Entrepreneurs often invite me to their seminars, workshops or conferences...
then a couple of months down the line I discover that the event's been cancelled as they haven't managed to sell enough tickets.
They start out passionate and excited, with a fantastic idea.
But they end up disheartened feeling that 'it's too difficult' and ''people just aren't interested'.
First of all, let me say, that I always have jitters in the lead-up to events wondering whether or not I will fill a room.
This is normal and to be expected.
However, what is important is to follow a proven step-by-step plan to ensure your event is a success.
When I first started out, I had zero experience of holding big events for 400+ people.
But what I did have was determination to succeed and, with three small children to provide for, failure simply wasn't an option for me.
My game plan then was to learn 'the formula' for filling an event and to stick to it.
As a result, every event I've held over the past 4 years has exceeded expectations - I have had to upgrade venues at the last minute, and even move back the stage to make room for more seats! So here are my top tips for marketing your event and getting the proverbial 'bums on seats': 1.
Tickets Consider carefully how you will fill your room.
One method is to give away free tickets which, in my experience, means that only around 30-40% of people with tickets will show up.
The advantage of this method is that attracts a bigger number of attendees much, much faster.
You can also build a sizeable list of prospects who you can sell to at a later date.
The downside is that they may not be very committed.
The other strategy is to sell tickets - which is much harder to do.
But what it does mean is that you will have a much more committed audience.
Anything from 70-90% will turn up.
Not only this, but if you decide to sell products or services to them, then they will be much more inclined to buy.
2.
Four Month Lead In Give yourself sufficient time to plan your event.
A copywriter will typically take 2 weeks to write your sales letter.
A web designer will take around the same length of time to put up your website.
That's after you've waited for speakers to send back their photos and bios and contracts.
You really need to allow yourself sufficient time to write and prepare your marketing materials and PR in advance.
Give yourself a time cushion so that if something doesn't go as planned, you still have plenty of time to set things right.
3.
Know Your Target Audience What is it that your target audience most wants to know? What is it they ardently desire? What is it that they fear? Tailor your event so that it meets all their needs and becomes a 'no brainer' for them to attend.
It's vital that you understand your audience before you do anything else.
Try to put yourself in their minds and think as they think.
If they don't attend or don't come along, why not? What is most likely to hold them back? Then address this! 4.
JV Partnerships JV partnerships are vital to filling a room.
Before approaching someone about a partnership, consider 'what's in it for them?" Are you going to offer them a reciprocal mail-out? Are you going to give them a commission? Will you let them speak at your event? What will you offer them that's of value in return? It has to be a win-win situation for them to want to be involved.
Ensure also that your JV partners are in the same niche as you.
If not, you may find yourself sending out a promotional email to a list of 100,000 and getting zero responses in return.
(Take it from someone who has made this mistake several times!) 5.
Affiliates Affiliate programs are easier to set up than you think.
For several years, I avoided organising this because it sounded too complicated.
When I first set one up, I really started to see sales rolling in.
Offer as high a percentage commission as you can.
Typically, I offer 100% commission, but 50% is also a good incentive.
The profits can always come from sales of higher priced services on the day of your event.
6.
Free Bonuses Make sure that you offer valuable free gifts and bonuses to draw people in.
It's best if these are downloadable freebies such as MP3s or e-books.
Often the bonuses I give out are worth hundreds or even thousands of pounds, and worth 20 times more than the ticket value.
Sometimes, I find people attend purely on the basis of the bonuses alone because they can see the tremendous value that's being offered! 7.
Social Media Use social media such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to promote your event.
Invite friends and acquaintances along.
Share the links with as many people as possible and create a buzz around your event.
You can even interview some of the speakers beforehand to build up hype in advance.
Social media costs nothing and can reach an audience of millions.
Traditional advertising, in contrast, can be expensive and also reaches a much smaller audience.
Try to leverage your time and money as much as possible to get 'as much bang for your buck'.
Finally, stayed connected with your heart source and with passion.
People are often cynical of a 'salesy' approach.
However, they can feel with difference with someone sincere who is loving what they do and genuinely wants to help others.
Enjoy your event.
There's little more satisfying than seeing a room filled with people and knowing that your energy and enthusiasm helped to draw them there!