Saffire Blog

What’s the big deal about ecommerce?

If you’ve had a conversation with one of our team members for longer than 30 seconds, we’ve probably told you how important we think ecommerce is to the success of any event. Our roots are in ecommerce for large companies and we’ve proved our theory to be true, so it’s no surprise we are so … Continue reading “What’s the big deal about ecommerce?”

If you’ve had a conversation with one of our team members for longer than 30 seconds, we’ve probably told you how important we think ecommerce is to the success of any event. Our roots are in ecommerce for large companies and we’ve proved our theory to be true, so it’s no surprise we are so sure that it will help increase revenue for your event.

Even though we are spreading the ecommerce message far and wide, we still find events that are skeptical, so we’ve decided to try a new approach. They say “A picture is worth 1,000 words,” and in this case I couldn’t agree more! This infographic tells you just about every reason we have (and a few more) as to why your event MUST have ecommerce.

So let’s recap:

50% of the online population has made more than one purchase online.
Over the course of 2012, 184 million people will shop online.
By 2015 US consumers will spend $270 billion online!

Folks, if these stats don’t convince you that it is time to make ecommerce a priority, I don’t know what will!

5 Tips to Building Your Event’s Brand Online

The creation of your event’s brand has been a process that has taken years, if not decades! As with any new brand, there was a period of trial and error to fine-tune what it means to be associated with your event as you found your identity. For some of you it means supporting youth livestock … Continue reading “5 Tips to Building Your Event’s Brand Online”

The creation of your event’s brand has been a process that has taken years, if not decades! As with any new brand, there was a period of trial and error to fine-tune what it means to be associated with your event as you found your identity.

For some of you it means supporting youth livestock scholarships. For others it means staying on the cutting edge of the fried-food craze, while others are focused on creating the ultimate concert lineup. Whatever it may be, there is an immediate thought that comes to mind when someone hears your event’s name.

Over the years, we have found that many events are sure of who they are, but just aren’t quite sure how to translate their brand to the web. Check out these 5 tips to help you enhance your online marketing to truly reflect who you are as an organization.

1. Make your website the online front gate to your event.

The moment people arrive at your website, they should feel like they have stepped onto your event grounds. If there is a specific theme or color associated with your event, make sure that plays a part in the look and feel of your site. People may only visit your grounds once a year, but visiting your website is an experience they can have daily, so make sure you make it memorable! Honestly, I can’t be on the Rodeo Austin website for very long before I can “taste of the dirt” of the rodeo.

2. Strut your stuff!

Your event is unique and has a personality all its own, so don’t be afraid to show it. The Tulsa State Fair has fun to spare on their website! Their mascot, Dizzy the goat, pops in and out showing off different aspects of the fair. From food to livestock, they highlight different aspects of their event with a twist. They also incorporate their colors in a great way by creating a bright, eye-catching design.

3. Don’t lose sight of what you’re all about.

Make sure you feature the mission of your organization. For example, the American Royal Association highlights right on their homepage that they give over $1 million annually to support youth and education. While lots of people visit their site to learn about events like the rodeo or World Series of Barbecue, they want to make sure that you know right from the start the heart of who they are and the difference that want to make in Kansas City.

4. Create a community of fans and supporters.

You hear us harp all the time on the importance of social media, but an event that seems to really “get it” is the Florida Strawberry Festival. They have over 36,000 Facebook fans and over 5,000 Twitter followers. The often run contests and post pictures to spark conversation among their followers, which are great ways to create a sense of community.

5. Don’t be afraid to try new things.

I think we can all agree that fairs, festivals and rodeos aren’t always the first to jump on board with new online trends. For example Pinterest is the fastest growing website in history, but only a few fairs, like the Kansas State Fair, have actually created accounts! If you’re late to trends, you are missing out on free, primetime marketing! We encourage you to pay attention to the “buzz” you might hear about new online marketing tools, and don’t be afraid to take the plunge. What have you got to lose?

The Anatomy of a Sponsorship

As the marketing mix continues to evolve, businesses are looking for new ways to reach their customers, which means they are more likely to spend money on sponsorships than ever before. In fact, it is estimated that this year companies in the US will spend close to $18.9 billion dollars in sponsorships on events like … Continue reading “The Anatomy of a Sponsorship”

As the marketing mix continues to evolve, businesses are looking for new ways to reach their customers, which means they are more likely to spend money on sponsorships than ever before.

