Let’s talk marketing strategy for a minute. As an event planner, you’re bombarded with tips and tricks for landing new event clients, selling more event tickets, and engaging more event guests. But the marketing “expert” space is pretty crowded and getting watered down with generic advice and best practices. What you really need is a short list of marketing suggestions that you can implement today, and that will actually drive results.
This is the marketing tips list you’ve been looking for all along.
1. Referral Marketing Is Game-Changing for Event Planners
Before you go changing up your marketing plans and investing in advertising, take a look at how effective you are at drumming up referral business. You’re in the market of creating experiences. Use those incredible experiences to gather testimonials, online reviews, and referrals. Create an incentive program for past clients who refer new clients. And build a steady flow of leads and prospects using your best experiences.
Referral Marketing Tips:
- Know your referral targets and sources
- Identify referral channels for communication (email, social, etc.)
- Create move-the-needle incentives
- Track referrals, incentives, and results
2. Influencer Marketing Will Grow Your Audience
Sometimes you just need to reach an entirely new-to-you audience with your marketing. And to really put a megaphone to your event planning brand, partner with an influencer who already commands an audience you don’t connect with normally. Find a personality or influencer with similar values or who complements your brand image. And form strategic partnerships to significantly broaden your prospect horizons.
Influencer Marketing Tips:
- Define your audience reach goals and targets
- Research influencers before partnering
- Create a process for content and follow up
- Seek to build long-term influencer relationships
3. Social Media Presence (Not Ads)
Pick a social media channel and own it. And by owning it, we mean with online presence, regular posting, and really engaging content. It’s less about spending money on social media advertising. Not that ads don’t work, though, rather - they’re not the be-all-end-all of social media marketing success. Instead, choose one channel at a time and dominate it before branching out to other channels. Find which platforms resonate most with your event planning-related clients, and get in front of them all the time with tips, solutions, and entertaining content.
Social Media Marketing Tips:
- Develop a strategy with attainable goals
- Invest in creating a brilliant content calendar
- Be consistent with posting, sharing, and responding
- Visual assets are best (video, images, reels, etc.)
4. Experiential Marketing & Sales
You’re an event planner, sure. But what you really are is an experience creator. And your marketing and sales efforts should be rooted in experience-based strategies. This means hosting experiential events for your brand, getting in the room at networking events, and having strategies for getting your dream clients out to lunch with you. Experiences and conversations are your opportunities to shine!
Experiential Marketing Tips:
- Target specific audience niches with unique experiences
- Set precise goals for making connections
- Capitalize on every engagement with follow-through
- Track results to improve the next engagement
Start implementing your marketing plans that facilitate these proven and effective methods. And to really boost your event planning business, improve brand awareness, and generate more leads, reserve your exhibitor booth at this year’s Event Planner Expo! Tickets are available, and thousands will attend - start planning now!
