INFLUENCER MARKETING

Event Influencer Marketing: Strategies to Boost Engagement and Drive Ticket Sales

Alexandra Kazakova

By Alexandra Kazakova
15 min READ | Jan 4 2025

Table of contents

Event planning is all about creating memorable experiences. But first, you should make sure your event reaches more people.

That’s where event influencer marketing comes in.

By partnering with influencers, you can spread the word, attract a bigger crowd, and keep the buzz going long after the event ends.

This strategy works for many event organizers.

After all, the global influencer marketing industry was valued at $21.1 billion in 2023, more than tripling since 2019.

Influencers can showcase your event on social media, share live updates, and make your event feel exciting and exclusive.

In this article, we’ll show you how to use influencers to take your event to the next level.

Let’s dive in.

PS: Looking to connect with the perfect influencers for your next event?

inBeat's influencer database helps you find social influencers tailored to your audience and event theme. Simplify your influencer partnerships and maximize your event promotion with inBeat today.

TL;DR:

Event Influencer Marketing: Collaborating with influencers helps boost event visibility, drive ticket sales, and enhance attendee engagement through authentic content.

Key Goals:

  • Increase visibility: Reach broader audiences through influencer partnerships.
  • Drive ticket sales: Utilize influencers’ persuasive power to convert followers.
  • Boost engagement: Real-time content and social proof foster audience interaction.

Influencer Types:

  • Nano (1K–10K): Niche, high engagement.
  • Micro (10K–100K): Balanced reach and engagement.
  • Macro (100K–1M): Wide reach for larger events.
  • Mega (1M+): Massive reach but lower engagement.

Best Practices:

  1. Align influencers with your event theme.
  2. Invite influencers as guests for authentic promotion.
  3. Motivate influencers with incentives like VIP access or exclusive perks.
  4. Drive real-time content creation for pre-, during-, and post-event buzz.
  5. Use influencer mentions for social proof and engagement.
  6. Optimize content with A/B testing for better results.

Effective Strategy Steps:

  • Set clear objectives and goals.
  • Develop a creative brief with a targeted influencer list.
  • Create engaging, tailored content for social platforms.
  • Leverage Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn strategically.
  • Track performance with KPIs like engagement, attendance, and ROI.

Real-World Examples:

  • HubSpot's INBOUND: 100,000 online viewers with key influencer collaborations.
  • Salesforce Connections: 35% increase in attendance with industry influencers.
  • SAP Events: Influencers drove 50% of social mentions and trended nationally.

Outcome: Influencer marketing connects events to niche audiences, enhances visibility, and delivers measurable results when executed with clear goals and data-driven insights.

What Is Event Influencer Marketing?

Event influencer marketing involves collaborating with social influencers to enhance event promotion and attendee engagement.

By leveraging influencers' reach and credibility, event organizers can effectively connect with their target audience.

The primary goals of event influencer marketing include more visibility, engagement, and sales.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

Why Use Influencer Marketing for Events Promotion?

Collaborating with influencers allows event organizers like you access to niche audiences and enhanced social media engagement.

This strategy amplifies event promotion – yes – but also fosters strong relationships with potential attendees.

The authenticity of influencer-generated content leads to higher engagement rates than traditional advertising methods.

In fact, 60% of marketers report that influencer posts perform better than branded content.

"An influencer is someone with the collective ear of a large audience that is a group of potential buyers in your market" - Jeff Bullas, Digital Marketing Expert.

Additionally, 80.8% of marketers identify Instagram as the top platform for influencer marketing, which shows you that reaching target markets needs the right channels.

But more on that in a second.

The point is to make sure your influencers' social media accounts feature engaging content about your event.

They shouldn’t just promote upcoming events but also enrich the overall event experience for attendees.

We’ll show you some tactics in a second.

First, make sure you pick the right creators.

Types of Influencers for Event Marketing

Influencers are categorized into tiers based on follower count, each offering distinct advantages for event marketing:

Pro tip: Use inBeat’s influencer database to identify influencers tailored to your event's target audience and goals.

Filter by follower count and niche to find impactful influencer partnerships effortlessly.

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6 In-House Tactics & Best Practices for Event Influencer Marketing

Maximizing the impact of your events starts with the right strategies for influencer marketing.

Here’s what we suggest.

1. Align Influencers with Your Event Theme

Choosing influencers aligned with your event theme ensures a cohesive promotion strategy.

Focus on audience demographics and content style that reflect your event experience.

