You don’t have to be a major brand to make a big splash. The power of event marketing hits fast and covers a wide range. It’s broad and instant and designed to help any company, even a tiny start-up, get the word out about their brand in a memorable way.

Not sure exactly what event marketing is? It’s a form of experiential marketing that puts you face-to-face with a live audience. The people attending your live event or live-streamed workshop or webinar can interact with you on a personal level. That gets your name out there and establishes a relationship they won’t forget. Still not convinced? A survey of brands that over-perform found that 8 out of 10 of them plan to increase their event marketing budget, and just as many consumers admitted they developed a positive view of a company due to event marketing.

Start Small and Increase Your Event Marketing Budget as Your Brand Gains Popularity

When you’re just starting out, you may not have a huge budget for marketing. You can run a successful event marketing campaign without spending a lot. Email and social media marketing campaigns can help you avoid some expenses while working effectively to spread the word of your event. Make sure all the details are provided and give information on how people can contact you if they have questions.

Start small and increase your budget as your company grows. If you don’t have the budget to rent a venue and host a conference or seminar, think smaller. Reserve a booth at a trade show, host a live event on social media, or pass out samples of your product on the street. You may find that your budget will stretch farther than you think, so don’t be afraid to consult with event marketing experts.

As your event brings in additional sales, increase your budget. It’s estimated that increasing your marketing budget by just 1.7x puts you on the same marketing track as some of the nation’s most successful brands.

Consider What Consumers Love

We have a few tips for you when it comes to business-to-consumer event marketing. If you focus on what consumers most want to experience, you’ll be able to customize your marketing plan to their desires.

Cause marketing is big. Millennials like to buy things for themselves, but they’re also very concerned with the world around them. That’s why you’re seeing brands like Bomba and Toms get plenty of attention and word-of-mouth advertising. The buyers get a pair of socks or shoes, but they also feel good because someone who desperately needs help also gets new socks or shoes.

Consumers love coupons, freebies, and hands-on experiences. If you make your brand accessible so that they can try before they buy, such as with product displays at a trade show or pop-up in a busy city square, you’re going to gain attention.

Where Do You Start?

You need a marketing plan. This isn’t the job for one person. You should designate a team if possible. Pitch ideas to each other and see what stands out. Take notes and narrow down the winning suggestions. When you have your event marketing idea, write out a step-by-step plan on what is needed to turn that plan into a reality. Go over the plan with the team so that everyone knows their role.

It takes time to research prices if you’re planning to reserve a venue or purchase custom samples. You need a website or page devoted to the event. You need to send out invitations or spread the word through social media. Someone needs to track RSVPs, answer questions, and give directions if people are unclear on where to go. You need to come up with the budget based on the research and figure out how to make your goals meet that budget.

On the day of the event, someone needs to measure the return on investment and make sure the campaign worked. You need someone monitoring social media for feedback. That person needs to respond to questions, praise, and negative feedback. The person responding to criticism has to maintain a professional, polite attitude. That can be difficult for someone who truly believes that their brand is the best.

As you look at the things you need to tackle from the early stages of creating your marketing strategy to monitoring feedback and sales after, you have one question to ask. Do you really have the time and manpower to handle your own event marketing campaign? Is your marketing budget going to shrink when you factor in additional labor or overtime to pay workers to manage your event?

We’ll Help You Make a Big Splash

Managing a growing business and creating a memorable event marketing strategy may seem overwhelming. You can’t afford more employees, but you also can’t reassign some and pay overtime while planning and pulling off your event. That’s why many brands turn to the experts in event marketing. Why not involve the dedicated team at Factory 360 in your plans?

Our team of designers and event producers has the vision to help you make a big splash no matter how small your brand is. Give us a call to discuss your goals and budget. We’d be delighted to assist you in turning your goals into a successful, memorable event.