This week’s Wednesday Wisdom comes from Chris Reeve, founder of Reeve Social Media, a Norfolk‑based consultancy specialising in purposeful, impact‑driven social media.
Chris works with businesses of all sizes and individuals who want to position themselves as thought leaders online. Through coaching, consultancy and full‑scale social media management, Reeve Social Media helps clients move beyond posting for the sake of it, focusing instead on strategic content that connects with the right audience and delivers meaningful results. While the business works nationally and internationally, supporting Norfolk‑based organisations remains a key focus for Chris.
When it comes to event marketing, Chris sees one recurring issue time and again: the “one‑and‑done” approach. Too many events rely on a handful of last‑minute posts and hope for the best. In reality, effective event promotion requires planning months in advance, consistent messaging and varied content that focuses on the attendee experience rather than the organiser.
Chris’ advice is practical and people‑focused. Starting early, even with a simple teaser helps build awareness, while increasing frequency and urgency closer to the event encourages action. Video content, collaborations with speakers and partners, and clear, direct calls to action are all essential. Success isn’t judged by likes alone, but by conversations, shared posts and attendees becoming advocates, creating lasting impact well beyond the event itself.
Tell us more about Reeve Social Media?
“Reeve Social Media specialises in purposeful social media that creates impact. We support businesses of all sizes and individuals who want to become thought leaders through three core services: coaching, consultancy, and full‑scale social media management. While we work nationally and internationally, we’re passionate about helping Norfolk‑based businesses get their brilliant products and services in front of the right audience online.”
What’s the most common reason event marketing underperforms?
“The biggest mistake is the “one‑and‑done” approach. Events fail when organisers post once or twice and hope for the best. Effective event marketing needs planning months in advance, consistent messaging, varied creative, and most importantly content that focuses on the attendee, not the organiser.”
How far in advance should organisers start promoting – and what should change as the date gets closer?
“Start as early as possible – even a simple teaser is enough. On average, people need around seven touchpoints before committing. Early promotion should build awareness, then increase frequency as the event approaches. As you get closer, the message should evolve, giving different reasons to attend each time and increasing urgency in the final weeks.”
If you could only do three promotional actions for an event, what would they be?
“First, film a short video talking about the event video consistently outperforms other formats. Second, collaborate with guest speakers, partners or exhibitors to tap into their audiences. Third, be clear and direct with your call to action tell people exactly how to get involved, where to click, and why they should attend.”
What’s the simplest way to measure whether event marketing worked (beyond likes)?
“The biggest success signal is people talking about your event for you. Attendee‑generated posts, stories, photos and videos are incredibly powerful and far more trustworthy than self‑promotion. Comments, conversations, profile visits and impressions matter more than likes and that user‑generated content becomes gold for promoting your next event.”
Follow the Chris Reeve & both Reeve Social Media and Talk Norwich City on their socials and to see more information on the amazing work being undertaken to support both local businesses and building a community for Norwich City supporters.
