We are all aware ‘why’ it is important to promote. However, many of us in our eagerness to create awareness about our event and drive quality traffic to our event website unknowingly make online mistakes that put off rather than attracts registrants. The purpose of this article is to share tips with event organizers on actions to avoid when promoting their events. Ignoring these tips could result in poor conversion rates and lower profit margins. Here are some Common online promotional mistakes that event organizers make:

1. As entrepreneurs, sometimes our enthusiasm and eagerness can become a problem. We are so keen to get started that even before the basics are done, we submit our event website to search engines or begin running online campaign. We don’t wait to complete the critical work which will help sell the event – content, design and testing on the website. So, when interested individuals see the promotion and click on the banner or link, they encounter a dead link or an under construction sign which can easily put them off. This can be disastrous, as people almost never return to such a website. So, make sure that your event is up and all links are functioning before submitting it to search engines or posting banners online.
   
   
2. In the chaos of running an event, a common mistake made is not adding your event website URL to all your advertising and marketing communication. Many entrepreneurs underestimate the power of popularizing the url in traditional media and shrug off this important opportunity Remember, this activity is extremely important! If your potential attendees don’t know that you have an online registration facility for the convenience of your customers, then they will not visit and they will not register. If you fail to add your event URL to all your communication – brochures, ads, business cards etc, they will presume you do not have a website. Not many will make the effort to search for a website.  There are two potential outcomes to this mistake – one, you will see a rise in the number of call-ins and walk-ins and such have to readjust your schedule to cater to them. Two, you receive a far lower number of registrations than estimated because people couldn’t be bothered to call to register. So, make sure that all communication prominently displays your event URL and keep your workload to a minimum.
   
   
3. There are many way to crank up your attendee numbers but spamming is not one of them. Spam is generally ignored, blocked or deleted. In fact, spamming is a great way to irritate your potential audience. Always remember, spamming is a big no, no.
   
   
4. Flooding the market with brochures or banners may seem effective but mostly it is just expensive. You should submit your website to couple of popular search engines, post your banners on websites your audiences is known to visit rather than indiscriminately submitting your website to every search engine and posting banners on all possible websites. This will ensure you receive quality traffic, which is better than quantity.
   
   
5. Don’t fall for tricksters who promise instant number 1 search engine rankings. Search Engines are aware of the existence of such individuals and work hard to block them. If they suspect foul play, you will find your website blocked. Do it the right way even if it is a longer process.
   
   
6. Lastly but most importantly, do not forget to measure your traffic. Why measure? Knowing where your traffic originates from, which banner lead to the highest conversion rate and more, will give you insights about your attendees and will help you to fine-tune your online marketing campaigns better. The information collected can also help in leveraging future events.