Marketing events aim to promote a brand, product, or service. Companies host marketing events to establish or build their brand and product identities. Marketing events include re-openings, product launches, charity events, and pop up display stands. They can boost sales and foot traffic for your business, help you reach your target audience, promote interactions with your customers and make valuable connections. Wringing the best out of marketing events depends on executing your duty.
Below are tips that will help you execute marketing events flawlessly.
1. Determine the purpose of the event
Before committing yourself to plan a marketing event, the first thing you must do is determine its goals and purposes. Sometimes, the goal may be simple, like getting new clients or introducing a new product into the market; other times, it may not. Next, your intentions and purposes will help you determine the specifics of the event, like event type, audience, sponsorships, and venue.
2. Determine the type of Marketing Event you Want to Host
Before planning or hosting the event, you must determine the ideal marketing event for your business. The most important factors to consider are the event’s goals, your business needs, and the types of products or services you offer. Your industry and budget will also influence your choice of marketing event. It would also be wise to understand the various forms of marketing events to make an informed decision. Your choice of event will influence the planning process and the audience. The most common types of marketing events are:
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In-Person Events
These are marketing events where people meet one-on-one. They include conferences, workshops, trade shows, pop up stores, intimate meals, and seminars. These marketing events usually have a clear plan to engage the attendees and promote a business. When hosting in-person events clear communication during the event is important. Utilizing a voice amplifier can help speakers reach larger audiences without straining their voices, especially in spacious venues. This tool is essential for maintaining sound quality and audience engagement throughout the event.
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Online Events
These are marketing events held online. They are greatly dependent on the internet and technology. For example, many companies depended on online marketing events during the pandemic. They include webinars, live streaming events, virtual classes, and events. A business’ marketing team usually hosts these events.
3. Identify your Target Audience
You also have to identify your target audience (attendees). Your objectives will help you determine your audience. For instance, if the aim is to boost your brand awareness, your audience should include influencers, potential clients, and public figures. Influencers will talk about your products on their platforms and get you more attention and traffic.
Your product or service will also determine your audience. For instance, if you sell insurance, your target audience will include individuals from mid-twenties to late-forties. It would help gather information about your target audience, like their demographics, behavior, and what would motivate them to attend your event.
4. Promote the Marketing Event
Marketing events aim at introducing or promoting your brand, products, and services. This would be impossible to achieve without an audience (attendees). Therefore, an essential tip for executing marketing events is quality promotion. You can promote the event via social media, print media, send emails, and run television ads. Social media is mainly a powerful marketing tool for events. Numerous social media platforms are available at your disposal to run ads and post promotional content.
Your choice of promotional strategy for your marketing event will also depend on the type of event, your end goal, products, and target audience. For instance, if you plan to host a virtual marketing event, it would be wise to promote it online. On the other hand, if your target audience is the elderly, TV ads would be a better promotion than social media.
5. Start as Early as Possible
The most prominent mistake marketing event planners make is not allocating enough time. Most of them rush to launch the events to attain the benefits faster. However, this is the easiest way to waste money and gain very little from a marketing event. The trick is to allocate enough time for planning and strategizing. A marketing event involves many moving parts, like venue options, speakers, sponsorships, partnerships, pre-event marketing, and launching. Depending on the event size, you may need around a month to twelve months to flawlessly execute the event.
Key Takeaway
Planning and executing a marketing event takes a lot of work and time. After all the planning, you must organize the venue, speakers, entertainment, food, and decoration, to name a few things. Besides, all these elements require funds. Therefore, another helpful tip is establishing a budget as early as possible. Ensure that your budget does not exclude anything. Also, set aside some money for contingencies in case of any surprises.
