Paid Advertising

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Paid advertising is a powerful way to ensure your event attracts a wider audience, beyond organic reach.

Paid campaigns give you the flexibility to tailor your message, pinpoint specific demographics and utilise different platforms to target the right attendees. From social media ads to print promotions, paid advertising allows you to amplify your marketing efforts with measurable outcomes. 

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Social media advertising 

Social media platforms offer a vast range of paid advertising options that allow you to target audiences based on their interests, location, behaviour, and demographics.  

  • Facebook and Instagram ads can reach large, and diverse audiences: 
    • Target users by location, interests, demographics and behaviour – this is useful if you know your target audience’s characteristics. 
    • Ad options include single image ads, carousel ads, stories, and video ads. Visually appealing ads like carousels or short engaging videos perform well for events. 
    • Link directly to your event page on Facebook, where users can RSVP, get reminders, and share the event with friends. 
  • LinkedIn ads are ideal for professional or industry-focused events such as business conferences or networking events. LinkedIn allows you to target by job title, industry, and company size.  
    • Ad options include sponsored content, message ads (delivered directly to users’ inboxes) and dynamic ads that personalise based on user profiles. 
    • Promote your event directly on the platform, reaching professionals interested in similar industry topics. 
  • TikTok ads are ideal if your event targets younger demographics or creative audiences. TikTok ads can help you reach a dynamic, engaged group. 
    • In-feed ads, brand takeovers, and hashtag challenges are popular ad options. Short, creative videos showcasing your event highlights or interactive activities work well. 
    • TikTok’s algorithm reaches users based on interest, behaviour and trending topics, making it effective for increasing awareness quickly. 
  • YouTube ads are a great way to use video ads to promote your event to a targeted audience in a visually appealing way.  You will need a YouTube channel before you set up a campaign. 
    • Google data is used to match your message to the right people at the right moment, with targeting options such as demographics, interests and keywords all available. 
    • Ad options include skippable video ads, non-skippable video ads, bumper ads, masthead ads, in-feed video ads, and YouTube Shorts ads. 
Search engine advertising 

Search engine ads, or pay-per-click (PPC) ads, ensure your event appears at the top of search results when users search for relevant terms. Google Ads is the primary platform for search engine advertising, allowing you to connect with audiences actively looking for events or activities. 

  • Identify keywords relevant to your event (use both broad and specific keywords). For example, if you’re hosting a food festival, keywords might include “food festival near me” or “Hamilton events”.  
  • Ad options include text ads that appear in search results and display ads that show up on websites within Google’s Display Network. 
  • Limit ads to specific geographic areas to ensure you only pay to reach people who are realistically able to attend. 
Display and retargeting ads 

Display ads appear as banners or pop-ups on websites, blogs and apps. They can reinforce brand recall when paired with retargeting strategies. 

  • Google Display Network allows you to place image or video ads on millions of partner websites, increasing the reach of your event promotion by targeting users based on their browsing habits, location and interests. 
  • Retargeting shows ads to users who have previously visited your event website or interacted with your social media posts or accounts. These retargeted ads act as reminders and are highly effective for driving conversions. 
Influencer marketing as paid advertising 

Partnering with influencers to promote your event can function as a form of paid advertising. Influencers have loyal followers who trust their recommendations, making them effective for reaching specific or niche audiences. 

  • Choose from micro-influencers (10k–50k followers) for a targeted reach or macro-influencers (100k+ followers) for broader visibility. 
  • Paid partnerships usually involve posts or stories dedicated to your event. Allow influencers to create content in their own style to keep the promotion authentic. 
  • Give influencers exclusive discount codes to share with their followers to incentivise attendance and allow you to track ROI from each influencer partnership.
Print and out-of-home advertising 

While digital ads are highly popular, print and out-of-home (OOH) advertising can be valuable for community-based events or those targeting broader demographics. 

  • For local events, print flyers and posters and try to get them displayed in busy community hubs, such as cafes, community centres, libraries and grocery stores.  
  • Billboards and ads on buses are highly visible and ideal for city-wide awareness of larger events with broad appeal. 
  • Local newspapers and magazines offer advertising options, often reaching an audience that’s already interested in community events.  
Budgeting and measuring ROI 

Budgeting is crucial in paid advertising, as you want to ensure the most efficient use of resources while maximising your reach. Determine your primary goals – awareness, engagement or ticket sales – and allocate budgets accordingly across platforms and ad types. 

  • Establish clear goals and KPIs for each ad campaign.  
    • Track metrics like reach, impressions, and click-through rate (CTR). 
    • Look at comments, shares and engagement rates. 
    • Monitor RSVPs, ticket sales or form completions as direct indicators of successful conversions. 
  • Run A/B tests to determine which images, copy, or Call-to-Action performs best with your audience.  
  • Use analytics tools, such as Google Analytics for search and display ads or Facebook Insights for social campaigns, to assess performance in real-time and help you make data-driven adjustments and optimise your budget. 
Crafting effective ad content 

Creating engaging ad content is essential to capturing attention and driving action.  

  • Make your headline concise and to the point, emphasising what makes your event unique. “Join Hamilton’s Food Festival – Local Eats, Live Music, and Family Fun!” is more effective than a generic title. 
  • Invest in high-quality images or short videos that showcase the experience such as images of past events, or interactive elements (like countdowns). 
  • Every ad should have a clear and easy to click Call-to-Action (CTA), such as “Buy Tickets” or “RSVP Now”. 

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HAVE YOU CONSIDERED?

  • Which paid advertising mediums will give you the best return on investment (ROI)? 
  • Does your paid advertising content align with your event branding and values? Learn more about branding your event in the Branding section.