LinkedIn events are a powerful way to connect with professionals, build your brand, and generate leads. But creating an event is only half the battle – getting people to register and attend is where the real work begins. Here’s how to set up, promote, and follow up on a LinkedIn event to maximize attendance and engagement:
- Set up your event for visibility: Use a clear title, detailed description, and high-quality visuals. Choose between public or private events based on your goals.
- Leverage LinkedIn tools: Invite connections, share in relevant groups, and post engaging content like polls and video teasers.
- Use AI for outreach: Tools like Closely can help you send personalized invites and automate follow-ups, saving time and boosting response rates.
- Track performance and follow up: Monitor attendance, engagement, and post-event actions. Send timely, personalized follow-ups to nurture leads.
Boost Your Event Attendance with LinkedIn Invitations | Step-by-Step Guide
Setting Up Your LinkedIn Event for Maximum Impact
Creating a successful LinkedIn event starts with smart planning and setup. The right configuration can significantly boost your event’s visibility and attract more attendees.
Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a LinkedIn Event
You can create LinkedIn events using your personal profile, company page, or the LinkedIn Events hub, depending on your hosting goals.
To get started, go to your homepage and click "Start a post", then select "Event" for personal events. For company-hosted events, use the "Create" button on your company page to add a layer of professional credibility.
Choose the event type wisely. A Public event is perfect for reaching a broad audience since it appears in LinkedIn’s event discovery feeds and is searchable by anyone. This makes it ideal for building brand awareness or attracting new connections. On the other hand, Private events are better suited for exclusive gatherings, such as networking sessions, client appreciation events, or internal meetings, where you want to control attendance.
Craft an event name that highlights its purpose and value. For example, a title like "B2B Lead Generation Strategies for SaaS Companies – Live Workshop" is clear and optimized for search visibility.
Timing is key. Schedule your event with your audience’s time zones in mind. Include the primary time zone in the event description and, if you’re targeting a global audience, aim for overlapping hours to maximize attendance.
Your event description is essentially your pitch. Use it to clearly outline what attendees will gain, who should attend, and key takeaways. Include details like speaker credentials, agenda highlights, and any exclusive opportunities, such as downloadable resources or networking sessions. LinkedIn allows up to 2,000 characters, so use the space effectively to address common questions and concerns.
Visuals make a big difference. Use a high-quality banner image (ideal size: 1,920 x 1,080 px) that includes legible text, speaker headshots, and your brand’s logo to make your event stand out.
Once your event is set up, fine-tune its settings to maximize visibility.
Configuring Event Settings for Better Visibility
LinkedIn’s settings allow you to control how easily your event can be discovered and shared. Thoughtful configuration here can help you reach the right audience.
- Targeting filters: Use these to refine your audience and ensure your event reaches the people most likely to attend.
- Registration criteria: For networking events, keep barriers low to encourage sign-ups. For educational sessions, you can include concise questions to qualify attendees.
Your event page URL is crucial for external promotion. LinkedIn generates a default URL, but you can customize it during setup. A simple, memorable URL is especially useful for email campaigns or print materials.
Notification settings help keep your audience informed. Enable notifications for event updates, but strike a balance – too many alerts can annoy your audience, while too few might result in low awareness.
If your event involves multiple speakers or partners, co-host permissions are essential. Adding co-hosts extends your promotional reach since the event will appear on their profiles and can be shared with their networks. Just make sure all co-hosts are aligned on their roles and messaging.
Use RSVP tracking to monitor registrations and adjust your promotional efforts. LinkedIn offers basic analytics, such as registration sources. To dig deeper, use UTM parameters in external links to track which channels drive the most valuable attendees.
Finally, integration settings allow you to connect your LinkedIn event with external platforms like CRMs or ticketing systems. While LinkedIn’s built-in registration works for simpler events, more complex setups – like events with multiple sessions or paid tickets – may benefit from external tools that sync seamlessly with your LinkedIn event page.
Once your event is configured for visibility, your next focus should be creating an event page that inspires people to register.
Building an Event Page That Drives Registrations
Your event page is your first chance to turn visitors into attendees. To make it effective, focus on crafting concise, benefit-driven titles and descriptions that resonate with your audience.
Writing Clear Event Titles and Descriptions
The title and description of your event are critical – they set the tone and can make or break your registration numbers [3]. A strong title should immediately convey the value of attending. Focus on measurable benefits that grab attention and emphasize outcomes, not just features or logistical details [2].
To fine-tune your messaging, use tools like surveys, interviews, or audience personas. These can help you understand what motivates your target audience and shape your content accordingly [2]. Finally, don’t underestimate the power of visuals. Add eye-catching images or graphics that complement your message and make your event page stand out.
