Seth Godin is a marketing guru: He’s written 20 best-selling books, including “This Is Marketing,” and is in the Marketing Hall of Fame. He’s also hosted successful events around the globe.

During Eventbrite’s RECONVENE summit, Godin shared some of his favorite marketing secrets. He started by defining things. Marketing isn’t hype or hustle, he said; rather, “It’s saying, ‘Here, I made this’ to someone who would miss it if you didn’t.”

Read on for a teaser of key takeaways from Seth Godin’s talk. For more in-depth insights, watch the full video below: 

You need trust, permission, and community

People who are coming to your events haven’t been to them yet, because they’re live and happening in the future. That means “they need to trust it’s going to be what they expected,” Godin said. You also need permission, which Godin describes as “the privilege of delivering anticipated personal and relevant messages to the people who want to get them.” And, perhaps most important, a successful event requires community. People don’t like going to a comedy show if they’re the only ones there. Who else is there becomes a critical part of the event, Godin explained.

Figure out how to create the conditions for connection to occur

It’s important to begin with the idea that there needs to be a reason your event is happening live, a reason to talk about it, and a reason to care who else is in the room. “Your job is to create the conditions for connection to occur,” Godin said. Give people an opportunity to be part of a group that they wished to be a part of.

Take the event to a group of people who are inclined to trust you

The hardest part of marketing isn’t convincing total strangers to attend, Godin said. It’s giving audience members who already trust you “a true story they can easily tell others so that word will spread.” That word-of-mouth is how you start to build community.

Remember: You don’t need a massive audience

“Scale isn’t the point,” Godin said. Scarcity actually creates value. In other words, someone needs to think: “I better get a seat before it sells out.” Aim to design your event for “someone, not for everyone,” he advised. 

Keep in mind that there are different types of marketing

Direct marketing is measured marketing, with the idea that if you spend $1, you’ll make $2. It’s designed to pay for itself by driving actions such as clicks, impressions, or purchases. Brand (or indirect) marketing refers to “ads you cannot and should not measure,” Godin explained. Think: full-page ads in magazines or on TV. Their purpose is to earn trust and awareness. 

For additional tips from Eventbrite’s ongoing RECONVENE events series, visit our recaps hub.