Live marketing events are the newest trend for brands trying to engage their audiences. These events are considered part of content marketing, as they help companies to share information about their products. The new format helps them to get audiences excited and to feel more engaged by the information being shared.

But you can’t just rest on the format if you want to get the best results. If you are going to invest in live marketing events, you need to have a plan for encouraging engagement. Here are a few tips that will help you get the best results:

Create an App

Yes, you are putting on an event to really increase your live engagement marketing, don’t overlook the online element. People are always connected through their smart phones and tablets, and they regularly check email, social media, and other outlets. If you develop an app for your event, you can help people stay connected through their mobile network throughout the event.

For example, people can use the app to keep track of their schedule and to remember key sessions that they want to attend. They can check in with the app to get updates such as what workshops are filling up the fastest, when surprise speakers are added to panels, where the next networking event will be, and so on.

Make sure that you have content to make the app both useful and interesting so that people will want to use it. That means providing information that’s only available on the app or making sure that you have surprise announcements to leak through the app during the event.

Broadcast Live

You shouldn’t limit your engagement to people who are attending your event. You can get everyone excited by the activities by broadcasting your event – or portions of it – live. Record your sessions as they are happening and post them on Facebook or on your website. Take questions from the audience at your event, as well as those watching from home.

Hold Q&A sessions with industry leaders, people who can serve as case studies, or inspirational figures. Ask attendees to upload their own live videos and to tag your brand on Facebook so that you can get look at the event from the “man on the street.” Highlight the best live videos as an incentive for more people to share them.

Host Regular Contests

Contests are a great tool for engagement, no matter the format or the platform. Everyone likes to get something for free or feel like a winner. Even the chance of winning a $5 gift card to a local coffee shop can make people feel excited and engaged.

Find ways to host regular contests throughout your event. You might have several mini contests running, such as an hourly raffle in which people can win extra tickets by attending more of the panels or other activities. You can also have one larger contest running with a bigger prize to keep people excited throughout. Make sure you offer chances for extra entries for people doing things like asking great questions at panels, tweeting to you from the event, and so on.

Be Entertaining

When people are entertained, they are engaged. No matter what your event is about, you need to find some way to make it entertaining. That might mean hiring lively speakers who really know how to perform and be funny when they are presenting, or it might mean actually scheduling separate entertainment, such as a band or a magician. What about something like this food truck event marketing as an out-of-the-box idea.

Your presentations and information should be engaging in their own right, but so much educational material can be a little dull even for the most enthusiastic attendee. Give participants a break and a chance to have a little fun by offering up some entertainment when they are in need of a change of pace. They’ll be that much more excited to get back to your other activities.

Live marketing events can be highly effective if they are planned correctly. Use them in conjunction with your online marketing efforts to reach more of your target audience. Use these tips to help you get more engagement from your live marketing events and get even better results from them.