventfinda ‘List your event’ web page for more information.  Once your event has been approved by the Eventfinda support team, it will automatically be listed on Eventfinda and waikatonz.com (allow 48 hours for the feed to update). 
    • What’s On Waipā - for Waipā events, list your event on the What’s On Waipa events calendar. 
    • Waikato District Council – for Waikato district events contact the council to add your event to the upcoming events calendar. 
    • Matamata-Piako District Council – for Matamata-Piako district events, advertise your event for free on the events calendar. Fill in the form on the contact us page to add your event.  
  • Event listing platforms can cover all types of events, giving you access to large audiences.  
    • Eventfinda is a national event listing site that offers local searchability and is widely trusted. 
    • Facebook Events has billions of active users and is a powerful platform for creating and promoting events. Facebook’s algorithm also pushes event reminders to users who have expressed interest. 
    • Eventbrite is one of the most popular platforms for event listings and ticket sales, offering built-in marketing tools, data analytics, and a large user base. 
    • Ticketmaster is a platform designed for larger events and is mainly used for music, sports, and entertainment events. 
Crafting an effective event listing 

You need to carefully design each element of your event listing on any given platform to draw interest, increase engagement, and make your event stand out. 

  • Your title should be clear, engaging, and descriptive - use words that highlight the unique aspects of your event. 
  • Start with a brief, enticing summary that captures attention, then dive into the details of your event with information such as location, date and time, highlights, activities, and any unique selling points. 
  • Include eye-catching visuals, such as high-quality photos of past events, the venue, promotional graphics with your event branding, or video uploads.  
  • Use keywords that align with what potential attendees might search for, such as “family-friendly,” or “networking event” to improve your listing’s page position or ranking on both the platform and in external search engines. 
  • Whether it’s “Reserve Your Spot” or “Buy Tickets”, a visible and straightforward Call-to-Action (CTA) guides potential attendees to take the next step.  
  • Clearly specify ticket information, including any early-bird deals, group discounts, or VIP packages. If it’s a free event, highlight this to encourage interest. 
SEO for event listings 

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) can significantly improve your event’s visibility on event listing platforms and search engines. 

  • Use geotags and location-specific keywords such as your city, suburb, or venue name to attract local searches (e.g. “Hamilton Arts Festival”). 
  • Include terms specific to your event’s theme, audience, or genre (e.g. a networking event could use phrases like “industry networking” or “business connection”). 
  • Many platforms allow you to link directly to your website or event page, which can improve your website SEO ranking.  
Event listing tools 

Event listing platforms offer tools and features to further enhance your event’s visibility and engagement. 

  • Paid options to “boost” your event’s visibility on the platform can be a worthwhile investment, especially on highly competitive platforms like Facebook Events. 
  • Platforms like Eventbrite offer analytics that track ticket sales, page views, and traffic sources, helping you understand what promotional methods are most effective. 
  • Encourage attendees to share your listing from the platform to social media or via email to help increase exposure. 
  • Send automated reminders to users who RSVP, helping ensure your event stays on their radar. 
Collaboration with influencers and partners 

Collaborating with influencers or event partners that align with your event’s theme can increase the reach of your event listing. 

  • Identify influencers who regularly attend or promote similar events and invite them to share your listing or post about it on their own channels. 
  • Reach out to local businesses, organisations or groups relevant to your event that may be interested in helping you promote to their networks. 
Measuring performance 

To gauge the effectiveness of each event listing, track performance metrics on each platform. Using these insights can help you refine your listing strategy for future events, focusing on the platforms that yield the best results. 

  • Check analytics to see which platforms drive the most traffic to your event page or website. 
  • Obtain engagement rate data on page views, shares, or RSVP rates. 
  • Measure the conversion rate – how many visitors from each platform actually register or purchase tickets for your event. 

USEFUL LINKS

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED?

  • Are there any local blogs or online noticeboards in your area that you could list your event on? 
  • How will you entice attendees with your event listing description? What are your event’s unique offerings? 
  • Don’t forget to list your event for free on waikatonz.com!