10 Signs Your Event Needs More Marketing Support (and how to fix it)

You’ve got the venue booked, the agenda locked, and your speakers confirmed. 

But if your event feels like it’s flying under the radar, there’s a good chance it needs stronger event marketing support.

Even the most purpose-driven events struggle without the right visibility. In a recent study, Bizzabo found that 48% of marketers say increasing registrations is their biggest event challenge, followed closely by driving engagement across channels.

Source: Bizzabo 2024 State of In-Person Events

The good news? Most problems are fixable and often, they are early warning signs that your marketing strategy simply needs more attention, structure, or specialist support.

Here are 10 signs your event needs more marketing support, plus practical fixes you can use right away.

Table of Contents

1. Ticket sales are flat

2. Social media feels like a ghost town

3. Your speakers aren’t talking about the event

4. You’re doing last-minute marketing scrambles

5. Email open rates are low

6. Your audience targeting isn’t clear

7. Pre-event registrations are minimal

8. No media or influencer interest

9. Attendees keep asking basic questions

10. Post-event silence

Why these signs matter for small teams

Conclusion

1. Ticket sales are flat

If registrations aren’t moving, your marketing isn’t reaching the right people or it’s not giving them a compelling enough reason to act.

Try this:

• Targeted LinkedIn or Meta ads
• Early-bird pricing or other special incentive (doesn’t have to be ticket discount. Think early pass or on-demand access)
• Clear value messaging (“Why this event? Why now? What’s in it for them”)

2. Social media feels like a ghost town

No likes, shares or comments? Low engagement on event content usually points to one (or more) of these challenges:

• Your posts aren’t reaching enough people (common with small accounts)
• The algorithm doesn’t know who to show your content to
• You’re reaching the wrong audience entirely
• Posting is inconsistent, so your event keeps “disappearing” from feeds
• The content doesn’t clearly communicate the event’s value

Strengthen what you post and how you distribute it.

Content that earns attention:

• Behind-the-scenes prep
• Speaker spotlights or quotes
• Countdown content
• Quick polls and interactive posts
• User Generated Content (UGC) from last year’s event. This includes photos, videos, testimonials or posts created by your past attendees. UGC works because it shows the real experience through the eyes of your audience, not the organiser, which builds trust and social proof.
• Short-form video
• Use event stakeholders such as registered attendees, partners and sponsors and make it easy for them to share and talk about the event (e.g. event media pack)

And when organic reach still isn’t enough… use paid support.

Paid advertising isn’t a fail, it’s a multiplier. Even a small budget behind your highest-performing posts can:

• Expand reach beyond your follower base
• Put your event in front of ideal attendees
• Improve event lead generation dramatically

A balanced mix of organic + paid ensures your content reaches the right people in enough volume to drive registrations.

3. Your speakers aren’t talking about the event

Your speakers have authority, reach and audiences that trust them.

If they’re not promoting, you’re missing a huge multiplier effect.

Consider creating a speaker promo kit consisting of:

• Ready-made graphics
• Suggested copy
• A trackable registration link
• Short intro videos they can reuse

4. You’re doing last-minute marketing scrambles

If you’re posting in panic mode the week before the event, marketing becomes reactive instead of strategic.

And reactive marketing rarely converts.

What works best:

• Build a 12-week event marketing timeline
• Plan emails, promos and campaigns in advance
• Schedule content in batches

According to Splash, early and sustained marketing increases registrations by up to 37%.

Source: Splash Event Marketing Report

5. Email open rates are low

If your emails are struggling, your audience either doesn’t recognise the value, or the messaging is too generic.

Give this a try:

• Test subject lines
• Segment your audience
• Personalise content
• Resend to non-openers

Small tweaks often deliver big returns.

6. Your audience targeting isn’t clear

If your messaging tries to speak to everyone, it rarely converts anyone.

A more effective approach is to define 2-3 audience personas:

• Who is this for?
• What problem are they trying to solve?
• What outcome are they hoping for?

Make the value proposition unmistakably clear.

Also read: Is your event attracting the right audience? Here’s how to tell.

7. Pre-event registrations are minimal

If no one is signing up early, they might not see the urgency or the value yet.

Here’s how to build momentum:

• Early-bird pricing
• Value-based messaging
• Clear takeaways
• Highlight the transformation (“You’ll leave knowing…”)

8. No media or influencer interest

If no one’s talking about your event, you’re missing powerful visibility channels.

Try this strategy:

• Pitch to industry press
• Invite niche creators
• Offer exclusive access, data, or interviews
• Create PR-ready story angles

According to Meltwater, 71% of event organisers say media partnerships significantly boost registrations.

Source: Meltwater Event Marketing & PR Insights, 2023

9. Attendees keep asking basic questions

When your inbox is full of “What time does it start?” and “Where do I park?”, your communication isn’t clear enough.

A quick improvement:

• Add a clear FAQ page
• Share regular reminders
• Use automated email sequences
• Create simple visuals with need-to-know info

Good event marketing reduces cognitive load.

10. Post-event silence

If engagement dies after the event, you’re losing momentum and potential leads.

Your next move:

• Share highlights quickly
• Release session recordings
• Spotlight attendee stories
• Ask for feedback
• Create follow-up content (“5 insights from…”)

Follow-up is the heart of event ROI measurement and long-term relationship building.

Also read: Event ROI. How to measure the success beyond attendance

Why these signs matter for small teams

Small internal teams often carry too much of the load.

The result?

• Marketing becomes inconsistent
• Engagement becomes unpredictable
• Registrations become harder to forecast

With the right strategic event marketing approach, small teams can drive outcomes that look anything but small.

If this list felt uncomfortably familiar, you’re not alone and you’re not failing. You simply need smarter support, clearer systems, and a plan that frees you up to focus on what you do best.

Conclusion

Strong Event Marketing Support isn’t optional, it’s what drives results. When your marketing support is working, you’re not just filling seats, you are getting the right people in the room for the right reasons.

If you recognised any of these 10 signs, now is the moment to pause, recalibrate and build the support your event deserves.

👉 Download the Event Marketing Health Checklist

Spot issues early. Fix them fast. Make your next event your strongest yet.