Influencers who share personal experiences tied to your event build authenticity and social proof, boosting engagement rates and attracting a wider audience.

Pro tip: Use our free Instagram Engagement Rate Calculator to evaluate potential influencers' audience interaction before partnering.

A high engagement rate ensures your event promotion reaches an active and responsive audience.

Here is how it works:

  1. Enter username: Type the Instagram handle into the input field.
  2. Check profile: Click the "Check Profile" button.
  3. View metrics: See engagement rate, average likes, and comments.
  4. Analyze details: Check follower count, post stats, and graphs for likes and comments.
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Use this data to evaluate the performance of potential influencers quickly and easily before asking them to your event.

2. Invite Influencers as Guests

Inviting influencers to attend your event as guests can significantly amplify its reach and engagement.

By experiencing the event firsthand, influencers can create authentic, engaging content that resonates with their followers.

Even better, they can create social proof and, thus, attract more potential attendees.

For example, during Art Basel Miami Beach 2024, numerous influencers attended various parties and events, sharing their experiences with vast online audiences.

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Similarly, the Democratic National Convention in 2024 invited over 200 influencers, who generated content for millions of followers, effectively broadening the event's reach.

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This strategy helps you scale event promotion at affordable costs.

Even better, it fosters long-term relationships with influencers, leading to increased brand visibility and engagement for future events.

3. Use Incentives to Motivate Influencers

Incentives drive action, and event influencer marketing thrives on results.

Offer influencers something tangible—like early access, VIP tickets, or exclusive merchandise—aligned with your event’s goals.

This motivates authentic promotion while fostering loyalty.

Remember: Track success with UTM links or unique promo codes.

These tools measure the influencers’ impact very precisely, giving you actionable data to adapt your campaign.

We always advise our clients to zero in on top-performing content assets and creators and replicate them when they want to scale results.

For example, SXSW collaborated with local creators using exclusive discount codes, which led to measurable ticket sales spikes.

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4. Drive Authenticity with Real-Time Content Creation

Encourage influencers to produce content before, during, and after your event to maintain audience engagement.

Pre-event teasers can build anticipation, live coverage offers real-time insights, and post-event posts extend the conversation.

This three-pronged approach is great for social media engagement, but it also gives you solid insights into audience feedback.

Here’s why we advise you to do this:

Influencer-generated posts achieve engagement rates 4.7 times higher than brand-generated content.

So, this strategy is extremely effective in resonating with online audiences.

Pro tip: Use our free toolkit to improve your event influencer marketing campaigns. For example, tools like this fake follower checker help identify influencers with genuine, engaged audiences.

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5. Strategic Influencer Mentions

Encourage influencers to reference your event in their content to boost visibility and credibility.

This tactic leverages social proof, as audiences value recommendations from trusted figures.

After all, 52% of 18- to 29-year-olds report that social media creators influence their purchasing decisions.

By integrating your event into influencers' narratives, you tap into their engaged communities, enhancing your event's reach and appeal.

This approach fosters authentic connections with potential attendees, increasing the likelihood of ticket registrations and a successful event experience.

6. Optimizing Content Through A/B Testing

Implement A/B testing to identify top-performing content assets and scale your influencer marketing campaigns effectively.

Unfortunately, only 58% of companies utilize A/B testing for conversion rate optimization.

The other 42% are probably not refining their marketing strategies well enough.

That means they’re missing out on the benefits of data-driven decisions.

By comparison, A/B testing helps you get a maximum return on investment from your influencer partnerships.

After all, comparing different variations of content is how you can determine which resonates best with your target audience.

And it ultimately leads to improved engagement and conversion rates.

Pro tip: These free ad mockup generators help you create different ads across various social media platforms to avoid ad fatigue.

7. Name Dropping

Name-dropping means mentioning notable attendees, keynote speakers, or celebrity influencers in your promotional content to generate buzz and FOMO and increase interest among your target audience.

Pro tip: Just ensure the individuals named are genuinely associated with the event to maintain trust and transparency.

SEMrush does name dropping right.

It’s one of the tactics they used to promote their Spotlight by Semrush conference:

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Публикация от Semrush (@semrush)

When influencers or recognized personalities are featured in your event's marketing campaigns, it creates a ripple effect of social proof.

Potential attendees are more likely to trust and engage with an event that attracts credible names in the industry.

For example, announcing a collaboration or appearance by a well-known industry leader can increase your event’s perceived value and exclusivity.

