So, you’re having an event in Vancouver and you want to promote it and make it a huge success. I’ve hosted quite a few documentary screenings, nature walks and social mixer events so I thought I’d share some of my event marketing experience. This event submission guide should definitely help you out.
Nearly all these websites listed in this guide have editors that approve your submission so make sure to include a detailed description, a professional photo, the event date/time and a link back to your event’s website.
I have ranked these Vancouver event listing websites by their PageRank (PR), which is a good measure of each website’s domain authority. A link from a website with higher PageRank will have more value for increasing your ranking on Google (regardless if they use the “Nofollow” attribution).
Where To Submit Your Vancouver Event:
Make sure you submit your event to all of these important local event websites. I also recommend using an spreadsheet to track your submissions and to check in a few days for your event listing if you don’t receive an event approval notification by email.
1. Submit your event once to either the Vancouver Sun and The Province.
After the Sun Media editorial staff approves that your event meets their guidelines it will be published in the event section of the Vancouver Sun and The Province websites. You may also appear in the newspaper. PR7
2. Submit it to event listings in Vancouver’s largest weekly newspaper The Georgia Straight.
The Georgia Straight provides a link back to your website for their online listings (and possibly a tweet from their influential VanHappenings Twitter account). Submit your event two weeks before the date to be eligible for publication in the Georgia Straight newspaper, which comes out weekly on Thursdays. PR6
2. Submit your event to local commuter daily 24Hours.
If you meet their guidelines your event will be posted on their website. If you’re lucky they may also include your event in their printed newspaper that reaches 300,000+ people daily. PR6
4. Don’t forget to submit your event to the event listings on Craigslist.
Free local classified website Craigslist is worth the time it takes to submit a listing to their events section. PR6
5. Post it on Vancity Buzz Events for free.
You can’t link back to your website and you have to use their ticketing system for sales directly through their website but it’s worth it. PR5 (but no link)
6. Make sure you post your event on social recommendation community Yelp.
If you’re targeting the “under 35” crowd and you want influential hipsters to spread the word then you need to be on Yelp’s event listings. You need to click on the red “Add An Event” button in the top right corner and join the Yelp community to submit an event. PR5
7. Add your event to weekly newspaper the Vancouver Courier.
This is another great spot to add your event so it is listed on their website’s event listings. They may include you in their weekly newspaper as well. PR5
8. Suggest your event to Bored Vancouver.
Bored Vancouver is a great blog dedicated to unusual and usual fun things to do in Vancouver. PR3
Where To Sell Your Tickets:
These companies are who I’ve found to offer the best ticketing platform for selling your tickets with minimal fees and easy check-ins with QR codes and scanner apps for iPhone, iPad and Android (I believe only Eventbrite has a full app for Android users to check-in people on their phone/tablet).
1. I recommend submitting your event to free ticketing platform Picatic.
This is my favourite website to sell event tickets. They are based in Vancouver, their event pages are beautifully designed and they offer a flexible pay-what-want pricing. They also have an excellent iPhone and iPad app for scanning and verifying tickets that were bought online (printed or directly on the Apple Passbook or on Android). PR5
2. Submit your event to Eventbrite so it appears in their event listings.
Eventbrite is the largest ticketing platform in the world. I prefer selling on Picatic because it’s more inexpensive and I like their user experience more (plus I believe in supporting local talent and startups!). However, I recommend that you also post your event on Eventrbite because they have event listings that are syndicated on a number of big events websites and if you’re fortunate enough to get listed in their Popular Events section on their homepage, this drives a lot of traffic and sales. PR8
Influential Event Bloggers in Vancouver:
I recommend emailing these influential event bloggers describing your event and why it’s worth writing about.
1. Miss 604 – Vancouver’s most popular blogger Rebecca Bolllwitt, aka Miss 604, regularly writes about interesting events and posts an excellent monthly event roundup. PR5
2. Vancouver Is Awesome – You can reach out to the Vancouver Is Awesome crew and see if they will write something about your event but I don’t think they have anywhere on their website for event submissions. PR5
3. Inside Vancouver – No clear place to submit an event but they regularly write about local events. PR5
4. Catherine Barr – An influential Vancouver events blogger. PR3
Other Event Submission Options:
You can try submitting to these event listing if they are relevant to your event.
If you event is outdoors submit it to the event calendar on Metro Vancouver. PR6
If you’re hosting a big party or music festival submit it Club Zone. PR4
Submit your event to FOMO Vancouver‘s monthly event listings. PR2
You can also submit your event to Vancouver’s Twitter event stream Vancouver Now. PR1
Make Sure You Post A Facebook Event:
And last but not least, make you create a Facebook Event and invite everyone you know that may be interested. If you create your Facebook Event under an Facebook Page instead of your personal profile you can link to a Ticket Sales website (and it’s easier to promote it).
I also recommend encouraging everyone you know to invite their friends. You should also coordinate event speakers and organizers to actively share the event and invite their friends through the Facebook Event page.
Have something to add? Leave a comment below.
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