It’s 2014. It is time to take centre stage and make the most of your face-to-face marketing channel. There is no like right now to grow important relationships and community contacts.
You probably already know that events are strong marketing tools. This is why you attend networking events, encourage your colleagues to go to conferences, take up speaking opportunities and profile your business through sponsorship opportunities.
The benefits you felt when engaging with someone else’s event will increase tenfold when you are the one running the show – where the focus is on your business and you are the one calling the shots.
Here are our 3 top considerations to help you answer that one key question: Should I hold my own events?
1. Financial considerations
- You can put together a good event that showcases your brand perfectly with a small budget. The trick is in knowing what to spend your money on.
- Your biggest costs will centre on the venue and include catering & audio-visual equipment.
- There are several ways to generate income from your event. It really depends on the goals you have set as well as the value generated for your audience.
- You are essentially creating an asset, which you own!
2. Time considerations
- Your time: Any event takes time to put together. It is an extension of your brand and needs to be done well. However helps comes in many shapes and sizes, so you do not need to do it alone.
- Your audience’s time: Securing an audience is half the battle. Focus on who you want to have in the room and take their time constraints into consideration when structuring your event.
- When to start planning the event: Our mantra is always the earlier the better. Time gives you the chance to take better decisions and have more opportunities available.
3. Operational considerations
- Be clear on your goals – pick one main one and stick to it.
- Never lose sight of your audience.
- Try things out – just because it hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean it will not work for you.
- Events are cyclical – you need to run the first to create a bigger and better second.
Taking the decision to hold your own event might seem daunting at first. However, when run well, your event, will give you a unique opportunity to engage, face-to-face, with your current and future clients.
And, there’s no time like now to start adding events to your 2014 marketing agenda.
