Standing out in business is imperative . How does anyone else know who you are or what your company is doing if you're not immediately available? When it comes to hosting an event, there are proven ways to increase event sales. These include designing an effective website to promote the event through social media .

But as time goes by and technology evolves, it becomes more difficult to find and persuade guests to attend an event. So it's important for businesses and event organizers to think outside the box and implement creative ideas that can help increase event sales.

1. Holds competitions

Contests are a great way to engage an audience and increase interest. Whether it's a photo contest, video contest, caption contest, or a vote, there are plenty of templates to choose from.

For example, giving your audience the chance to win a free ticket for sharing a video, post, or photo is a great way to promote your event without spending a dime. Likewise, polls and voting contests can be very effective methods of collecting public feedback to help guide planning decisions.

Involving the public in such competitions will not only generate a lot of buzz around the event itself. It will also be a resounding success when it takes place.

Read more : 6 creative social media contest ideas to engage event attendees

2. Be unique on social media

When it comes to social media, being unique will serve you and your event. General posts, photos, and updates are all nice and sweet, but to really engage with an audience and increase sales at events, the rule is the more “you can be there” the better.

Developing #hashtag campaigns, making content super shareable, and creating custom infographics can all be effective ways to encourage audiences to participate in your event.

Likewise, tools like Rafflecopter can be very effective. This tool works by awarding points for performing various social media related tasks. These points can be built up to earn increasingly valuable event-oriented incentives.

Get more - Sell Tickets Online

3. Try Urban Marketing

Sharing news and updates about your event online is fine, but it doesn't guarantee that someone will actually see or hear about your event. Sometimes sticking to old tried-and-true techniques works best.

It's time to hit the streets.

Using urban marketing to promote your event can be a great way to generate interest. Research shows that people don't like to feel compelled to make a purchase decision.

Therefore, the more subtly you can promote your event, the better.

This could be commissioning a mural, getting unusual sponsorships (eg Boris Bikes), handing out promotional flyers , or simply using your environment. Think about what your event will focus on and brainstorm creative traditional methods to get the masses to notice.

4. Host a podcast

In recent years, podcasts have soared in popularity . Why not join in and jump on that cart too?

Let's say you're planning a summer music event . Hosting your own podcast allows you to host pre-event interviews with your artists or host radio contests to generate excitement before the event actually takes place.

If running your own podcast to increase event sales isn't for you, there are other options. You can always pay to appear on popular existing podcasts instead. Many popular podcast and radio channels offer sponsorships . During the run up to your event, you could pay to show a special ad.

5. Get Controversial

You need to stand out when promoting an event. This applies to everything from the colors and design you use on your website to the social media channels you post ads to. Quite simply, no one will notice your event if it comes across as everything else.

That's why an important focus is your content strategy . By promoting well-written, thought-provoking content related to the event, you increase the likelihood that your audience is actually engaged and wanting to know more. But encouraging someone to actually read your content is easier said than done. Therefore, you need to think about the subject.

You have to stay on trend to prove to your target audience that you know what you're talking about. Instead of focusing on fluffy, safe, marketable content that no one will read, why not push the boundaries? You can produce more controversial content that reflects opinions and opinions related to your event.

If you're hosting a work conference, you can publish an op-ed by a guest speaker. This can generate a lot of interest from attendees who agree and disagree with what they have to say.