Tips for Event Marketing
A well-planned marketing strategy is vital for a successful event. What are some factors we need to consider when marketing our events and ensuring that we get the highest benefits? Here are some tips and tricks to consider when you are marketing your event.
Tip Number 1: Segmentation and Targeting
Firstly as event managers, we are desperately trying to sell our next event to an indefinite crowd of people out there. This situation sounds pretty risky to me. We see the risk in the fact that not knowing the people we are talking to could seriously predict the outcome of the event.
While the audience is essential for an event, how does this translate to reality? Marketing offers us various techniques to approach this matter. Segmentation is the first tool we need to use to identify at least three target markets on which we could build our next steps. A market could be segmented on the basis of:
- Geography
- Demographics
- Psychographics
- Behaviour
Tip Number 2: Positioning
After setting profitable, measurable, accessible, and realistic targets, the next step is to position our event according to its features. We can decide to go upmarket or mass market, the only relevant element at this stage is the unique benefits of our events and the relevance to identified targets. We need to understand our SWOT and leverage on our strengths to compete adequately with other events in the market.
Tip Number 3: Marketing Mix
We would define the basics of the event by examining the 4 Ps. This concept is fundamental to marketing either a service or a product. 4 P’s have been around for a long time, even though this concept might appear simplistic to some, it has to be considered in that it helps in structuring marketing activities, which might be later imported to a work breakdown structure.
4 Ps are easily applied to a manufactured product but might be a bit tricky when getting to services. The intangible nature of service poses some consideration in terms of the product component.
In summary, here’s what to consider when defining a conference 4 Ps:
Product:
- Venue
- Seating
- Catering
- Day of Event Registration (queueing, badges, conference kit)
- Staff Demeanour
- Staff Presence
- Staff Number
- Staff Uniforms
- Staff Training
- A/V Performance
- Content Value
- Speakers Relevance to the content
- Speakers Background and Resume
- Correct Staging (Intervention times, coffee-break/lunch/tea break timing)
Price:
- Price relevance to targets
- Where and when money should be collected
- Different price solutions for different consumption (one day ticket vs. two day tickets)
- Price discrimination to encourage quick buying or to manage day of the event flow (early registration vs. late registration)
- Payment methods (EFTPOS, Credit Cards, Cash, Cheques)
Place
- Ticketing distribution through other channels
- Direct Registration (online registration, online payment)
Promotion
- Advertising Decisions (TV, Radio, Newspapers, Online, Outdoor)
- SEO, SEM, Social media ads, Banners
- Publishing (Brochures and Flyers)
- Distribution of publishing
- Sales promotion (discounts, early registration, special prices, rebates, bundling, co-branding)
- Direct selling via agents
Tip Number 4: Market Research
In order to obtain the necessary information, it is best to conduct market research with relevant questionnaires or focus groups aimed at gathering information to make the above decisions. At this stage not investigating properly the targets could definitely lead to wrong choices.
Although this is just a handful of items to consider, we believe that having a good knowledge of your target audience, product and having ample market research will most definitely benefit you in marketing your event.