You’ll be inundated with marketing strategy advice over the next month or two. With every new year comes a host of guru-inspired insights selling you on the idea that these are the secrets business professionals like you need to know. But not all of those nuggets will provide event planners with the actionable intel they need. And you’ll be hard-pressed to find enough time to trial and error every bright and shiny new marketing strategy.
To help, we’ve plucked some of the best insights New York event planners like you can take to the bank in 2023. These secrets might just be the competitive advantage you can’t live without in developing your marketing strategy.
1. Stick with the Analytics
Don’t chase marketing tactics and engagement strategies without first verifying your analytics. Event planners recognize that the best way to find advertising and marketing plans that work is by following the data. So, as part of your marketing efforts, commit to pulling and analyzing your metrics ongoing. Spot mistakes before they become costly. Make improvements to campaigns on the fly. And discover what marketing initiatives are working the best. It’s the data that will guide you, not the gurus.
2. Transform Your Brand to Be More Human
Brand image and perception are everything. How your target audiences feel about you, your event planning services and your reputation is going to be the driving force behind how successful you are at landing new business. Consider a brand audit now and use surveys and social media to collect the intel you need. From there, you can make significant improvements to your brand perception by developing marketing strategies that humanize your brand. Don’t be a storefront, be a person. Don’t be a slogan, be a personality. Don’t be a service provider when you can be an industry influencer and expert.
3. Dominate LinkedIn
There are plenty of stats signifying that LinkedIn is a tremendous marketing resource many businesses aren’t using properly. This forum allows you to create thought-leadership content, connect with core targets, and promote your event planning services among professionals. Check out your LinkedIn page and explore your current metrics. Then create plans to grow and improve your presence and connections. Here are some LinkedIn usage stats that might surprise you:
- 29.2% of users rely on LinkedIn to keep up with news and events
- 26.9% of users follow and research new partners here
- 13.8% of users say they always look for funny or entertaining content
4. Be the Event Planning Solution
Here’s another secret worth considering. Don’t be an event planning service, be a solution provider. Marketing to today’s audiences, whether you’re looking to attract corporate executives or families for bar/bat mitzvahs, means appealing to their needs as a solution to their problems. Every marketing message you put into the universe should point to, signify, or represent a solution to someone’s challenge. Share the advice and provide the insights. You’ll soon be the New York event planner everyone calls when they need help.
5. Automate Everything
If you really want to introduce a game-changing strategy to your marketing plans, start looking for every automation tool you can get your event planning hands on now. Time is money. And an event planner’s time is worth its weight in gold. Imagine eliminating tedious and time-consuming marketing-related tasks with innovative automation. Imagine having an extra hour or two every working day to be more productive. If you’re not automating your marketing processes, you’re wasting time. Here are a few automation examples to consider:
Marketing emails: Create sequences and use tools that allow you to send bulk batches of strategically crafted messages at once.
Automating notifications: Set up every marketing and communication platform you use to automate notifications and/or responses when applicable. You don’t have time to check all your inboxes, DMs, chats, and communication. Instead, get notified when something needs your attention.
Social media posts: Develop those campaigns and posts ahead of time, load them up, and schedule them in advance.
Automate analytics: Set up your Google Analytics or CRM to generate reports and data for your ongoing, so you can review and track what’s important to your campaigns.
As you look for actionable improvements and advice that you can use for your New York event planning business, this is the shortlist of insights you can take to the bank. And for more industry secrets for success, make sure you’re at The Event Planner Expo 2023! Get on the waitlist!
