Running your event planning business can feel like getting pulled in all directions. You want to do what you are passionate about - planning events. However, there is a lengthy list of tasks that always require your attention. The more time you spend taking care of these other redundant task responsibilities, the less time you have to plan fantastic events. What you need is automation. By optimizing your tasks through automation, you can reduce the demands on your schedule and spend more time planning unforgettable events for your clients.
1. Automated Event Registration
Your event attendees should be able to register for your events ahead of time without any intervention from you. First, if you had to manually register event attendees, you wouldn’t have time to do anything else. Second, you would need to be available 24 hours a day and seven days a week to capture every event prospect. Instead, automate the event registration process. Setting up your website, a third-party ticketing platform, and your app to process event registrations will save hours of your time in manual registration. It’s also going to boost revenue, since those automations will work behind the scenes, 24/7 on your behalf.
2. Email Marketing Automation
Simplify your email communications by fully automating your email campaigns. Actively collect emails from everyone you communicate with to build your segmented email lists. Use these categories to create email campaigns that speak directly to each email group. For example, you could have an automated email campaign for leads that could be a potential client. Another email campaign could be for current clients as they get closer to their event date. Another could be previous clients that you are looking to re-engage and hopefully book again. Think beyond clients as well, to event attendees, vendor relationships, and industry connections.
3. Social Media Scheduling
Automate your social media creation, scheduling, and posting. Creating social media posts and captions can be a time-consuming task. However, it doesn’t have to be when you automate the process. You can use tools like Sprout Social to streamline your post creation, automate scheduling, and post for you. These services also typically come with some sort of engagement tracking that lets you pull a report for easy performance monitoring. You can even program responses for common comments and inquiries to streamline your brand’s engagement.
4. Task Management Tools
You probably already use task automation tools for your event planning. However, you can also use them to manage your business' administrative tasks. Use a project management tool to set reminders for the administrative tasks that you need to perform. Use it to make managing your accounting responsibilities easier. By automating your project management, you can streamline your work day. That way, you better plan your tasks and optimize your work day to be more productive.
5. Online Payment Processing
Stop spending time processing payments. You can completely automate your payment processing tasks. This could include attendees who are purchasing tickets to an event. It can also include payments by clients who have hired you to plan their events. Look for payment management software that allows you to create invoices, send them, and automatically send follow-up reminders on unpaid invoices. Eliminating the manual tasks of payment processing reduces the amount of time you spend doing administrative tasks.
6. Survey and Feedback Collection
Sending feedback or review request emails after an event is crucial for your business. Following up with clients and attendees about their experience is the only way you will know what is working and what isn’t. However, once an event is over, you are focused on the next one. Automating your feedback emails allows you to focus on your to-do list. Schedule your follow-up emails so they are automatically sent post-event. You can have this be a separate campaign that sends reminder emails to those who have not responded to the first feedback request email. To automate things further, include a link to a survey form. This form can then collect all answers into a spreadsheet where you can quickly and easily review the responses.
7. Client Communication Automation
Being responsive to potential and current customers is a must. However, being available at any time of the day isn't realistic. Automating your client communications can take a significant amount of pressure off you. Instead of seeing hundreds of emails you need to respond to, you can focus on the ones that need your attention the most. Automate your client communications by creating responses for the most common emails you receive. For example, you could automate client queries, appointment requests, and meeting follow-up emails.
8. Budget Tracking and Reporting
When you use software to manage invoicing and payments, you can also automate your budgeting and reporting. Look for software that lets you create reports. That way, you can quickly review the report to find out your current accounting situation. You can then use this historical data to have your accounting software automate future budgeting and spending forecasting. These event automation tools are great for keeping your eye on ROI.
9. Analytics and Reporting
Data collection should be automated and standard. This applies to everything from how your event performs to your social media, website SEO, and lead generation. Webex Events, for example, provides real-time metrics with a 360-degree view of all your hybrid, virtual, and in-person event analytics. All of these metrics can be monitored and reported on through automation tools. This eliminates the need to gather, organize, and interpret your data.
Streamline Your Event Planning Business at The Event Planner Expo 2024
You can streamline your tasks and processes by automating the many aspects of your event planning business. You can focus on your core competency, event planning, by eliminating those time-draining, manual tasks. Automation also reduces the risk of mistakes that can hinder your success and growth.
Learn even more insights for streamlining your events business when you attend industry events like The Event Planner Expo 2024. Connect with and learn from industry experts and other top event planning professionals. Get hands-on experience with the latest innovations that can take your event planning business to the next level. Tickets for The Event Planner Expo 2024 are available now - be sure to get All Access passes to enjoy all three days!
