London’s bustling event scene presents immense opportunities for link building if you know how to leverage it. This article will teach you to harness local conferences, festivals, and networking events to elevate your digital marketing to new heights.
Follow our insider techniques to build high-value backlinks, amplify digital PR, and set your brand apart from outdated competitors still striving for search engine success. Get ready to unlock the immense power of this strategic event participation right in the heart of your city.
Find the Right Events to Target
London has a packed calendar of events to leverage for link building and digital PR, if you identify the right opportunities that align with your brand and goals.
Research to discover relevant events for your niche. Some places to start:
- Industry publications and niche websites
- General event listing sites like LondonTown.com
- Targeted keyword searches e.g. “London fashion events”
Look for conferences, exhibitions, launches, networking events, festivals, and more. Assess if the event fits with your brand and target audience. Consider the following:
- Size and influence of the event
- Organiser reputation and reach
- Opportunity to get involved, not just attend
Do your research to discover the perfect events for your brand. Local happenings can greatly amplify your link building and digital PR success when targeted strategically.
Gain Visibility as a Sponsor or Participant
Simply attending events may not be enough. To maximise value, explore ways to actively participate as a sponsor or contributor. This can significantly boost your visibility, engagement, and link building opportunities.
You can participate in avenues to discuss with event organisers such as:
- Sponsoring the event for brand exposure
- Speaking on a panel or leading a workshop
- Exhibiting or having a sponsored booth
- Providing content for the event website or program
- Donating a prize for a giveaway or contest
Determine what makes sense for your budget and goals. Analyse potential costs, staffing needs, assets required, and expected ROI. Get creative – you don’t necessarily need to sponsor at the highest tier to make an impact.
Tips when participating
- Display signage, banners, branded swag to increase visibility
- Send knowledgeable team members who can connect with attendees
- Offer value, not just market your company
- Actively network with influencers, media and other companies
Strategic participation beyond attendance amplifies your reach and link building capabilities. Sponsoring or speaking allows you to gain visibility and connections with relevant audiences.
Maximise Link Building Opportunities
Local events offer prime link building territory if you play your cards right before, during, and after. The key is strategy and execution.
In the months leading up, focus on visibility. This is your chance to get that coveted spot speaking on stage or sponsor logo on the brochure.
Before the event even begins, there are key strategies to employ:
- Secure sponsor packages or speaking slots that allow you to be featured on event websites, programs, and info pages. This visibility provides a solid starting point for link building.
- Offer to provide blogs, articles, or other content that the event can publish and link to from their site. Having your content featured gives a relevant anchor text link.
Once it’s showtime, direct your energy to engagement. Wow attendees to make your brand stick in their minds. So make sure to set up an eye-catching booth and send knowledgeable team members to interact with attendees. Make a memorable impression.
Also, actively network with organisers, speakers, media, and fellow companies. Collect business cards and start relationships.
After the whirlwind, follow up while things are fresh. Strike when the iron’s hot!
Email contacts right away with personalised pitches for coverage. They will remember you. Get your recap post up fast. Ask organisers to link to it from their follow-ups.
Events become link building goldmines with the right strategies timed before, during and after. Just don’t forget to execute!
Measure Success and ROI
After participating in an impactful local event, it’s important to quantify the results. Use analytics tools to track awareness, engagement, and links built to determine your ROI.
Set up Google Alerts to monitor brand mentions coming out of the event. Check Ahrefs regularly if you have access to see how many backlinks you’ve gained from the event website, sponsors, and other partners.
I recommend you to use BuzzSumo and Meltwater to measure increased publicity and digital word-of-mouth. Don’t forget to check your social media analytics tool for engagement metrics.
Review the numbers to calculate your return on investment from any event sponsorships or costs. See which awareness and lead gen goals were achieved.
Learn what tactics worked well at driving links, impressions, and engagement. This helps you determine success and fine-tune strategy for future events.
The proof is in the data. Measure, analyse and optimise to build on each event participation victory as you conquer the London scene!
Final Words
London’s thriving event scene hands you immense local link building potential – you simply need the right digital PR strategy and execution. Research relevant events, actively participate, maximise visibility pre/during/post-event, and track success to optimise.
You can authentically connect, strategically build links, and ultimately elevate your brand with ample creative participation and follow-up opportunities across London’s packed calendar.
Seize your chance to gain awareness and valuation amongst this vibrant scene of influencers. Employ these insider tactics fearlessly – your link building victory awaits!
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best way to find relevant London events?
Target keyword searches on sites like LondonTown.com, niche publications, and general listings to discover conferences, launches, festivities, and exhibits fitting your brand.
How can we participate beyond just attending events?
Explore sponsorships for brand visibility, speaking roles to showcase expertise, donated giveaways to boost engagement, or providing content for their websites.
What’s the #1 goal during events for link building?
Actively network with organisers, fellow companies, media and influencers to build relationships and secure backlinks leading to your content.
Why follow up quickly after events?
Email new contacts promptly with personalised pitches while their memory is fresh, and ask organisers to link to your recaps to amplify digital word-of-mouth.
How do you quantify event success?
Use analytics tools to monitor brand awareness, backlinks gained, and publicity achieved and calculate ROI to learn what works and fine-tune your future event strategy.