To implement this tactic effectively:

  • Mention influencers in content: Highlight featured speakers, panelists, or performers in your event's social media posts, emails, and press releases.
  • Encourage influencers to share: Provide pre-approved content that influencers can share with their audiences, amplifying your event's visibility.
  • Use tags and hashtags: Tag influencers and use event-specific hashtags to create a broader reach and engage their followers.

How to Create an Effective Event Influencer Marketing Strategy

Creating an effective event influencer marketing strategy requires a clear plan and focused steps to maximize impact:

Step 1. Establish Clear Objectives

Define measurable goals for your influencer marketing campaigns to align efforts with your business strategy.

This clarity directs your influencer partnerships and provides benchmarks for success.

For example, 62% of social media marketers prioritize generating more engagement, while 60% aim to reach new audiences through influencer collaborations.

By setting specific objectives, you can tailor your influencer marketing strategy to effectively target desired outcomes.

The point is to ensure that each campaign contributes meaningfully to your overarching goals.

Step 2. Develop a Creative Brief and Match Influencers

Developing an effective event influencer marketing strategy requires a well-crafted creative brief.

And that brief needs to be informed by a thorough competitor and market research.

Basically, you should outline the event theme, target audience, key messages, and desired content style.

Pro tip: We advise you to use mood boards to visually communicate the event's aesthetic and tone.

That way, it’s easier to ensure alignment between influencers and the event's vision.

For instance, Milanote offers templates that assist in organizing inspiration and defining event styles.

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After establishing the creative direction, identify influencers whose personal brand and content resonate with the event's mood and target demographics.

Step 3. Identify the Right Influencers

Identifying the right influencers is key to aligning with your event goals and reaching your target audience.

Begin by analyzing audience demographics to ensure a match between the influencer's followers and your potential attendees.

Then, consider the type of influencer based on your event's scale and objectives.

According to a 2024 report, 64% of marketers have worked with micro-influencers, with 47% experiencing the most success with them.

Remember: Use our influencer marketing platform to assess potential partners' engagement rates, content style, and audience size.

Step 4. Craft Compelling Content

Influencers create engaging content, and that’s a powerful tool for event promotion.

Influencers' personal experiences and unique content ideas can authentically showcase your event's theme, enhancing social media engagement.

Co-creating high-quality content that resonates with your target audience also boosts ticket sales and elevates the overall event experience.

For example, during Cyber Monday 2024, influencers and affiliate marketers drove 20% of e-commerce revenue, a 7% increase from the previous year.

This demonstrates the significant impact of influencer-generated content on consumer behavior.

Pro tip: Encourage user-generated content through event hashtags to amplify reach further and foster a sense of community among event attendees.

Step 5. Leverage Social Media Platforms

Leveraging social media platforms is a powerful tool for event promotion.

Each channel offers unique advantages:

  • Instagram: With over 1.6 billion users, Instagram excels in visual storytelling, making it ideal for showcasing event themes and engaging content. Its features, like Stories and Reels, facilitate real-time updates and interactive polls, which enhance audience engagement.
  • TikTok: Known for its rapid user growth, TikTok's short-form videos can create viral trends, expanding event reach to a broader audience. Its algorithm promotes content discovery, increasing visibility among potential attendees.
  • YouTube: As the largest video hub globally, YouTube is perfect for sharing detailed event content, such as behind-the-scenes footage and speaker interviews, providing valuable insights to potential attendees.

Utilizing these platforms strategically can enhance social media engagement, attract potential attendees, and boost ticket sales.

For example, Semrush hits all three marks.

They used TikTok and Instagram trends like “the biggest ick” to promote its Spotlight event and increase engagement:

Source

But they also used YouTube to present its event more formally and attract potential attendees:

That said, they also used LinkedIn to sell more tickets to interested leads:

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Step 6. Monitor and Measure Success

Monitoring and measuring the success of your event influencer marketing campaign is essential if you’re to understand its impact and improve future strategies.

It’s not even just about those future strategies; you can use those insights now to scale this present campaign.

Key performance indicators (KPIs) to track include:

  • Engagement rates: Assess likes, comments, shares, and overall social media engagement to gauge audience interaction. 63% of event planners utilize influencer marketing in their social media strategy, and 45.3% of them view engagement as their biggest goal.
  • Attendance rate: Compare actual event attendance figures against registration numbers to evaluate the effectiveness of your promotional efforts.
  • Return on Investment (ROI): Calculate ROI by comparing revenue generated from ticket sales and sponsorships to the total marketing expenditure. Influencer marketing has been shown to deliver a median ROI of 160% of their hiring cost.
  • CPAs: Calculate the cost per acquisition by dividing ad spend by total conversions. Influencer marketing has a low CPA, but you should take into account CPAs for other marketing channels as well.

