How can you make your marketing event a success?
There's a lot of stiff competition for customers' attention these days, and making you heard above the crowd can seem like quite the challenge.
A well-executed marketing event can help with that, giving your customers a visceral experience of your brand that is sure to leave a lasting impression.
But naturally you want the impression you make to be a good one, so what steps can you take to do just that?
Start Marketing Early
Start building a buzz several weeks before your event.
Not only does this give attendees the chance to save the date, it helps to keep the event in their minds and build excitement in advance of the day.
Social media is an excellent choice for creating some pre-event excitement.
By encouraging attendees to connect with your business on Facebook or Twitter, you can get them talking about your event and start forging a personal connection with them.
Ask questions, give out useful information, respond to queries, or even host a Q&A event to get a conversation going.
Talking of saving the date, you can also use your early marketing to create some scarcity around the tickets to your event.
By only selling for a certain period, or by introducing an "early bird rate" with some impressive savings, you'll encourage your customers to make a commitment.
Organize Everything
It sounds simple, but organizing every step of your event in minute detail is key to its success.
As the article "The Secrets to Throwing a Killer Event" points out, it's vital that you establish a clear set of guiding and organizing principles.
Everyone involved in the event should know what they have to do, to what standard, and by when.
Walk through the event in your mind as if you were an attendee.
Think about what they will see when they arrive, the information they will be given, the events and activities that will be available, and how they will be directed throughout the event.
Ask yourself, will this event be engaging with a clear focus? Will the amenities be adequate, and will it be easy to navigate the event and get the most from it?
The answers to all these questions must be a clear "yes".
Add a Personal Touch
Adding a personal touch will make a difference to how memorable your event is, and how much impact it makes.
Start before your event by thanking attendees personally for signing up. You can use an automated email that addresses them by name, or go a step further and connect on Twitter or Facebook to say "thanks" (remember to collect their social media handle during the sign up process).
On the day, consider personalizing your welcome materials for each attendee.
Whether you include information specific to their brand or industry, or find out their favorite candy before-hand and add a bar to their welcome pack, making it personal will make your attendees feel valued and noticed.
Don't forget to follow up.
When your event is over, take a moment to reach out to each attendee personally and ask for their feedback - and then take it on board and use it to build event better events in the future.
A well-executed marketing event can make your business stand out and serve to build long lasting relationships with customers.
Get your event off on the right foot with excellent organization, plenty of excitement, and a personal connection with your attendees.