If you build it, they will come. Such is the idea to which many people ascribe in developing a
marketing strategy. But, it’s not as simple as posting daily on Instagram. I see far too many
event companies put time and money into marketing activities that are wasteful and ultimately
don’t lead to the results they want.
Here are the top three mistakes that I see event companies make with their marketing:
Mistake #1: Investing in Advertising Before You Have a Strong Website
There is no amount of advertising that can make up for a weak website. And, far too often I see
event companies pour money into advertising when those same dollars would be better
invested in a website update.
Think of it this way: if you put $10k into advertising in a year, you may do a great job in bringing
traffic to your website. But, you risk losing that traffic the minute they get to your site if it’s not
up to snuff. If you know your site needs an overhaul or a refresh, you’re better off pausing any
advertising and invest that same $10k into your website update. Then, you can ramp those
advertising dollars back up and get a much larger return on that investment.
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Mistake #2: Not Having a Marketing Strategy
Your marketing strategy begins before you invest in marketing activities like advertising, social
media, and networking. In planning your marketing, you want to consider who your ideal client
is, also known as the target market. Next, you want to think about where they are researching
information, how they are making buying decisions, and what triggers them to select service
providers. You want to think about how to communicate with these potential clients. What will
your messaging be? How will you attract their attention? And, where will you communicate
with them? Once you’ve defined these pieces, you’ll know better where to spend your time and
money in promoting your business.
Mistake #3: Not Being Proactive with Your Marketing
We often think that if we advertise on XYZ, the business will follow. But, rarely is marketing
truly passive these days. It’s important to ask yourself periodically: what more can I be doing
with that marketing effort?
If you’re advertising, reach out to see what additional opportunities for exposure the website or
magazine has. Let them know your marketing goals and that you want to see more from your
investment. With social media, it’s not just about scheduling your posts, stories, and clips. How
can you engage with not only your own audience, but also your community of local event
professionals? In your networking, how can you create a system to follow up and check in with
contacts that would be strong partners for your business?
A great way to ensure you aren’t making these mistakes and others is to carve out time
annually to plan out your marketing strategy and promotional activities for the year. Start with
sales goals and think about how you’ll make the links between your marketing and the income
you’d like for your business. Then create a marketing calendar for the year detailing how
you’ll draw the attention of your target client. After all, marketing is about results!
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