When you are targeting a specific audience, it can be difficult to locate the best ways to market to them. Make your life simpler and bring your audience to you by hosting special events. They are a great way to humanize your company and educate customers about your business. Additionally, they give you a chance to make a face-to-face connection and show off your venue.
In a report by Event Marketer Magazine, 41 percent of consumers say that events and experiences are the best way for them to understand the benefits of a product. So, here’s how you can bring customers to you!
Facility Tour
Many people are interested in learning how products are made. For example, some breweries host tours to walk through how beer is made. They charge an entry fee and let attendees sample the beer along the way.
If you have a manufacturing facility, a restaurant, or really any business with a store, you can provide an informational tour of how things run. It’s also a great way to show your audience how efficient and clean your business is, and introduce your customers to other employees.
Tastings
If you don’t want to do a tour, and you have a food or beverage business, you can hold tastings. These can be educational, but they also have a greater social aspect. Customers can mingle with each other and you can even mingle with your customers.
Think of a special event as a networking opportunity. You never know the connections your customers may have, so you should take the time to talk to as many attendees as possible and make them feel welcome and appreciated at your event.
If you don’t have food for customers to sample, you could bring customers into your store for a product demonstration or to test out your products for themselves.
Educational Class
Similarly to a tour, this is a great way to bring in people who are interested in your industry. However, rather than educating potential customers with a tour, you can host a class. For example, a vegan restaurant could teach people about the benefits of living a plant-based lifestyle. A clothing store could teach about how fabric is made or clothes are dyed.
Without giving away all your best-kept secrets, customers can learn something new while also witnessing your expertise on a topic. You can offer samples or coupons for attendees as well.
The best way to come up with a special event idea is to think about the most interesting aspects of your industry and decide what you want people to know about your company. If you don’t have space in your store, consider partnering with another local business on an event.
Don’t forget to ask attendees for their email so you can add them to your mailing list and keep in touch with them! For more tips on hosting an event, check out this helpful article from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Creative Spot is a full-service marketing and advertising agency in Columbus, Ohio. If you would like to learn more about how we can help you plan a special event, please contact us.