In fact, it is estimated that this year companies in the US will spend close to $18.9 billion dollars in sponsorships on events like sports, philanthropy, community events, arts and entertainment. Lucky for the fair, festival and rodeo industry: You are just what they’re looking for!

As a community event that gives back, you encompass several of the criteria businesses are looking for in a sponsorship opportunity.

I know that events depend heavily on the support of local businesses for their event to continue to thrive in the current economy. With funding disappearing left and right, sponsors are the ticket to the future of your event.

In order to keep the sponsors you have and find more, you need to know the benefits they are looking for. Sponsorship is a two way street, so make sure you’re giving them what they want in return.

Don’t be afraid to try something new and update your sponsor package with online opportunities. On-site signage is great, but make sure to include prime real estate on your website, too! Linking to their site from yours will also improve their Google ranking.

The audience who comes to a fair, rodeo or festival is a unique combination of individuals from all walks of life. An event like yours crosses all demographics to give the sponsor a new and diverse audience to reach. Make sure to mention that you will include their company in your social media posts during the event.

And the best part about these ideas? They are free for you! Nothing like not having to spend money to make money.

Join our Webinar “Marketing on a Budget”

Marketing on a Budget Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/890304078People say you have to spend money to make money. But for fairs and rodeos, there isn’t always a lot of money to spend, so you need to make every penny count. From this Free Webinar you will learn: Where you need … Continue reading “Join our Webinar “Marketing on a Budget””

Marketing on a Budget

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/890304078People say you have to spend money to make money. But for fairs and rodeos, there isn’t always a lot of money to spend, so you need to make every penny count.

From this Free Webinar you will learn:

Where you need to be spending your marketing budget
Why your website plays an important part in the success of any event or business
How to get people to engage with you on mobile during your event
6 free tools you can use to enhance your online presence

Register now to join Kendra Wright, President of Saffire, and Cassie Roberts, Manager of Sales and Partnerships, as they answer these questions and help you get the most bang for your marketing buck.

Title: Marketing on a Budget
Date: Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM CST

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

Understanding the New Facebook Timeline

After lots of buzz and a first appearance on personal accounts, Facebook rolled out Timeline for brands on February 29. While some brands have received the new format with open arms, others are a little unsure of how to create their new presence, so let’s take a little time to explain the Timeline and what … Continue reading “Understanding the New Facebook Timeline”

After lots of buzz and a first appearance on personal accounts, Facebook rolled out Timeline for brands on February 29. While some brands have received the new format with open arms, others are a little unsure of how to create their new presence, so let’s take a little time to explain the Timeline and what it can do for your event.

Some have compared the new Timeline to a blog template that allows you to focus more on images and milestones. You are basically given a skeleton to fill in with your event’s unique story. Now, you can focus less on trying to sell yourself and more on showing your personality which will create a personal connection with fans.

Cover Photo

Not long ago, brands began creating default landing pages to display large images. While that will no longer be available with the new Timeline, Facebook’s answer to the situation was offering a cover photo. The recommended image dimensions for the large photo are 850 x 315 pixels.

The cover photo is your chance to get creative. Use this space as a way to make big announcements like next year’s dates and concert performers. You can change your cover photo any time, so it would be beneficial to change it each day during your event to focus on what’s happening on the grounds each particular day.

While many people are excited about the possibilities of cover photos, please don’t forget your profile picture. This picture will still appear everywhere else on Facebook, so make sure it can stand alone and represent your brand.

Milestones

While the new timeline will automatically create a recent history of your event, you can also tell the story of how your event became the experience visitors have come to know and love.

You can add milestones as far back as the year 1000. You should use the information you already have, but take this opportunity to research your event’s history for new information. You may find interesting photos and stories that could also be used as marketing materials.

Make sure to call out important photos and events on your Timeline by clicking the star on a post that expands the photo to a widescreen view. You can even pin content so it will remain the top post for 7 days.

For some fans, displaying your history may reignite enthusiasm for your event. They may see something that reminds them of their experience when they were younger and encourage them to once again make your event a priority.

Because Facebook no longer has the issue of information being “below the fold,” your content has a much longer lifespan. Users will likely continue to comment and like posts long after their initial creation date, which means you need to focus more on quality of posts instead of quantity.

What’s next?

Brands have until March 30 to go live with their new Timeline, but some pages have already made the switch.

