How to host an unforgettable influencer event

Two Black women take photos of their food with a beauitful floral wall behind them

Influencers can help move the needle for brands, and a main way to reach them is by hosting influencer events to share brand products and experiences. When the pandemic started, networking events were forced to pause. Now that life is slowly getting back to normal, holding an influencer event is a great way to make a comeback. 

This important influencer marketing strategy takes a lot of thought and planning. Below are a few tips to keep in mind as you host your influencer event. 

Leading up to the influencer event

Set your goal for the event 

The first step to a successful influencer event is to think through your ultimate goal. It is key to ask yourself questions like: 

  • What are you hoping to get from the experience? 
  • What experience do you want to provide for your guests? 
  • Who do you hope attends?

Be intentional with your invite list 

Creating an invite list for any event is harder than one would think. For an influencer event, you have to do your research. Who covers businesses similar to yours? Who might know each other and could help keep the event buzzing? Who has an audience you’d like to reach? 

Develop a simple run of show

While you want your guests to freely enjoy themselves, to achieve your end goal for the event you must create a run of show. We recommend keeping it as simple as possible, so if things go off course, it isn’t the end of the world. Think through if you’d like to take your guests on a tour, if there will be any speeches, when can interviews take place, etc. 

Send a thoughtful invitation 

First impressions matter, which is why it’s important your influencer event invite stands out and looks like something people want to attend. Using killer visuals and sincere language is a surefire way to get influencers to your event. And to go the extra mile, we recommend customizing each email – at the end of the day, influencers are people and love to feel special.  

During the event 

Greet everyone and make introductions

It might sound simple but making sure you greet each guest will help to ensure you host an amazing influencer event. Take the time to get to know everyone and what specifically about your business might be of interest to them. This helps take the pressure off of your guests having to figure out how to make your business fit into their content. And while you’re at it, introduce them to members of your team to add details, answer questions and help your guests feel comfortable. 

Create an experience 

Events can sometimes be repetitive – especially if there isn’t anything for your guests to do other than socialize. A great way to break up the monotony of any event is to create experiential moments throughout the evening. Are there stations you can set up with items for influencers to gather images? Any recipe or product demonstrations? Maybe a fun “Instagrammable” moment like a mural or perfectly plated dish? Basically anything that will take your occasion from just another influencer event to an unforgettable influencer event. 

After the event

Follow up with a ‘thank you’

The day after the event, it’s important to thank everyone for taking the time to attend. Just like the invite, sincere and personalized thank you emails go a long way. This is a great time to share promo codes to invite influencers back to your business or to shop your products online, or share collateral they can share with their followers. 

Monitor for coverage 

Once the event is over, it’s important to monitor the social channels of all attendees. While Instagram Stories are incredibly impactful, they can be easily missed if you’re not looking out for them. We suggest resharing influencer content on your own social channels and saving links and screenshots for your own records. 

Influencer events are a great way to get your brand in front of new audiences and to build connections for future announcements or events. With a lot of thought and planning, you can host the next best influencer event. 

Julia Loudy

Julia loves promoting brands she believes in and flexes her media relations muscles on accounts like Virginia Distillery Company and Colonial Williamsburg. Prior to joining Hodges, she worked for Golden Word helping beverage and lifestyle clients achieve their PR goals.

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