I have the secret to event marketing. Some people may look at me thinking, “Ok, Alecia. This seems a little too fluffy for me” or “Yeah right!”. I do know what I know from helping hundreds of companies and entrepreneurs market their event, and it really falls into one simple solution. Let me ask you this:
What would you say you are most selfish about these days?
Is it money? Probably not.
Is it traveling or getting more sales?
Nah, didn’t think so.
It’s your time silly. Do you ever say to yourself, “I wish I had more time”.
TIME is the currency of choice now. You’re busy, I’m busy, and guess what? Your attendees are busy, too. It’s a scarce resource (how often have you wished for just a few extra hours in your day?) and we’re not going to let just anyone or anything take it up!
That’s why when you’re marketing an event, you always have to emphasize time as being of the utmost value.
It’s too easy for someone to glance at the ticket price and go “Nope, doesn’t seem worth it for me right now”. But if you can show them exactly what they’ll be getting for the time that they invest, it’s a different story. If your attendees give you an afternoon, a full day, or an entire weekend from their busy schedules, what will they gain? You want to show that they’re going to see an ROI for their time.
You’re not just selling a seat; you’re selling an experience.
Potential attendees will still be curious to know if they’re going to get their money’s worth but the real question on their mind is:
“Is it going to be worth my time?”
As an event marketer, you need to convince them that YES, it’s absolutely going to be worth every single minute of their time! Let them know exactly what you’re bringing to the table because that is what’s going to sell them. You can do this by appealing to the emotional side of your audience. Don’t just lay out facts and figures – tell them WHY they should attend your event and WHAT they’ll experience and take away from it.
For example: you are a Life Coach. You are looking to sell tickets for your amazing weekend retreat that’s targeted towards women seeking clarity and balance in their lives. They could be working moms or new entrepreneurs who are burning the candle at both ends. You’re planning on offering coaching sessions and workshops for the “clarity” side of it. The event will also have yoga and nutritionist for the “balance” side of the retreat.
Instead of opening with the price and then selling the “features”, paint a picture for every woman. Give all the details about how this will benefit her and draw her in with all of the amazing goodness that she’ll get to experience and take away from the weekend. Let’s break it down:
- Personalize It. As a VIP, she will be able to take part of a 1:1 session, she will gain incredible clarity of her goals.
- Benefits + Features. She will receive a personalized plan on how to overcome current obstacles and get to where she wants to be.
- Physical. The morning yoga sessions will energize all of the woman she is, as she channels her inner warrior.
- Self Discovery. This event will be an incredible day of self-discovery, while the evening sessions will be about self-reflection and releasing any stress or feelings of self-doubt.
- Health + Wellness. Each attendee will also have an opportunity to meet with the nutritionist to discuss health goals and receive a consultation on the best eating plan.
Emphasize that by the end of the weekend, she’ll feel completely refreshed and have the confidence to pursue her goals. She will have bonded with incredibly strong women and maybe even planted the seeds for lifelong friendships.
See, when you’re marketing an event, focus on “speaking” to the attendees. When they read about it, it should make them stand up, do a fist pump, and shout “Yes! This is exactly what I’ve been looking for!”.
Remember, we all value our time and are careful about how we spend it. Be sure that you’ve placed a “can’t resist” value on your event that justifies your attendee’s time.
Want to know more? Go check out my full Event Marketing Course!
