Boosting event attendance for your organization — whatever it is — can be challenging. You’re competing against social media, Netflix and all the algorithms that keep people glued to their screens.

The good news, though, is that there are a surprisingly large number of things you can do that really work. Here’s how to proceed:

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Start Promoting Early

You’ll want to start by promoting your event early. Try to figure out who is likely to attend and why. If you can get the ball rolling six weeks in advance, that gives people plenty of time to put it in their calendars and make a mental note of it.

Create A Compelling Why

Once you’ve done that, you need to give people a real reason why they should attend your event. They should really feel inspired to go because they know they’re going to get something exceptional out of it.

For example, be honest with the benefits they can expect upfront. Tell them that they’ll be able to double their business revenue or increase the number of sales leads they’re getting.

Leverage FOMO

Related to this last point, you can also gain traction by telling people what they’re missing out on. The majority of event-goers are averse to loss, so if you articulate them, they’ll come.

Don’t be afraid to be explicit about this. Tell them that if they don’t go, they won’t have a similar opportunity for a while, if ever at all.

Partner With Influencers And Communities

Another thing you’ll want to do is partner with influencers and communities. If you can widen the net, you will often find that more people want to attend, and they’re more engaged when they do.

Try to find suitable influencers in your niche. Look for people who have a real passion for what you do, and what you stand for.

Run Better Signage

If you’re reliant on passing traffic or in an area with high footfall, then better signage can do a lot of work for you with minimal effort. Even getting something like a digital church sign can advertise upcoming community events. If you have a business, you can do the same.

Once you have the proper signage in place, A/B test it. See if different ads have varying effects on things like audience size and attendance.

Run Retargeting Ads

If you can run retargeting ads, that’s also a good idea. These keep our traffic warm and remind them of the upcoming event (and why they should be a part of it). You’re not being pushy. You’re just letting them know that they were interested before so it doesn’t slip their minds.Send A “Save The Date”

Finally, before registration opens, send event prospects a “save the date” message. This installs the idea that they should go and carve out time in their calendar, even if the actual value to them isn’t immediately obvious. Then, when you send the official invite, they’re ready to receive it and act on it when tickets drop.