Promoting Your Event Using LinkedIn Tools
Once your event page is ready with engaging content and visuals, it’s time to spread the word. LinkedIn offers several built-in tools to help you promote your event effectively – without the need for additional advertising costs.
Inviting Your Connections and Followers
One of the most straightforward ways to promote your event is by using LinkedIn’s invitation feature. Both you, as the organizer, and your attendees can invite their first-degree connections, creating a ripple effect that extends your event’s reach [5].
Start sending out invitations as soon as your event is live. Early outreach can boost visibility and improve the chances of your event being discovered on LinkedIn [4]. However, keep in mind that LinkedIn imposes a limit of 1,000 invitations per week across all events you organize [4][5]. This means you’ll need to be strategic about who you invite.
Instead of sending invitations to your entire network, focus on people who align with your target audience. Look for connections in relevant industries, those with job titles that match your ideal attendees, or individuals who have previously engaged with your content.
Once you’ve tapped into your direct connections, consider branching out to LinkedIn groups for further outreach.
Sharing in LinkedIn Groups and Communities
LinkedIn groups are excellent for finding niche audiences that align with your event. However, sharing in groups requires a thoughtful approach. It’s essential to respect the group’s guidelines and focus on adding value rather than simply promoting your event.
Before posting, take time to understand the group’s culture and rules. Some groups have designated days for promotional posts, while others may require you to contribute valuable content before sharing your own. Certain groups might not allow event promotion at all, so always check the rules beforehand.
When you share your event, frame it as a resource rather than a sales pitch. For instance, instead of saying, “Join my webinar on sales techniques,” try something like, “I’m hosting a discussion on the top three sales challenges for 2025. I’d love to hear your thoughts and share some solutions I’ve discovered.” This approach encourages interaction and positions your event as a valuable contribution to the community.
Focus on groups where your target audience is most active. If your event is about marketing, look for groups centered on digital marketing, content strategy, or specific industries you’re targeting. Engage with comments and questions on your posts to build momentum and demonstrate genuine interest in the community.
Creating Content to Build Interest
In addition to direct outreach, you can generate buzz for your event by sharing targeted content. Start posting relevant material at least 2–3 weeks before the event. This gives potential attendees time to learn about your event and plan accordingly.
Share behind-the-scenes updates, such as your event preparations or sneak peeks of your presentation materials. Create video teasers highlighting key takeaways or introduce your speakers to spark interest. A short, 60-second video where you share a useful tip related to your event can draw significant attention, as LinkedIn’s algorithm often favors video content.
Polls are another effective tool for engagement. Ask questions tied to your event’s theme, like “What’s your biggest challenge with LinkedIn marketing?” or “Do you prefer case studies or step-by-step tutorials in presentations?” These polls not only drive interaction but also provide insights you can use to tailor your event content.
Finally, don’t overlook your personal network. Ask colleagues, partners, or industry contacts to share your event with their connections. A simple request like, “Could you share this with anyone who might find it helpful?” can go a long way in expanding your reach through trusted recommendations.
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Using AI and Multichannel Campaigns to Drive Attendance
Want to boost attendance at your next event? Combining AI-driven automation with LinkedIn’s promotion tools can help you reach more people and connect with them in a way that feels personal. By pairing personalized outreach with multichannel campaigns, you can achieve results that manual efforts just can’t match.
Using Closely for Personalized Outreach
AI takes your invitations to the next level. Instead of sending out generic invites, Closely’s AI analyzes prospect profiles and company data to craft personalized messages for LinkedIn DMs, InMail, and emails [1]. These messages feel tailored and thoughtful, making them far more engaging than traditional automated outreach.
Here’s how it works: Closely’s AI scans a prospect’s LinkedIn profile and company activity to create relevant and specific invitations. For example, if you’re inviting a content manager to a marketing event and they’ve recently posted about social media challenges, the AI might reference that post and explain how your event addresses those issues.
Safety is built into the process. Closely mimics human behavior by applying smart limits and delays, ensuring your LinkedIn account stays secure while maintaining high engagement [1]. This careful balance between automation and personalization ensures your outreach doesn’t feel spammy.
The results speak for themselves. Closely users report a 35% boost in response rates compared to standard outreach methods [1]. This success comes from the platform’s ability to craft messages that align with each recipient’s interests and needs.
You can also fine-tune your approach with tools like A/B testing, which allow you to experiment with different message formats and find what resonates most. Use these insights to build a highly targeted attendee list for your event.
Building and Enriching Attendee Lists
A well-targeted attendee list can make or break your event. Closely’s data enrichment tools simplify the process of finding the right people to invite. Features like verified email and phone number searches, lead scoring, and web research help you create detailed prospect profiles.
Start by defining your ideal attendee. Think about job titles, industries, company sizes, and locations. For example, if you’re hosting a webinar on sales automation for small businesses, you might focus on sales managers, business development reps, and founders at companies with 10–500 employees.
