The impact on the events industry caused by the COVID-19 crisis has been significant.
Bookings have been cancelled and revenue has been lost from clients who had no choice but to postpone.
This loss of revenue has made it more challenging to market and promote businesses within the events industry.
So, that’s why I’ve put together this list of 10 affordable ways to market your events industry business:
Create more SEO-friendly website content
If you’re wanting to find out how many SEO keywords your site is currently ranking for, check out your website performance in Google Search Console.
Or, use a tool like Moz which is free for a limited number of searches.
Once you know what type of SEO keywords you’re already ranking for, research to find other keywords that you could add to your site.
Blogging using your selected SEO keywords is a great way to grow organic traffic on your site.
Build an email list
Email marketing is a very affordable way to promote your business, so there’s never been a better time to build an email list.
Create a ‘lead magnet’ to encourage people to sign up.
Plus, I recommend that you add pop-up promotional technology to your site to capture more leads.
If you’re not sure what a lead magnet is or how to create one, check out this helpful blog from My Client Strategy: What is a lead magnet? (And how to create one that works).
Create a Pinterest business profile
A lot of people are using Pinterest these days to get inspiration for their events.
Which means, there are a lot of warm leads looking for event business on Pinterest.
If you haven’t set up a Pinterest business profile yet, then I encourage you to do so.
Post photos and links to your website to generate (free) organic traffic to your site.
Pinterest also works like a search engine, so ensure that you use SEO keywords in your PIN title and descriptions. You can also use 3 – 4 hashtags for extra reach.
List in an online events directory
Online event directories provide an affordable way to get your business found higher up in the Google search.
These directories are also fantastic for smaller businesses which have not yet built a website or are in the early stages of building their businesses.
Search for online event directories that are most relevant for your business as they often specialise in a niche.
the events edit for example, is a specialist event directory for Perth and WA based event businesses who are seeking traffic and leads from local Perth and WA residents.
Partner with other local businesses
Consider which other business owners in your area have a non-competing business with the same target market as yours.
These types of business owners would make great collaboration partners.
When you have a collaboration partner you could run joint promotions to expand your reach across both of your audiences.
Plus, you also get the benefit of being able to share the marketing costs.
Join a networking group
Joining a networking group is a great way to generate referrals for your business.
And, they generally don’t cost a lot of money to participate – it’s more about your time commitment.
To find a networking group reach out to your local council or business chamber and ask them if they know of any relevant groups in your area.
If you can’t find a networking group that you want to join, then you can always start your own.
For a faster way to build a trusted and valuable network for your business, be sure to help others before asking for something in return.
Reach out to past clients
Your past happy clients are the best advocates you can have for your business, so it’s essential to remain in touch.
If they haven’t left a testimonial or review for your business from a past event, reach out to them and ask if they would please provide one for you (on your chosen platform).
You could also reach out to your clients to ask them if they know of anyone who has an event coming up who they could introduce you to.
Sometimes a simple email reaching out to someone and asking a polite question is all it can take to generate a new lead for your business.
LINKS:
Moz: https://moz.com/
Lead magnet blog: https://www.myclientstrategy.com/what-is-a-lead-magnet/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/
The Events Edit: https://perthbackdrophire.com.au/why-advertise-marketing-strategy/