Memorial Day is the unofficial kickoff to Summer, which means summer parties are likely on the front of your mind. While event marketing can be cumbersome, but it can also dictate the success of of your event (and your business). From booking talent to getting people in the door, there’s a lot of steps you need to take to ensure a profitable event. Below are some insights and proven strategies that will help you achieve success in all areas of your event from front to back.
1. Know your audience
Your event needs to be relevant to your customers or a specific segment of your customers. Without first identifying your audience, you will have a hard time deciding what type of party it is you need to throw. Identify who it is you’re throwing the party for, what they expect from an event, and deliver based on those expectations. You can even plan different events for different days of the week to capture as much of the market share as possible. Thursdays can be live entertainment while Fridays are EDM DJs. Themed events such as neon or paint parties often speak to a larger audience. Whatever you decide, just make sure the event you put on aligns with the customers that attend. This translates to a good experience and increased customer spending.
2. Do your research
Scroll through your rolodex of past events and identify what made them successful or why they failed. Take an honest look at the information and you will see what brought you success or where you fell short. If this is your first time, then take a look at your competitors. Talk to people who went to their events to get a sense of what they liked and what they thought went wrong. Use this information to your advantage to set the foundation of your own event.
3. Hire the right talent
People come to your event for the party, and your talent is a big part of setting the tone of that party. Know what DJ your target audience would die to hear, or at least what type of music they want to dance to, and hire accordingly. Also, make sure to set up ample lighting and audio to exemplify your talent’s sound.
When it comes down to hiring your talent, follow the steps outlined in the Nightclub & Bar article, Talent Booking Tips for Your Nightlife Venue. Look for talent that’s in your area, and get in touch with the book agencies or managers. If it’s a big name that you’re going after, which typically comes with a big price tag, then pull the trigger and book them. As the article states, you’ll see the rewards as a result of the act just by the type of crowd it draws. And if the booking doesn’t’ feel right, then don’t force it. Everything should feel like it falls in line naturally. You can always wait until your next booking opportunity to go after that gig.
4. Put the right people in place
Always manage and stay on top of your responsibilities. This may include designating an event producer to make sure all your ducks are in a row. The event producer organizes all aspects of an event, including making sure the talent gets hired, booking decorations, adding the necessary sound and lighting equipment, and ensuring all hospitality needs are met. Put all the right people in the right place, and make sure everyone knows their exact responsibilities. Clarity is what will make everyone operate fully in their role and will avoid any confusion between different parties.
5. Price your event accordingly
It’s critical to understand what your customers will pay in return for an event like yours while still covering all your costs. If you brought in a big name DJ, your pricing will look different than a DJ from down the street simply due to the demand. If you price yourself too high, then people might shy away from attending; too low, and people might perceive the event as cheap. Do your research and set a competitive price.
6. Get your ticketing system in place
The ticketing system you use translates to the amount of money your event makes. Moreover, doing pre-sale tickets — whether it’s admission tickets to your event or pre-selling tables for VIP bottle service clients — generate revenue that will pay for your event before the event even happens. Look for a ticketing provider like Vēmos that fully integrates into your operations so you can track not only your ticket sales before the event, but your sales through the entire night of your event. This type of solution gives you a full 360-degree look at how your venue is performing. Shy away from ticketing companies that 1) don’t give you access to your own customers/data, 2) doesn’t automatically send your money directly through your own bank, and 3) takes a fee out of your revenue.
7. Spread the word
Once you have your event planned and your systems in place, you’re ready to spread the word and get people buying tickets. Use a multi-channel strategy to get the word out, such as a combination of text-message marketing, printed collateral, media partnerships, email updates, and social media. One of the most successful marketing tactics you can do is hyper-targeted Facebook ads using Power Editor to direct ads to your exact target audience. If you have a cRM system in place, use filters to segment your customers into specific targeted audiences (such as 25-30 year old females who spend at least $100 in your venue on Friday nights) and send email and text messages directly to them. This type of marketing means each audience gets messages that are 100% relevant to their habits. Just make sure your event delivers on the promise of your messaging. That’s powerful marketing, and that’s what drives the right guests to your events.
Whitney Larson is the president and director of marketing at Vēmos. Contact her at whitney.larson@vemos.io or fill out the form below.