Here is our list of events to watch as you create your new profile:

Missouri State Fair– Their cover photo collage gives you a look at the past and present of the fair to show you that they are an established event that has stood the test of time.
Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo– You quickly see that this event has a rich history since their milestones go all the way back to the 1900’s!
California State Fair– Their dates are right at the top for all to see.
Montana State Fair– Touting a giveaway is a great way to increase fans and interaction on your page.
Eastern Idaho State Fair– While their cover photos is whimsical, they remembered the importance of their profile picture as a Facebook wide representation of their event.

Is Email Dead?

When you hear that 188 billion email messages are sent each day, you may think the title of this post seems a little silly. But the truth is, this is a topic of conversation among online marketers every day. People are obviously still using email, so that is not the problem. The question is: can … Continue reading “Is Email Dead?”

When you hear that 188 billion email messages are sent each day, you may think the title of this post seems a little silly. But the truth is, this is a topic of conversation among online marketers every day.

People are obviously still using email, so that is not the problem. The question is: can your customers filter through the massive amounts of messages they receive to take action? You’ll hear different opinions on this, but we believe email is worth the effort.

We think the image below proves email is still an important part of your marketing mix. The spikes you see are increases in online sales on days when a company sends an email. We often compare the increase in web traffic and sales after an email send to a heart monitor, and you really can’t argue with dramatic statistics like that.

A great example of an event that takes advantage of email marketing to drive ticket sales is Rodeo Austin. In the email below, you’ll see that they sent a visually appealing email on the day they announced their 2012 concert line-up. They created a sense of excitement for their customers, and it made an impact on their ticket sales.

When we look back at our clients over the years, the most successful ones have a clear common denominator: they regularly communicate with their customers via email. This keeps your event fresh in the customer’s mind and keeps them coming to your website to learn the latest information.

So, is email dead? We don’t think so…as long as you’re doing it the right way.

7 Tips for Creating a Successful Pinterest Page

Since its launch in 2010, Pinterest has become one of the fastest growing forms of social media in history. Pinterest is an online bulletin board that allows you to organize images into boards based on different themes like recipes, decorations, events, entertainment and more. It was recently reported that Pinterest drives more traffic to websites … Continue reading “7 Tips for Creating a Successful Pinterest Page”

Since its launch in 2010, Pinterest has become one of the fastest growing forms of social media in history. Pinterest is an online bulletin board that allows you to organize images into boards based on different themes like recipes, decorations, events, entertainment and more. It was recently reported that Pinterest drives more traffic to websites than Google+, YouTube and LinkedIn combined.

Big brands like Whole Foods, Martha Stewart, NBC’s Today Show and the Travel Channel are already taking advantage of this online bulletin board, and now it’s your turn. Here are 7 tips to help your fair successfully create a presence on Pinterest.

1. It’s called social media for a reason. – If you are going to create a Pinterest page, be dedicated to it. It will require time at the beginning to get started as you organize boards and find pins, but once you get going it won’t take a lot of time to maintain. But be warned, it may be a little addicting…in a good way.

For tools like Pinterest to actually help you, you need followers. And the way to get followers is by pinning, repinning and commenting. This will engage users and create followers. You can also increase exposure by putting a Pinterest follow button on your website and promoting your new Pinterest boards through your other forms of social media, like Twitter and Facebook.

Perhaps the most important key in gaining followers is to help each other out! One thing we’ve learned since we began working with fairs is that you support one another, and social media should be no different. Following another fair will help you both increase your followers, because you are all looking for the same type of Pinterest user.

2. Create new content. – One of the most underused tools on Pinterest is the creation of new pins and as a brand this is your chance to make an impact. Download the “Pin It” button for your browser’s toolbar so you can create a pin from any website you visit with one click. The photos on your website are a great place to start, so use content you already have as you begin creating new pins.

And Pinterest has gone mobile! You can now turn pictures you take with your phone into pins. Your fair is the perfect time to create unique pins, and users will respond to the real-time posts.

3. Show your personality. A great example of a brand that shows its personality on Pinterest is the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. While they do have a board with photos of their event, they also share recipes, favorite places in Fort Worth, funny animal photos and other images that inspire their brand’s image.

This will help users begin to view you as more than just an event that takes place a few weeks out of the year. Getting your customers to connect with your story and vision creates a sense of loyalty that will ultimately drive ticket sales, so repin content that you know your customers will be interested in.

4. Promote a lifestyle. People associate a sense of nostalgia with fairs because it reminds them of “the good ole days.” If you post images of food, rides and posters that bring back fond memories, they will begin to associate your brand with that feeling.

