In-Store Events Can
Drive Your Sales
Hosting an event for your business or at your business can be the equivalent to getting an article published in a targeted publication. The focus is what makes it so effective. The event doesn't have to be fancy or a huge production. It can take the form of an open house, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a seminar, or a guest appearance by a celebrity, political official, or someone else of significance. People love celebrities, even local ones. Invite the mayor. Invite the traffic reporter on the local radio station. Hundreds have flocked to see a local traffic reporter without even knowing who she is. (She must be important; she's on the radio, so she must be a celebrity.)
Once you decide that you are going to have an event, there are a few things to do to get even more bang for your PR buck:
- Let your target market know that you are having an event. An announcement can be made first with a press release to publications that reach your target market. Hand out fliers at your place of business, with customer orders, and at any networking sessions you attend to get the word out about your event. A follow-up press release as the event approaches further instills your name into an editor's list as a progressive promoter and a business worthy of news. Target local publications, national publications, trade publications, personal newsletters, and any publication linked with your business or organization. Place signage in your business announcing the event.
- If you are having a speaker or another guest of honor, a separate press release announcing the appearance of that person can be issued. Consider releasing a series of press releases for the event, depending on the nature of the event. The announcement of the special guest can come from you or sometimes speakers and guests like to announce themselves appearing at a particular event. The more coverage, the better.
- Invite the media with handwritten invitations. Treat your event just like a party and invite the people you want to attend. Send invitations to the media, your customers and important prospects, friends, and family. It's even okay to include a copy of the first press release with your invitation to further emphasize the importance of the event. Invite local city officials, fellow retailers, trade association executives, and your neighbors.
- At the event itself, announce the media representatives that are present and present them with press passes and/or special name tags. Press people like to feel special and have special access. Also announce elected officials. Making the mayor look good will go a long way in your business.
- Have plenty of press kits, brochures, product information, and fliers available to pass out to those attending. Pass them out not only to the media representatives, but also to your guests. Customers and prospects should receive any and all press releases that you issue. If you don't have a press kit, make one. They are not that hard to put together, they don't have to be fancy, and they don't have to include volumes of material. A sample press kit might be the press release announcing the event; a bio on any speaker or guest; a fact sheet on the company's history, product or service; and a bio on the owner/president of the company. That's the basic information; anything more is gravy. This will also help the media write their follow-up stories about your event. You can even be so bold as to write a suggested article as a "template."
- Include in the press kit a frequently asked questions list about the company, person, product or service written in interview form. This makes it easier for radio and TV people to interview you or pick a few questions for press.
- Most importantly, hire a photographer or carry around a digital camera. You will want your event recorded. Even consider having one of your employees carry around a video camera. Offer the media electronic photos for their publications. Post printed photos at your place of business and include them in any follow-up thank-you notes to your guests.
- Send persistent, automatic e-mails to inform, educate, survey, and entertain potential attendees. I recommend two per week starting three months before registration is cut off. In the absence of email, go ahead and use snail mail. The more communication and touches the better.
- Ask potential attendees to send contact information for five people who they think would be interested in attending, and ask them to send out the soliciting e-mail to two others not included in the original five.
- Use a hook. Offer a free report, such as "How to gain more out of shopping here" or "Top 10 ways to improve your lifestyle with our products," to those in attendance.
- Have a pre-event contest, with the winner to be announced at the event.
These are just a few ideas that will give your event a big bang. Don't try to do everything here. Done is better than perfect. Consider having events periodically such as once per quarter. Make them fun. Using your imagination to come up with a few more will increase your PR, exposure, and communication with customers immensely. The goal is to get noticed and to get people talking about your business so they will eventually pay you a visit to buy something.