Starting a company that provides services like an event planning company is not a simple task, mainly because you’re basically selling and marketing yourself and your capacity to do everything you say you are able to do.
Any seasoned event planner or specialist will inform you one of the secrets to running a successful event planning company is to keep the pipeline full of prospects. We have asked countless events businesses on LinkedIn what marketing tactics work best for them and listed the top 10 below,
But before we proceed, I needed to discuss two important things.
To begin with, many planners said that planning excellent events which leave a memorable impression on customers and guests and surpass customers’ expectations is one of the greatest marketing approaches, largely because great performances result in referrals. This can be done, firstly, by giving good results and having a fully functioning web design that is becoming imperative for any small business. Secondly, in order for any advertising strategy to work, you have to be consistent in implementing it. A guideline employed by a single notable consultant to event-planning companies would be to devote no less than 10 hours each month on advertising (and I’d have to suggest that it must be at least 20 or 30 hours in order to really compete with the competitors).
#1 — Media / Referrals
Event planners are social creatures by nature, therefore it is not surprising that nearly all of them discover that media is undoubtedly the best marketing strategy they use.
Creating and nurturing relationships with different sellers who will refer your company is crucial here. This might be as straightforward as mutually speaking to prospective businesses back and forth, like a provider of conference venues in Melbourne giving a customer to an events planner and the planner referring the event guests back to the venue provider, you may also offer services up in the market for prospects. 1 planner agrees to give their services to handle a charitable event for a resort in exchange for obtaining loads of referrals in the resort.
A key point to remember here is to locate reliable, trusted partners to refer to individuals since you won’t make friends by talking contributes to less-than-stellar sellers.
Many referrals also come from previous customers, and the perfect way to promote this is to occasionally reach out to the previous and present customers and ask them if they know of anybody who might use your services. Bear in mind, if you do not ask, people can assume you are busy, so constantly inquire.
#2 — Facebook
Surprisingly many professionals have experienced a good chance of success with social networking sites — mostly Facebook — to discover new customers. In reality, a planner stated that 60-70 percent of the business comes from Facebook.
For starters, this strategy requires a well-developed Facebook webpage in addition to establishing the amount of “likes” (that you can do by placing links to your Melbourne based venue for hire FB page on your email footers, in your own website pages, on your e-newsletters, etc.). Just getting positive responses from your buddies, media partners and customers may provide you with a fantastic start on this. (Again, you have to request it from them.)
But this tactic also needs diligent and regular posting to an FB webpage so that you may raise your own EdgeRank (the algorithm which Facebook uses to position your articles and set them in your supporters’ news feeds. Be aware that articles with videos and photos rank greater than articles with only text or with hyperlinks; Hootsuite is a superb tool to accomplish this procedure.
Many event planners also noticed that locally targeted Facebook advertising worked nicely for them in forcing visitors to their web pages, and it could be well worth trying.
#3 — Search Engine Marketing and Optimization
Obviously, this needs a site (that, in our view, is not a marketing strategy as far since it’s a requirement of being in the company ), and you want to set the required resources and time in making your event website stick out.
However, among the very best techniques event planners are forcing traffic to their website is via tools like Google AdWords and Bing Advertising. It is simple to bid on localized keywords and try yourself to see whether it operates in your region. By way of instance, if you’re an event planner in Denver, CO, then you are able to bid on keywords such as “Denver occasion planner”, “Denver wedding planner” and”Denver occasion planning” to drive search traffic to your website. It is a good idea to begin with a little budget and examine.
Additionally, you are able to optimize your website name tags and copy with keywords and function on building links and references to your website (starts with requesting your media partners for internet recommendations/links), which may assist to your search engine positions. Contact your local web agency to get help with this, or hire a team should you find it too tedious for you.
#4 — Email
Event planners are using email in three unique approaches to entice new customers.
To begin with, they’re emailing former and current customers to remain on top-of-mind if they or their acquaintances want event planning solutions.
Secondly, they’re constructing their lists through their internet site (utilizing incentives such as free e-newsletters) in addition to the information they collect at trade shows and such, and they’re occasionally exposing these lists with helpful event-related info. These newsletters can now be constructed by using a custom content management system found easily through a quick google search.
Third, they’re using email classes to associate with both prospects and referral partners, sharing their own experience and passing leads forth and back among members.
Which works best? Try out each strategy on your own and find out what works for you.
#5 — Trade Shows
In the end, trade shows round out the top five advertising strategies for event planners. In the minimum, planners attend commerce and bridal shows and walk the ground to interact with potential customers. However many planners decide to exhibit in shows, which besides giving them a notable presence in the show can also offer extra perks (such as a listing of show attendees, that alone is worth the exhibitor’s fees).
Event trade shows and bridal shows do need preparation such as printing up flyers and brochures in addition to booth decoration and staging. However, the extra cost is well worth it to numerous planners only due to the sheer amount of possible prospects walking the aisles.
Another approach planners could take with trade shows would be to co-op with a different vendor and discuss space so you can spit the prices but nevertheless possess prominent presences.