People look to Pinterest as a way to momentarily escape from reality for just a minute and, let’s face it, a land of cotton candy and Ferris wheels is a pretty good place to go.

5. Avoid shameless self-promotion. While Pinterest is a great tool to help market your brand, don’t abuse the privilege by bombarding your followers with promotions. Pinterest specifically asks in their etiquette that its users avoid using the community “purely for self-promotion.” They aren’t saying you can’t share information about your fair, but be respectful of their guidelines.

6. Treat it like market research. Around 70% of Pinterest users are women, and most of them are mothers under the age of 45 who make the family’s plans and most of the purchasing decisions. Newsflash: this is your target audience!

Women are voluntarily sharing information with you that will help improve both your event and your marketing efforts, so pay attention.

7. Find inspiration. There is no greater place to stay up to date on trends that will keep your event fresh. You can find countless ideas by quickly scanning categories like food, music, fashion, design, technology and more. Who knows, you may have an idea that changes the fair industry for good. Enjoy the possibilities!

Pinterest is invite-only, but we have a few invitations to give out to fairs that are ready to take their brand’s social media to the next level. Contact our team at info@saffireevents.com for more information.

Join our Webinar “Increase Event Revenue with Better Online Marketing”

Increase Event Revenue with Better Online Marketing Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/992140230 If you have attended the IAFE, WFA or TAF&E conferences recently, you likely saw our bright blue jackets and heard people talking about Saffire. Now is your chance to find out what the buzz is all about. … Continue reading “Join our Webinar “Increase Event Revenue with Better Online Marketing””

Increase Event Revenue with Better Online Marketing

Space is limited.

Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/992140230

If you have attended the IAFE, WFA or TAF&E conferences recently, you likely saw our bright blue jackets and heard people talking about Saffire. Now is your chance to find out what the buzz is all about.

From this Free Webinar you will learn:

How easy it is to manage your website content with Saffire
Five ways to integrate social media that you may not be using
The answer to the question “Is email dead?” and what to do about it
How to have a mobile and tablet strategy… without going crazy!
Three easy things you can do to enhance your Google ranking
One thing you MUST do to increase online sales and why it’s critical (hint: RAIN!)

Register now to join Kendra Wright, President of Saffire, and Cassie Roberts, Manager of Sales and Partnerships, as they answer these questions and provide a free overview of how Saffire stretches your online marketing dollars while boosting revenue.

Title: Increase Event Revenue with Better Online Marketing

Date: Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM CST

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements

PC-based attendees

Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees

Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

Why Event Ecommerce Websites

I started doing websites in 1995, less than a year after the web came to prominence. I didn’t go to school for it…because it didn’t exist. But I love marketing and I love technology, so I anxiously embraced this new marketing medium when I had the chance. And it’s been a wild ride. Looking back, … Continue reading “Why Event Ecommerce Websites”

I started doing websites in 1995, less than a year after the web came to prominence. I didn’t go to school for it…because it didn’t exist.

But I love marketing and I love technology, so I anxiously embraced this new marketing medium when I had the chance.

And it’s been a wild ride.

Looking back, ecommerce has always been my first love website-wise. It’s the ultimate “rubber meets the road” metric that’s totally trackable. And I love being on my clients’ revenue side of the spreadsheet, not the expense side (like we would be if we just put up a brochure website, for example).

We’ve had the opportunity to do some great work for companies like Nike, Jeep, Chrysler, Panasonic, Widmer Brewing, PG Tips and many more.

Right now, we do all the internet strategy for www.keenfootwear.com, and it’s never a dull moment!

But a couple years ago, we got one of those life-changing, out-of-the-blue phone calls from Rodeo Austin. They invited us to submit a bid for their event’s website redesign.

I think maybe a dozen firms submitted bids, and we were ecstatic when we became their interactive partner. Two rodeos later, we’re still their partner and are always improving their event website.

We started looking around and saw the fair and rodeo industry as one we could really help. I mean this in the most respectful way, but it’s rare that I get to see an industry anymore that could benefit from better event websites than fairs, rodeos and other events. And let’s be honest…

We just love fairs and rodeos!

So we took the ecommerce platform we’d been fine-tuning for years with products, customized it for event websites and released the platform you now know as Saffire.

We are just wrapping up a new website for the South Texas State Fair in Beaumont. We’re working on deals with others, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.

Let the wild ride continue!