Pro tip: Use inBeat’s free toolkit to track and measure influencer campaign performance effortlessly. For example, our free CPA calculator shows you how different campaigns or channels compare in terms of CPAs:

How To Reach Out To Influencers For An Event?

Effective outreach to influencers involves strategic steps to foster meaningful relationships.

Cold emails typically fail to create engagement, which is why our team uses one of these 10 outreach templates.

And we also start by building rapport – which you should do as well.

Here’s how:

  • Engage on their social media: Comment thoughtfully on creators’ recent posts. Share their content with your own audience to show genuine interest.
  • DM strategically: Compliment their work and connect it to your event theme. Highlight specific reasons why they are an ideal fit.
  • Offer value: Provide exclusive content ideas, event experiences, or personal touches that align with their audience size and content style.
  • Be transparent: Clearly outline your influencer campaign goals, including event promotion, audience engagement, and potential attendee outreach.
  • Provide key details: Share event hashtags, dates, and themes upfront to streamline collaboration.

Pro tip: Streamline your influencer outreach process with our Export Contacts feature. Save time by exporting influencer profiles, including their engagement rates, follower counts, and audience demographics, directly into a convenient format. You can export contacts directly to your CRM.

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Real-World Examples of Successful Event Influencer Collaborations

These examples showcase the power of influencer partnerships in driving audience engagement, boosting visibility, and delivering measurable results:

1. HubSpot's INBOUND Conference

HubSpot collaborated with industry experts like Neil Patel and Ann Handley for their INBOUND event, integrating influencers into keynotes and workshops.

This approach attracted over 12,000 in-person attendees and 100,000 online viewers, significantly boosting brand authority.

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2. Salesforce's Connections Event

Salesforce engaged influencers across various industries for their Connections event, featuring personalities such as Dan Levy and Reid Hoffman.

This strategy led to a 35% increase in attendance and millions of social media mentions, enhancing brand reach.

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3. SAP's Industry Events

SAP's collaboration with influencers at their events in Germany and Florida led to significant social media engagement.

In Germany, five influencers discussed machine learning, IoT, and data analytics, contributing to 50% of the event's social media mentions and causing it to trend nationally for two days.

In Florida, SAP partnered with 11 influencers to livestream sessions, reaching between 80,000 and 100,000 online viewers and facilitating real-time Q&A sessions.

Source

These initiatives not only amplified SAP's reach but also fostered deeper engagement with their target audience.

Maximize Event Success with Strategic Influencer Collaborations

Influencer marketing has transformed how marketers drive event visibility and engagement.

It effectively connects brands with niche audiences, amplifying promotional efforts through authentic, influencer-generated content.

Utilizing influencers strategically is a great way to enhance social media reach, foster stronger connections, and boost ticket sales.

This approach has proven its value, with a growing number of successful case studies showing its impact.

However, each successful campaign relies on clear objectives, strategic partnerships, and measurable outcomes to maximize results.

For marketers leveraging affiliates, integrating influencer marketing into your strategy can deliver significant returns.

Optimize your events with tailored influencer collaborations and data-driven insights.

PS: Ready to simplify your influencer marketing campaigns? Maximize your event promotion with tailored influencer partnerships using inBeat today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an event influencer?

An event influencer is a social media personality with a dedicated following who partners with event organizers to drive attendance and engagement. They share tailored content about the event, leveraging their audience's trust to boost visibility. Pick influencers that align with the event’s theme, ensuring their content and personality resonate with your target audience.

What is an event brand ambassador?

An event brand ambassador is a long-term partner who represents your event or brand publicly. They are great for recurrent events, which they promote through personal endorsements, exclusive content, and authentic storytelling. Unlike one-time influencers, ambassadors align with your brand values more and foster deeper audience connections.

How do you ask an influencer to promote an event?

To ask an influencer, research their audience fit first. Engage authentically by interacting with their content before outreach. Then, contact them with a clear pitch that highlights the event’s value and why their collaboration matters. Offer specific benefits like exclusive access or personalized content opportunities.

What does event marketing do?

Event marketing boosts awareness, drives ticket sales, and engages potential attendees. It uses targeted strategies to connect with the right audience, incorporating promotions, partnerships, and social media campaigns. The goal is to create anticipation, amplify engagement, and deliver measurable results.

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