Special events offer a way for businesses to reach audiences they might not normally reach. But being present at an event is only part of turning a special event into a business opportunity. Whether you are hosting an event, or taking part in a larger event in an attempt to promote your business, you can do many things to help maximize turnout and make attendees remember your business.
Every successful special event begins with months of planning. By putting in the proper time and thought beforehand, you’ll make sure your event goes off without a hitch. Here are a few things you can do in advance to make sure your business sparkles on the day of the event:
* Start with a budget. The best thing you can do to make sure your event goes smoothly is properly allocate your resources. By setting a budget and itemizing individual costs, you will discover whether you can run a successful event with what you have. Once you’ve priced everything out, you can also prioritize your spending on extra items.
* Make your event special. In order to attract people to your event, you need to establish that it’s something beyond the ordinary. Creating an event logo is a great way to help build that credibility. Professional logo designers, such as Logo Mojo, can help you come up with a design that melds your logo with the theme of the event.
* Get the word out. People can’t attend your event if they don’t know about it. You may find it’s best to use a mix of the more traditional paper fliers and physical invitations, and online techniques such as e-mail announcements and promoting your event through social media. Online promotion can provide a good alternative to more expensive forms of publicizing your event if you are on a tight budget.
* Take plenty of business cards with you. The last thing you want to happen is to engage with a potential customer, only to discover that you’ve run out of business cards to give (or trade with) them.
* Send them away with something. If you can afford it, special events are a great place to hand out promotional giveaways. By either providing something useful, or something to commemorate the event, you’ll leave the people you meet with something to take home that will remind them about your business.
Special events are a great way to spread the word about your business and let people know what you have to offer. If you plan accordingly, you’re sure to provide people with more reasons to stop by your shop.