13th September, 2019
Ever considered hosting a business event? Not only can hosting events be great for attendees, they also drive a lot of business to the host. Here are nine ways Ailsa Page sees events working for you.
Have you been to a business event lately? It may have taken the form of a business seminar, an information session, a launch of a new product or maybe it was a networking event. Either way it was an event hosted by a business and while it has a social element it also has a strategic element.
Events can be great for business. Here are nine ways that businesses can benefit from business events.
If you are running a business seminar you have the opportunity to showcase your expertise.
Anyone can say that they know their stuff but nothing can demonstrate that you know your stuff as much as a seminar or information session.
Providing the opportunity for people to ask you questions in a low pressure environment can actually increase your likelihood of getting business as well as highlight your knowledge and expertise.
Holding an event can create excitement around your business or products and services.
Unveiling a new product, service or new business name is a great way to get people interested and even excited about your business. Buzz can get people talking and can definitely lead to more business.
Finding it hard to come up with content for your social media pages? An event can provide some real time engaging content.
Video-cross live from the event, interviews with guests or simply before and after shots of the event can provide great social proof and opportunities to tag people in your posts. Sometimes it is worth having an event just for the photos.
Imagine your best customers giving live testimonials about how great you are? This can happen at your event.
Providing the opportunity for your existing customers to mix with prospective customers can create the perfect scenario where your customers are singing your praises to your prospective customers.
If you’re wondering how this might work imagine the following conversation one person asks the other “how did you find out about the event?” The other answers that she does business with you? The other person then asks back “how do you find them?” There it is – they’re selling you to a potential customer.
A business event affords you the luxury of being able to take the time to explain more about your products and services.
Sure, it’s all on your website but as business owners we often forget that customers rarely read everything that’s on our website.
Through an event, you can find a creative way of promoting your services and products so that your audience learns and remembers. For example, having product testing or sampling, showing a video, display, timeline or an entertaining speaker giving a presentation about your company can hold people’s attention.
Sometimes a barrier to getting people to buy off you is getting people come to your premises.
An event is one way to get people to happily track down your office address especially if there is a lot of value in the event for them.
‘Drop in for a cuppa’ may not have the pull power that a celebrity, finger food, entertainment, vital information or a chance to win a prize may have, so give people a great reason to schedule this event in their calendar.
Hosting an event can attract people outside your customer base and then provide you with the opportunity to gain sales leads.
Having a plan for how you are going to nurture these leads will be important to maximise this opportunity.
If you host a great event either in business or personally it can definitely endear you to people.
Giving your customers a good experience at an event, creates a positive shared experience and definitely builds bonds and business relationships. There can be the extra benefits of lifting morale for staff and providing conversation starters between customers, prospective customers and staff.
If you run your event well or choose a unique event that sets you apart this can feed into you marketing and provide you with a point of difference.
Think of some of the well-known events organised by charities and not-for-profit organisations that help you remember the brand. For example, the Cancer Council Biggest Morning Tea, Pink Ribbon Mother’s Day Classic Fun Run for breast research, MS Read-a-Thon.
So if you’d like some of the above benefits, maybe it’s time to get your thinking cap and your party shoes on to determine what events might work for your business.