Now that you have launched a start-up, what can you do to “get your name out there”? One “legit” way to acquire brand recognition is to throw a party! Whether your vision is of a party, a conference or another event that puts your brand in front of potential customers, this article’s tips will help you make any event epic and worth your young company’s time and money.
Tips for a Successful Brand Event
Know Your Budget
An entrepreneur might say, “I want to throw a party to get people interested in my company” but the party does not yet have the necessary parts for success. The first step toward a successful event for your company is to set budget parameters.
You need to know how much you are willing to spend on your event and you need quotes from vendors to find out if your budget is realistic.
Allow for Lead Time
Successful events do not happen overnight. Whether you intend to pay for advertising or focus on word-of-mouth marketing, all methods of spreading the word require time. Do not expect to decide on Monday you want to throw a big event on Saturday. It will surely fizzle.
To pull off a killer event, leave yourself at least six weeks.
Know Your Target Audience
This may seem obvious but many start-ups squander their precious resources because they do not focus on a narrow audience. They think they can reach everybody. That is a futile pursuit!
This is the age of the niche. Your brand can serve multiple niches but not all of them. Before you start the ball rolling toward your big event, make sure you know what kind of people you want to attract to it.
Once you know the type of “fish” you want to catch, you can select the perfect bait.
Offer Your Audience Something They Cannot Get Nearby
Scarcity of something a group of people wants brings those people “out of the woodwork” when that something becomes available. For example, organizations that stage the only annual comic book convention within a several-hours’ drive often experience wild success.
Give your audience something scarce that they truly want. They will show up in droves.
Hire Entertainers Your Audience Will Enjoy
Booking a mainstream country singer for an anarchist poetry slam would very likely not lead to a successful event. Whether you want to throw a conference or a fun community party, you have to book entertainment that makes sense for the audience you want to draw.
If your audience is into comic books, book a popular manga artist or promotional models dressed as characters with huge fan followings, Covergirl Promotional Models is a brand that has met success with these tactics.
A good draw for this type of event is a famous person you can book who has been “out of circulation” for a bit.
Target, Target, Target
Once you have defined your budget, your time frame, your audience, and the people you want to book, you have to get out your message. As you spread the word about your event, always target your audience via the methods that are most likely to connect with them.
Ads on the radio may not make sense for your audience. You may do better with a highly-focused campaign on a social media site. You may benefit most by “postering” local college campuses. Always consider the demographics of any marketing channel before committing your resources.
Now that you know these elements of wildly successful events, it is time to make it happen! Good luck with your brand’s big day!
You can also stage events on your social networks. Get some tips on promoting a Facebook event here.