Event Marketing on a Budget: How to Attract More Attendees Without Breaking the Bank

On average, event planners spend about 300 hours organizing an event (McVeigh). That’s 300 hours spent on logistics, ticketing, reaching out to sponsors, coordinating volunteers, and more. Event planners work hard to make sure an event goes well, so it only makes sense to spend time getting people to attend and enjoy it.

However, events can be costly. Because of this, event organizers often overlook the importance of promoting their events, which is a crucial part of not only the marketing strategy, but the growth of the event as a whole. Without proper marketing, the event’s ROI will suffer, making growth difficult.

In this article, we will review four cost-effective ways to attract more event attendees without breaking the bank. This includes ways to tap into community networks, email marketing to remind attendees about the event, utilizing in-house features on event management platforms, and social media to attract attendees.

According to a study by Nielsen, 92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family over all forms of advertising. There is no better way to generate buzz and create excitement on a budget than using the community around you. Leveraging the audiences of well-known residents and businesses in your area or industry is a great way to draw more attendees and build brand awareness.

This could include:

• Inviting vendors that are known by the community to join your event
• Invite influencers and key residents to preview your event before the release date. This way, they can share their thoughts and start a conversation about your event.
• Join Facebook groups and community boards. Use public places like libraries to share details about your event.

These strategies can also support post-event marketing efforts, as attendees will share their experiences, further promoting your event.

Did you know that 70% of consumers say direct mail feels more personal than online interactions, and nearly 42% read or scan the mail they receive (Data & Marketing Association)? With this level of engagement, direct mail remains a powerful tool for bringing your event directly to the community and ensuring your message stands out.

The first step to a successful direct mail campaign is knowing your audience. Pinpointing the right neighborhoods and demographics allows you to avoid wasted materials and reach those most likely to attend. For example, if you’re hosting a family-friendly festival, focus your efforts on households with children within a 10-mile radius. If your event appeals to local business owners, tailor your mailings to commercial districts.

When it comes to crafting your piece, personalization is key. Mentioning a local venue or referencing neighborhood highlights makes your invitation feel relevant and specific, including enticing visuals like a sneak peek of performers, featured speakers, or fun activities. That helps capture attention and generate excitement.

Let’s break down the essentials of effective direct mail for events:

• Headline that sparks urgency & FOMO – Instead of something flat, use phrases like “Tickets Going Fast for [Event Name]!” or “Be Part of [Event Name] This Year!”
• Details attendees care about most – Don’t just list date/time/location. Highlight what makes the event worth showing up for (e.g., headliner, keynote speaker, unique experience) alongside the logistics.
• Action that ties to your marketing funnel – Drive them to a landing page with early-bird pricing, a VIP upgrade, or an exclusive offer for mail recipients (e.g., “Scan this QR for 10% off tickets”).
• Branding that creates anticipation – Beyond logos and colors, use event imagery (past crowds, performers, vendors) so the piece feels like a preview of the experience, not just an ad.

Honing in on these details helps drive results. Learn more about marketing strategies to grow your event here.

Finally, timing matters. Be sure to allow enough lead time for printing and delivery, typically 2-3 weeks before your event. Well-planned direct mail can boost awareness, drive attendance, and make your event feel like the can’t-miss occasion in town.

Another way to promote the event is to utilize the features built into your event management platform. 91% of event planners have seen a positive return on investment from event apps and for good reason (State of Mobile Event Technology Report).

An event management software helps streamline your event by placing all the features you need, such as volunteering, sponsorship, applications, tickets, and more, in one place. Some event management softwares, like Eventeny, have an SEO-optimized event page that can help boost an event’s visibility, which helps add a marketing channel for event organizers with no additional work for you.

Creating a strong event listing is key to being discovered. When you list your event, it can show up on Google searches, AI results, and across some event management’s network. To maximize visibility, ensure your description is keyword-rich, include engaging photos, and include a clear call to action. Eventeny helps boost your reach even further—with over 20M+ people browsing the platform every month, your event has the traffic it needs to attract more attendees.

73% of the adults in the United States use some form of social media, with 40% of event planners stating that social media exposure is a crucial metric of event success (Smart Insights). With such high rates, leveraging different social media platforms to advertise your event and attract more attendees makes sense.

The first step in doing this is to identify your target audience. Identifying your target audience is vital when advertising. This will help you avoid wasted time and effort, increase conversion rates, and help guide your brand tone when it comes to messaging.

For example, around 60% of Generation Z has some type of presence on TikTok. This means that if you are hosting an event that primarily targets people between the ages of 12-27, then it would be wise to create engaging content on that platform. This includes following popular trends on that platform, using popular audio, and creating quick, flashy, easy-to-digest content that captures attention.

Honing in on the specifics will garner you even better results. For example, if you are the event organizer of a pickle festival, your audience will most likely be food enthusiasts, Gen-Z, Millennials, and residents of the area you will be hosting in. With this information, you can target ads to this specific audience, increasing the likelihood they’ll see your content and want to attend.

Once you’ve identified your target audience, then comes the fun part: creating content.

Creating content is imperative when it comes to reaching an audience. Some examples of content you can create are:

• Organic posts about your event. This can look like posting the schedule of your event, user-generated content, call-to-actions urging people to buy their tickets soon, social media integration, and behind-the-scenes pictures/videos to generate excitement for your event.

Creating content also includes creating a landing page so that when people are interested in your event, they have an area to learn more about your event and purchase tickets.

To conclude, there are many ways to attract attendees successfully without breaking the bank. By employing the community networks around you, creating professional, cohesive email marketing campaigns, and using social media in a specific, targeted way, event planners can maximize their efforts to engage prospective attendees in their event. With a focused approach, these cost-effective methods can make a significant impact, leading to a well-attended event and increased brand awareness!