Sure, virtual events and the online world means you can connect with a lot of people at once, that’s a big plus. It also makes staying in touch fairly easy. But there’s nothing that compares to the meaningful connections made IRL. As humans we are wired for personal connection. We’ve survived (and thrived) for millennia operating in communities. Studies have shown how feeling a sense of belonging and connection to community contributes to overall health and well-being. I often feel our society seems to prefer spending time online, without realising the benefits that physically being amongst others can bring… The saying ‘people buy from people’ has roots in these environments. By putting a face to the name of your business, you’re offering your customers a glimpse into the person behind the brand. When you invite people into your inner world, you help to build rapport, establish trust and increase the chance of them both buying from you and recommending you to their family and friends. Word of mouth referrals are what will continue to work for you long after your event is over. Word of mouth recommendations are such an underrated marketing tool. Multiple studies have shown how it is one of the most powerful marketing efforts to help grow your business (and it’s free!). Data shows as much 90% of purchases rely on word of mouth referrals. This shows what a big opportunity word of mouth marketing presents. Let’s take a closer look at the ways events can boost your business and leave a lasting impression on your community. Email marketing is one of the best value ways to market your business. The average expected ROI is $40 for every $1 spent on email marketing. As a small business, where funds are often tight, this is a lot of bang for your buck. Just make sure if you are going to be marketing to your event attendees that you do the righty, legally and inform them they will be opting into your email marketing database. Another way to collect emails at your event is to host a competition at your event where new customers can give you their email address in exchange for a prize/special offering. Using QR codes is a super simple and fun way to do this. You can create your own printable QR code for free at sites like qr-code-generator.com. Link the QR to your email sign up page and not only will it make it easier for peeps to sign up, it will save you on data entry, later. If you are collecting emails, consider putting together some automated follow-up emails to introduce yourself and nurture your new subscribers. This also gives you an instant list of potential attendees for your next event – so don’t forget to keep them in the loop! The connections we make in person tend to be longer lasting and more memorable compared to those made online. Physically, you have the opportunity to also convey the visual dynamics of your brand. If you have the budget you can style the event with the venue, decor, props and florals to create the ultimate ‘vibe’ you want to communicate. Gift bags or goodie bags are a popular inclusion at in-person events, too. This is an excellent way to bring more of your unique branding into the event and gives attendees a lasting memento. Remember, it doesn’t have to always be an elaborate affair or require a huge budget to make a statement. A pared-back and intimate type of event can leave the most genuine impressions on those that attend them. The most obvious choice here is to participate in a market stall. Here in Perth there are some amazing markets to apply for. Depending on your industry, you could look into a stall at a relevant trade show. This is particularly helpful for building potential wholesale relationships and meeting other local businesses. Product launches are also the perfect opportunity to get people together. If you have a new product or range you’ve been working on, why not celebrate with a launch event? Again, these can be as simple or as elaborate as you choose to make them.
Markets are prep-heavy
Not only do you need to have the stock available to sell, you need to think about your product display, payment gateway, packaging and signage. Some markets also require you to have your own marquee if it’s outdoors. I know many people who have signed on to do a market without realising the amount of preparation involved. In my experience, once you’ve done a few markets you get to know the essentials and what you do and don’t need. I would recommend having helping hands especially for your first market stalls, so you aren’t trying to do it all alone (been there, done that!) Aside from markets, in-person events are a great place to test your market with merchandise, new products or special offers. Often, in the moment, people are keen to support you or if they love your vibe, purchase gifts for their family and friends to share the love.
Small business networking has multiple benefits, including:
Job referrals/sales and projects. Help to bounce ideas and workshop solutions to problems Establishing yourself as an expert in a particular field. Sharing stories. Advice and support. Making friends!
If your event is a hoot, your brand will be synonymous with letting the good times roll. This becomes a magnetic marketing message – after all, aren’t we all looking to inject more fun into our lives? If you make time to have fun and bring joy into your business, you are going to increase the warm fuzzies that help you to continue through the hard times. Business is a rollercoaster and we need motivation and inspiration to get us through. Often we don’t make time to sit back and celebrate everything we have achieved in business. There’s no better celebration than a party for your biz. If your event goes well, you’ll be riding high on those feel-good chemicals to help you spring into another period of growth and development. Not only will this user-generate-content (UGC) help potentially build your social following, you can then reshare their content (tagging them, of course) for future posts and stories = instant content library. Hiring a photographer and/or hiring a professional photo booth are other ways you can make the most of the content opportunities at your event. This also will help improve UGC. Naturally, people are more likely to share flattering images of themselves, so having a pro to snap some pics makes a difference! Inviting social media influencers or local PR teams also helps to spread the word about your event and biz. Often there is a fee associated with this but some are reasonably affordable. Tip: Choose PR or influencers that align with your brand messaging so it doesn’t feel fake or ‘spammy’. Even if each business has a modest reach, combining forces means you are instantly doubling/tripling/quadrupling your audience. Collaboration also contributes to networking for your biz and can create strong partnerships for years to come. Collaboration also contributes to networking for your biz and can create strong partnerships for years to come. It’s all about location, location, location! Your chosen venue can make or break an event. Poor parking, substandard customer service or crummy food can negatively affect the experience of your guests. Again, it doesn’t have to be the fanciest or most expensive location, you just need to make sure it helps you meet the goals you’ve set out. There’s nothing worse than feeling like a sardine crammed into a venue for killing the good vibes.
Bathrooms Seating/standing room Tables
Catering – are you providing food and drink? Look into food storage and heating facilities if required. Don’t forget your bevvies too – like drinking water, tea and coffee. Electrical equipment – suss out power points – check for accessibility to these as well as whether WiFi is included, if needed. Parking – super important IMO. There is nothing worse than a venue with poor parking available. If parking is ticketed or limited, be sure to communicate this to your attendees so they aren’t frazzled on the day when they can’t find a park or receive a parking ticket. Take into consideration not only your brand but the event itself. For example, if you’re hosting a meditation and visualisation session, you may prefer a quiet, dimly lit space over a clinical office environment. I think you can create the vibe yourself with the energy you bring to the event, however; the environment also plays a part. For example, if you’re using a space that’s cramped, with stinky, smelly carpets and no natural light it may be hard for your guests to feel fully relaxed and can negatively impact their experience. In my experience, the best way to see what will work for an event is to just give it a shot. You’ll always find things you can change or do differently but you won’t know until you take action! If it all feels a bit overwhelming, start with smaller events. You don’t need to have a huge amount of people to create a successful event. Starting small means you can iron out any of those teething problems before you go bigger.
