IBA SUCCESS MAGAZINE Volume 3 Issue 2 | Page 7

5 Event Ideas That Attract New Clients... Knakeesha Samuels Marketing in its essence is about building relationships. With a huge push towards digital and social media marketing, companies with smart and strategic plans are pushing the norm and getting face to face with customers. Designing an experience people can appreciate is all about letting your brand shine through in a subliminal and engaging way. Stumped on How to Get Started? Check Out These 5 Great Ideas! 1. Interactive Learning Event – The craze around the “how- to” concept can be seen in every aspect of social media these days. From YouTube to Pinterest, everyone wants to DIY and you can bring your deliverable to life with a fun interactive learning event.   Your options are limitless and could include things like a hot new bar hosting a mixology class, to a makeup artist revealing the latest techniques in contouring and highlighting in real time, or even a wedding planner giving away DIY wedding craft ideas.  Putting your product or service into people’s hands – When they see it, touch it, experience the results of using it and how it can help them, it’s priceless. You are the Pro in this situation so your attendees will report back to you when they need help in this area. 2. Charitable event – Events that have a cause tied to them are brilliant at attracting the right attention. Everyone wants to know your business has a heartbeat and that they can feel good about supporting you and the event. Make sure you connect your event and its cause to something that is relevant to your audience and their culture for giving, this will not only help your business efforts but will be important to the fundraising aspect. A fitness company hosting a 5k, or boutique throwing a charity fashion show are a few concepts that go off well with target markets.  Client Builders Align your company with a cause people can appreciate as a great public relations strategy. Get on a personal level with clients and potential clients to know what they are compassionate about on a deeper level. 3. Signature Events –  Branding is the name of the game, and creating a signature event puts you on the field with the power players. A signature event is an event that you create to build an environment around your brand. It  is a unique experience that is recognized as belonging to a specific organization. Signature events should be recurring and somewhat exclusive. Members-only events or a quarterly event for your most loyal customers work perfectly. You can throw in special shopping hours, a nice discount and elevated customer service or on the flip side friends & family day events, behind the scenes tours, private releases, live activations, pop – up shops etc. The key to doing signature events well is to keep it hyper focused on your influencers and make sure your brand message is synonymous to the events. Client Builders Client retention through building a loyal client perk and directly identifying your influencers and creating new ones. Build an environment that brings your brand to life. 4. Networking Event –  People love a well-connected person, idea or concept and what better way to show off your connections than to connect them to each other. Hosting your own networking event is a way of developing a leadership platform, because you are now the authority in your community to bring it together and garner relationships. Don’t forget to think outside of the ordinary: business matching, fun ice breakers and target events like woman in business mixers can shake it up and set you apart. Client Builders Leads Galore! Let your social side show; be a fabulous hostess! 5. Expo or Conference-  This could easily be one of the most labor intensive of all 5 events but definitely the most beneficial because it could easily be a  combination of them all in one. Expos and conferences give customers the opportunity to understand your culture and community through inclusion. The trick in providing a valuable return to your business is in identifying a niche and focus aligned with what your business outcomes. It is also a great way to rub elbows with competitors, see what they’re up to and connect with them. Think about a wedding photographer throwing a wedding expo, or a digital marketing company creating a tech conference, the possibilities would be endless! Client Builders You decide the topic at hand and drive the education being given. Bring together and learn about what is the latest and greatest in your industry. Now that you have 5 great types of event to get your brain ticking, what type of event speaks to you the most? Remember it doesn’t have to be huge to be memorable and marketing doesn’t have to be digital to be effective! Need help or ideas on hosting your own event? Email us at  [email protected]   We can consult you on how to use the right tactics to build a great event! Volume 3 • Issue 2 | 2017 7