Over the years, marketing has had a bit of a revamp. Thanks to the dawn of digital, we all have a greater understanding of technology and how it’s used to advertise to us. Plus, it’s
way cooler than it used to be (we’re thinking back to letterbox advertising and carriageway billboards…snore). The beauty of marketing is that we can all have a crack at it too – sure, you won’t become an expert over night, but employing some marketing tips could do wonders for your events business.
The days of printing flyers and simply handing them out everywhere are no longer relevant these days. It’s now far easier (and cheaper) to set up a Facebook event and share it among your clients, friends and family to promote your upcoming event. Plus, you won’t have the headache of needing to re-print the flyers if the time, date or location of the event changes at the last minute! Oh, the wonders of digital marketing!
Take your business to the next level with these 9 marketing tips every event planner should know. You can thank us later.
- Set up a social media events page on your Facebook business page. It’s free and easy to do, plus you’ll be giving your clients the chance to share the event, giving you greater outreach. It’s also a place for everyone to chat about the event, ask any questions they may have and, once it’s over, share their images! Thanks to the domino effect of social media, the more people who interact with your page, the more your page gets seen!
- Create organic social media posts and blogs around your business to increase the chances of your business getting seen on the web. You’ll also be able to build excitement by sharing teasers for all the things you have planned for your clients! Don’t forget to include your contact details and a link to the events page so that potential attendees can get in touch with you and register their interest.
- Network! If you have any guest speakers or other businesses supporting you by proving music, food or photography for example, get them to promote the event on their social media pages too. The more people that see the event, the better!
- Do the best you can with what you have. Not every client has the budget to book Taylor Swift to perform at their event but that doesn’t mean you have to go without! Scout out some popular local musicians to play at your event instead. You’ll be supporting the local community and if they get a good response from your event, you can keep them in your events planner book to call upon another time… besides, if they do end up being the next big thing, you can boast about having had them play at one of your events!
- Sourcing local sponsors is a great way to get other businesses involved and get more people talking about your event. You may be able to create goody bags for your guests with little gifts from relevant local businesses, and in return those businesses will be able to promote your services at their next event! Cross advertising helps build great contacts and shares the hard work out between you.
- If you are holding an event for a client you’ve worked with before, why not think of an incentive for them to promote your business. You already know they like you as they’ve hired you again so it’s a golden opportunity to make the most of that free positive feedback. Give them an offer they can’t refuse by rewarding them when they share your event with their clients and friends. They could get a discount with you on the next event, or a bottle of nice champagne…it’s up to you!
- Create a promotion calendar (if you have enough notice) and create a social plan around it. At first you can post generic messages just to notify guests of the event, but as the start date gets closer, you’ll want to share more content with a stronger call to action to attend.
- Dedicate a hashtag that’s specific to the event so your client and guests can share and access images from the event. Everyone loves to scroll though the pictures of the amazing event they attended the night before and using a dedicated hashtag just makes them easier to find. Make sure you promote the hashtag on all your social media posts, so it sticks in your guest’s mind.
- Keep your existing clients and convert the new ones you’ve impressed with a follow-up call, email, or even send a little gift to say thank you for using your services or attending the event. Make sure you also publicly thank them for booking you by tagging them on your social page with a few of your favourite images from the event. Offer them a reason to book with you again, perhaps with a discount or a few added extras next time and remember to keep them in the loop with your goings on so they remember you for their next big event!
If you dream of planning some amazing events for your friends, family and clients, why not find out more about our events management course!
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