Gatherings are an essential part of some businesses’ operations. Unfortunately, particularly those involved in event marketing have suffered the effects of COVID-19. As states slowly reopen, they are still trying to figure out how to keep people safe while away from home, especially when it comes to larger gatherings or events.
All businesses have had to cancel and postpone events. However, the loss of thousands of dollars in revenue has put smaller businesses in financial trouble. These companies now need to reinvent the wheel and host events using innovative methods.
Many will see this as a shift from large-scale in-person events to smaller, more virtual gatherings that are safer and more informed. So what does event marketing look like for small businesses moving into uncertain times?
Event Marketing: The New Trend
Effective event marketing for small businesses begins with understanding the audience. Even though they might once have been excited to attend events, they will be less inclined to do so in the future. They will be more concerned about their safety and health and may not feel at ease going to events in open areas.
Please get to know your customers and their feelings in the wake of the pandemic. This research allows small businesses to create an event marketing strategy that will help them meet the challenges of post-pandemic.
However, it is possible. People in all industries were optimistic that experiential marketing was the future. It is especially true as young consumers are increasingly interested in experiences in their consumer journeys. However, it will take time before we get used to human interaction and experiences.
The Importance Of Targeting
The challenges faced by small business leaders right now are numerous. First, to discern fact from fiction, they must be able to decide on the best event marketing strategy to use.
Events don’t always attract attendees or generate revenue. Small businesses may consider it worthwhile to encourage people to attend an event. Although they might spend a lot on social media advertising and general emails to subscribers for large-scale campaigns, only 10-15% of people show up. People need to have a compelling reason for sacrificing their time to attend an event.
They need to feel heard and safe. According to a study, people value three things when deciding whether or not to attend an event: clean restrooms, hand-sanitizing stations, and the ability to distance themselves from others safely.
Like any other marketing tactic, events must be relevant, targeted, and engaging. However, events marketing goes beyond putting on a great event and hoping that people come to enjoy a unique brand experience. Events can be more than a way to connect with your customers if planned strategically. For example, you might host virtual gatherings or let experts manage your social media channels to help you connect with your audience.
Small businesses can learn a lot from large corporations about how they host events. It is essential to plan and use the most efficient methods to create and execute events. Event marketing should be carefully prepared, designed, coordinated, and run.
Because so many things could go wrong, planning is essential. Unfortunately, more significant events can take many years to plan due to the time required to talk and answer seemingly endless questions. Therefore, it is essential to have a plan A and a plan B. In addition, it will help you overcome any marketing challenges.
A top-notch event marketing strategy
While there is no one way to create a marketing plan for an event, there are some things you can do. These five things are essential:
1. Define your audience
A small business can’t afford to spend money on events with unattended food or empty chairs. It not only wastes money but also makes it difficult to reach your marketing goals. Events that are designed for people will be remembered and attended by them.
Event marketing starts with identifying and defining your target audience. Although it might seem more natural to build an event around a great idea than your attendees, it is not the best way to go about building one. Instead, you can ensure that everything you do will naturally bring your ideas to life by first identifying your audience.
2. Set goals
Events are often a result of company initiatives to recognize employees’ hard work and engage potential clients. However, if you want to measure success, events must be grounded in goals.
You can’t measure progress or achieve success without setting benchmarks. Events marketing goals make it easy for teams to meet deadlines. However, your team should be realistic in setting goals and sticking to them. It will help keep your team on the same page and the event on the right track.
3. You can plan more than you think
Another critical step is to establish a time frame for the event and make sure that all team members understand their responsibilities. Then, how can you make it happen? Planning, planning, and more planning. It can be challenging to promote small business events, but planning will help you succeed.
You can create touchpoints that will connect you with your audience and help them to engage. The most popular events are those promoted using an omnichannel campaign that is tailored to each audience member. It requires planning.
4. Keep track of everything
Effective event marketing strategies are only possible if you have results. These results give you a perspective on how your event performed and can be improved. For example, you can track registrations forms, clicks, and attendance to see the most profitable efforts.
Data collection technology is a powerful tool for event marketing and provides valuable insights into your success. An event app, a ticketing partner, or a CRM can all be used to track the results. To find out what works and doesn’t, you might consider sending surveys and feedback to your attendees before and after the event. It will allow you to understand your audience better.
Don’t forget about social media insights. Every platform has metrics that will help you determine how effective your campaigns have been.
5. Adjust accordingly
After you have sorted through the data, you can create even more powerful events in the future. You can tailor everything to your audience members’ needs and enhance their experience.
Use technology to host virtual events on social media platforms and your website, especially during this pandemic. It is possible to make a connection, but you must do so with your audience’s best interests in mind.
Don’t let yourself get discouraged. Event marketing can be difficult and requires patience. It would help if you allowed yourself to adapt and learn as a small business. You can create more significant, better events if you have the data from your first and second events.
Small businesses must create event marketing plans that are based on data in this momentous time. Be ready to adapt as the world changes into a new normal. You can anticipate what your audience needs and provide that experience in the right way for them.
Disclaimer. The opinions and views expressed in this article are the authors Andrew Napolitano.