Closely can save you 10 hours per week per team member on manual prospecting [1]. Instead of spending that time on research, you can focus on crafting engaging event content. The platform automatically updates your prospect lists with accurate contact details and company insights, keeping your data fresh.
Segmentation adds another layer of precision. For instance, you might send one type of message to startup founders, emphasizing affordability and ease of use, while targeting enterprise sales directors with messages highlighting scalability and integration. Closely’s lead scoring feature also helps you prioritize prospects who are most likely to attend, based on factors like profile relevance and recent engagement. This ensures you’re spending your time and resources where they’ll have the biggest impact.
Monitoring and Improving Campaign Performance
Once your outreach is personalized and your attendee list is refined, it’s time to track how your campaign is performing. Analytics are key to improving your strategy. Closely offers detailed LinkedIn outreach analytics, letting you monitor connection acceptance rates, message reply rates, meetings booked, and pipeline progress [1]. This data helps you identify what’s working and refine your approach.
For example, tracking connection acceptance rates can show you if your targeting needs adjustment, while reply rates reveal how well your follow-up messages are driving engagement. Closely’s unified inbox simplifies the process by organizing replies from LinkedIn and email in one place, making it easier to respond quickly and personally. Automated follow-ups can handle routine responses, but be ready to step in with a personal touch when someone shows genuine interest.
A/B testing provides valuable insights. Test different messaging styles – like urgency-driven language (“Seats are filling up fast!”) versus a more informative tone – to see which resonates best with your audience. To ensure reliable results, test each variation with at least 100 contacts.
Use your campaign data to fine-tune your outreach timing. If messages sent on Tuesday mornings get higher response rates, prioritize that time slot in your schedule. Analyze which follow-up sequences lead to the most registrations and replicate those for future campaigns.
Finally, a multichannel approach ensures you’re reaching people through their preferred communication method. While some prospects may respond better to LinkedIn messages, others might prefer email. By maintaining consistent messaging across both channels, you increase your chances of connecting with each person effectively. This strategy not only broadens your reach but also makes your outreach feel more seamless and professional.
Measuring Success and Following Up After Your Event
Your event has wrapped up, but the work doesn’t stop there. Following up is where you turn a one-time interaction into lasting professional relationships. The attendees who participated have already shown interest – now it’s time to nurture that connection. Research highlights that 80% of new leads never convert into sales, making post-event follow-ups a crucial step [6].
Reviewing Attendance Data and Results
Start by downloading attendee data from LinkedIn as soon as the event ends. This data is essential for analyzing how effective your promotional efforts were and how engaged your audience was before, during, and after the event.
Your metrics should tell a story. Pre-event data can help you understand which promotional strategies worked best. For instance, if email outreach brought in the most engaged attendees, that’s a valuable insight for planning future campaigns [8]. During the event, focus on engagement trends rather than just the number of participants. If you see a significant drop-off early on, it might mean your opening content didn’t hit the mark [8]. High participation in Q&A sessions or polls is a great indicator that your audience found value in the event.
Post-event metrics are all about gauging the event’s impact. Look at how many attendees watched the replay, downloaded resources, or visited your company page afterward. These actions show genuine interest and help you prioritize follow-up efforts. For example, if 10% of attendees schedule meetings with your team shortly after the event, that’s a solid return on investment. If the number is lower, you might need to tweak your call-to-action [8]. Additionally, keep an eye on conversions over the next 30–60 days to measure ROI. Many businesses aim for a 3–5x return on their social media marketing investments, with LinkedIn often delivering a 2–4x ROI due to its strong B2B targeting [9].
Use this data to fine-tune your post-event engagement and future event strategies.
Following Up with Event Attendees
The first 24–48 hours after your event are critical. Send a thank-you message to all attendees while the event is still fresh in their minds. A timely follow-up isn’t just polite – it can significantly boost engagement. Studies show that 42% of people are more likely to make a purchase when they receive quick follow-ups, and sending that first email can increase reply rates by 49% [7].
Segment your attendees based on their engagement during the event. Those who asked questions, participated in polls, or stayed until the end should receive personalized follow-ups. Mention specific moments from the event, like thanking someone for an insightful question, to make your outreach feel authentic. Tools like Closely’s unified inbox can help streamline this process.
Lead nurturing emails perform much better than one-off messages, with response rates 4 to 10 times higher [6]. Plus, nurtured leads tend to make purchases that are 47% larger than those from non-nurtured leads [6][7]. Your follow-ups should offer ongoing value – don’t just pitch your services. Share additional resources, invite attendees to future events, or provide exclusive content.
Don’t rely solely on email. Since 80% of B2B leads on social media come from LinkedIn [7], keep the conversation going there. Connect with attendees, comment on their posts, and share content to stay visible in their network.
