Not all event CMS platforms are created equal.
From lead generation to customer engagement, events are a cornerstone of many marketing activities. Today, most events are displayed on a homebuilt solution or an inadequate content management system (CMS) plug-in. This limits event discoverability and makes it challenging for marketing teams to build top of funnel interest in their events. The result is money left on the table when events are buried within a CMS not designed to optimize event content. Marketers who needed to manage a large number of events were at a loss. That is until a new category emerged, the Event CMS. Just as WordPress is designed specifically for web content, the Localist Event CMS is designed specifically for event content.
With increasing demand for automation and a focus on actionable business insights, the event technology market is experiencing hyper growth. To coincide with its rise, there are now a variety of tools that are great for handling the registration and logistics experience of a single event. A number of these solutions are often utilized by a single organization.
An Event CMS completes the front end of the event marketing stack, allowing you to funnel prospect data and interaction behavior to your marketing automation system and CRM. We firmly believe that your first chance to capture event data lives on your website, so don’t let it go to waste. However, completing the entire event marketing funnel from TOFU to BOFU usually entails a hodgepodge of software functions. A one-stop-shop to manage multiple events and connect disparate event management, marketing automation, and event marketing systems is ideal. This is where an Event CMS comes into play. An Event CMS doesn’t replace your entire marketing stack, it just connects it (finally).
Maximizing your budget: must-have event tech features
As we now know, an Event CMS acts as the glue for your event marketing stack. It’s the central hub where events begin, even if registration ends on a Pardot landing page. This also means that an Event CMS can be highly customized, but there are a few key features to look for. As your event budget grows, make sure you are allocating your tech stack to include a solution that provides:
A flawless match to current branding
You should seek a seamless transition between the brand of your website and the branding of your event listings. Furthermore, users should feel like your events live and breathe naturally within your current website.
An avenue to organize and promote your events
For an event to be successful, people need to know about it. We suggest a variety of landing pages and custom channel pages to give people more ways to find your event. Here is an example of event-related landing pages:
- Place Landing Pages: Place landing pages highlight all events that take place at a certain location, regardless of the host. This type of page provides a central outlet for venue logistics as well as another indexable page.
- Group Landing Pages: Group landing pages showcase the various locations that share a common host. This is perfect for partners, internal departments, or groups within your community.
- Event Landing Pages: Event landing pages feature the details of an individual event, from logistics and registration to imagery and social proof. Essentially, this is content creation and SEO, powered by automation.
Channels
Channels allow you to curate events based on any grouping you define, giving your team the power to personalize your audience’s event experience. With Localist Events, our channel builder is designed for marketers who are looking to create, optimize and test event marketing campaigns without roadblocks. And the best part? It’s incredibly user-friendly. A marketing team member can whip up a microsite with multiple events in minutes.
Additionally, it’s important to select an event tech platform that is admin-friendly, can handle RSVPs and payments in a centralized way, and that offers a full-featured API that enables you to display your event calendar content however you want. This simply gives you the flexibility to customize workflows for your team.
Does my organization need an Event CMS?
Many organizations don’t realize they need an Event CMS until they understand the features and functionality they will gain by using one. Here are just a few of the benefits gained by using an Event CMS, this is data from our customer base at an aggregate:
- Significantly increase web traffic, in some cases, as much as 450%
- Reduce time posting to your website as much as 75%
- See page visits skyrocket now that your events are discoverable
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