We all understand the opportunities that exist throughout the year to drive sales and awareness. The big seasonal events; Christmas, Easter, Summer Holidays and the list goes on. Then there are the big events, whether they’re sporting occasions, music festivals or even a big royal wedding! Do you think you’re making the most out of all of the opportunities available to you?
Mapping Out Your Year
So, first steps are to map out the events, when are they? Who is involved? How do your clients interact with these events? What are your competitors doing? So many questions you could ask. But clarity is vital. If you don’t have the time or resource to do this, get someone to help with your media management (preferably ib3!)
Due to the short time periods of many events, you must get it right. What I’d advise is to prioritise events and go after them as hard as you can. There may be certain events in the year that are synonymous with your industry. Mistletoe grower, Christmas. Easter Egg manufacturer…well…Easter. These are obvious of course. But what about industry where they are less obvious?
Picking The Best Events
Don’t force fit you offering onto an event. Christmas for instance, may not be the time to push your product or service. There’s something almost cringe-worthy when businesses push campaigns that don’t quite work. Look outside of the box. Smaller events throughout the year may be the real opportunity. Think on a local basis if your business is regional. Fairs, festivals, special dates etc can all be great ways to promote your business. There are so many different events nowadays. National Pie Week, National Gin Day, World Book Day, National Hug Day. Plenty of events to get stuck into. All events are opportunities (in very differing ways and on very different scales!). Why not find an event, plan it in the calendar and then put a strategy together on how you can capitalise? Remember, be relevant and be sure that the link to the event is explainable and marketable.
Events, Great, But What Else Is There?
Events aren’t the only opportunity throughout the year. Think slightly shorter term. News articles and current affairs can be an excellent way to promote your business. Is there a story that you can capitalise on? Brexit, a storm with a strange name, a major cup win for England (unlikely in most sports!) or even some breaking news on the Great British Bake Off! We recently ran a PPC campaign for a client within the legal sector following a news article about a national, medical negligence court case. What a success! Why was it so successful? Well speed, creativity and expertise from both our clients and ib3 meant that we had a campaign created and up and running within hours of the news story breaking.
What Tools Are Out There And What Channels Should You Use?
No matter what size your business is, there are tools out there to use. Whether you have a £100 or £100,000 you can produce a campaign that can work for you. There a so many different channels and options when creating a campaign, but let’s look at three of the tools that we use and have the best results from!
PPC: Pay-per-click is a fantastic campaign medium. Using endless sources of data and fantastic levels of analyse, PPC enables businesses to switch campaigns on and off instantly. This allows opportunities to be maximised. Targeting can be achieved and the most specific of levels. Budgets managed and awareness raised to very high levels. Using Google and Bing, campaigns reach your clients on any of their devices.
Print Media: Whether it’s an editorial or advertisement in a journal or corporate leaflets and flyers, print has a great way of connecting with your clients. Vibrant colours, well written copy and striking images combined with good quality paper gives print advertising a real striking feel. Tailoring your message around an event or season can be done in many creatively unique ways. Always be prepared in advance. Get your creative ready to hit the right times throughout the year. Don’t forget print as a channel. It has real impact.
Email Marketing: Adding subtle touches to your email marketing can also have real impact. Seasonal imaging, themed messages or special event based promotional offers. All fantastic ways to engage with an audience over an email. Target clients with personalisation and unique themed content. Don’t forget to A/B test!
So, there are lots of opportunities out there to drive your business forward. Pick the event, plan, select the correct mix of channels and you’re there! Of course, if any help is required, get int touch!
Thanks for reading.
Adam
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adam@ib3.uk
07794 492587