Lastly, use what you’ve learned from this event to improve your next campaign.
Planning Your Next Event Campaign
The insights you gather from this event will shape your next LinkedIn event strategy. Review your performance data and outreach tactics to refine your messaging and targeting for better results. Identify which promotional channels brought in the most engaged attendees, which content held their attention, and which follow-up emails generated the best responses.
Dive into the demographics of your most engaged participants. If your event primarily attracted mid-level managers but your goal was to reach C-suite executives, adjust your messaging accordingly. Similarly, if certain job titles or industries showed higher engagement, focus on those groups in future campaigns.
Analyze your most successful outreach messages using tools like Closely’s analytics. Look at A/B test results from your pre-event emails to see which subject lines and messaging styles performed best. For example, if urgency-driven language like “Limited seats available!” worked better than a straightforward approach, consider using that tactic again.
Track the long-term value of your attendees by calculating their average customer lifetime value. This information not only supports your case for future event investments but also highlights the strategic importance of your event program.
Finally, plan your event calendar with timing and frequency in mind. If specific days or times led to higher attendance, schedule future events accordingly. Pay attention to attendee feedback – if certain topics were requested during Q&A sessions, use those ideas to inspire your next event. Surveying your audience a few weeks after the event can provide valuable insights and help you design events that resonate even more with your participants.
Conclusion
Hosting a successful LinkedIn event requires more than just setting up an event page – it takes careful planning and execution. From crafting engaging content to promoting effectively and following up afterward, every step plays a role in ensuring your event stands out.
The event page itself is a critical piece of the puzzle. Elements like a clear and compelling title, optimized settings, and polished visuals can make the difference between someone ignoring your event or clicking "Attend." First impressions matter, and a well-crafted page builds both interest and credibility.
Promotion is where many events find their success – or fall short. While LinkedIn’s built-in tools, such as connection invitations and group sharing, offer a good starting point, personalized outreach is what really makes an impact. Tools like Closely, which leverage AI-driven personalization, can amplify your efforts. A multichannel strategy – combining LinkedIn outreach, email campaigns, and content marketing – ensures a broader reach. Managing responses across these channels efficiently is key to keeping potential attendees engaged.
What happens after the event is just as important. Following up with attendees in a timely and personalized way helps turn one-time participants into lasting connections. The data you gather – like attendance patterns and engagement levels – offers valuable insights for improving future events. More importantly, these follow-ups can nurture attendees into leads, making your event investment worthwhile.
To achieve lasting success, think beyond individual events. Each LinkedIn event should be part of a larger strategy to build meaningful professional relationships. By combining LinkedIn’s networking power with tools like Closely’s automation and personalization features, you can consistently attract engaged audiences and deliver measurable results. Your next LinkedIn event isn’t just a chance to share ideas – it’s a strategic opportunity to create connections that drive long-term growth. Use these strategies to make every event a stepping stone toward your larger goals.
FAQs
How can I use LinkedIn tools to promote my event and increase attendance?
To get the word out about your event and draw a crowd on LinkedIn, start by crafting an attention-grabbing event page. Choose a banner that stands out, write a clear and concise event description, and include engaging visuals – think short videos or eye-catching graphics – to make your page pop.
Next, share your event in relevant LinkedIn groups where your target audience is likely to hang out. Don’t stop there – encourage your network, speakers, and even industry influencers to spread the word by sharing the event with their own connections.
Make the most of LinkedIn’s built-in tools, like personalized invitations and targeted ads, to reach the right people. You can also use direct messages to send tailored invites to key contacts who might be interested. Pair these efforts with consistent updates and some well-crafted storytelling to keep your event visible and appealing, ensuring a strong turnout.
How can I create LinkedIn event content that attracts and engages attendees?
To make your LinkedIn event content more engaging and appealing, start with a clear, attention-grabbing event title that immediately catches the eye. Pair this with high-quality visuals or videos to make your event page visually appealing and memorable. Be sure to showcase what attendees will gain by participating – whether it’s knowledge, connections, or unique insights.
Keep your audience engaged by sharing informative or thought-provoking content related to your event’s theme. Use storytelling to create an emotional connection and include questions to encourage interaction. To reach the right audience, promote your event in relevant LinkedIn groups and send personalized direct messages. These approaches can help increase both engagement and registrations.
How can AI tools like Closely help me boost attendance for my LinkedIn events?
AI tools, such as Closely, simplify outreach by taking over repetitive tasks and creating tailored messages that genuinely connect with your audience. This approach not only frees up your time but also boosts engagement and improves response rates.
When it comes to event promotion, AI steps up by offering predictive insights to identify the right audience. It helps craft dynamic, attendee-focused content and fine-tunes your messaging strategy. These capabilities make it easier to spark interest, connect with potential attendees, and drive stronger participation in your LinkedIn events.