Saffire Blog

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

Make Your Site Easy To Navigate

I recently set off on a road trip only knowing the general direction I was headed, but not the slightest idea where I was going once I got off the highway. But I wasn’t worried, I had my trusty GPS riding shotgun. Our culture depends so heavily on others telling us where to go and … Continue reading “Make Your Site Easy To Navigate”

I recently set off on a road trip only knowing the general direction I was headed, but not the slightest idea where I was going once I got off the highway. But I wasn’t worried, I had my trusty GPS riding shotgun.

Our culture depends so heavily on others telling us where to go and what to do, if we are left to find our own way we are startled and confused. And maybe even appalled at the “low level of customer service.”

Imagine if you were in a mall and you stopped an employee to ask for a map so you could find your favorite store and he simply looked at you and said, “You’re on your own kid.” You would be left to aimlessly wander around trying to find Dillard’s. Now if it were me, I’d say “Forget it!” and find another place to shop that seemed to actually care that I found my way.

The same goes for your website. If a customer arrives and can’t find the piece of information they are looking for, they may throw their hands up and quit.

The navigation of your site is key. You need to take time to think about how your customers will look for information and cater to them. You will have some very happy customers if you simply give them site navigation that makes sense and allows your visitors the ability to quickly and easily find the event information they need.

We all know your event information is intricate, so make it accessible, highly filterable and easy to sort. A great website provides visitors with a tailored user experience, allowing customers to search and browse as they see fit.

So take the time to plan out your website’s navigation the same way you plan out the schedule of events for your fair, festival or rodeo. Use logic and you can’t go wrong.

Maintain Your Website with Ease

The focus of a fair, rodeo or festival is never really the same two days in a row. As soon as Monday ends, you’re thinking about Tuesday’s evening special. And when the 2011 fair wraps, planning for 2012 is well under way. Your website should be just as fluid as you are and ready to … Continue reading “Maintain Your Website with Ease”

Your website should be just as fluid as you are and ready to promote the next, new thing at the drop of a hat.

It is important to keep your site fresh and up-to-date by changing features and updating event information on the fly. Your customers will not appreciate how hard it may be to nail down your webmaster for a quick content change. They just want to know the nightly special as soon as they arrive on your site!

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: we live in an age of instant gratification.

So how can you take control? We suggest having a friendly admin site which will allow you to efficiently manage your website content, without needing a web developer to do it for you.

Can you imagine being able to make changes to your website instantly and on your own? I know it might sound like something you’ve only dreamed of, but it can now be a reality!

We’ve mentioned before on our blog the power of Do-It-Yourself and how important we think it is, particularly for events. There is technology available to finally give you the power when it comes to your website, so find the system that works for you.

Help Customers Easily Find Your Site

The truth is, it doesn’t matter how attractive or user-friendly your website is if your customers can’t find you online! So let’s start by thinking about how you find things on the web. If you’re looking for a specifc product of event, I’m sure your first step is to go to Google or another search … Continue reading “Help Customers Easily Find Your Site”

The truth is, it doesn’t matter how attractive or user-friendly your website is if your customers can’t find you online!

So let’s start by thinking about how you find things on the web. If you’re looking for a specifc product of event, I’m sure your first step is to go to Google or another search engine.

You type in a simple description of what you’re looking for and gets hundreds, sometimes thousands, of results.

Then you sift through the results to find what you were looking for. Sometimes you even feel like Google read your mind and gave you what you were looking for even though the description you entered wasn’t exactly right.

Using a search engine has become so second nature, we often don’t take time to think how Google works and finds the results we’re looking for.

So for your event website, I’m sure your goal is to be the first result a search engine pulls up so your customers find you quickly. But in order for your customers to find you quickly, search engines have to find you first.

And that is where SEO comes in.

SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization” which is incorporating key words and phrases customers use to find your site into both content and HTML. By incorporating these key words and phrases, a search engine will quickly scan your website and associate it with the terms you use most.

This way, when a customer searches for “Austin Rodeo”, our website for Rodeo Austin will be the first result to appear because those terms appear over and over again on their site.

So as you are writing the content for your website, think like your customer. What words and phrases would you use to find your event website?

Measure Your Website’s Success

Before I began working with Saffire, I was just your average website user spending too much time online shopping and playing on Facebook. When I joined the team, I realized just how much thought and effort went in to making sure customers were going where businesses wanted on a site and completing the tasks they … Continue reading “Measure Your Website’s Success”

Before I began working with Saffire, I was just your average website user spending too much time online shopping and playing on Facebook.

When I joined the team, I realized just how much thought and effort went in to making sure customers were going where businesses wanted on a site and completing the tasks they desired.

And I noticed, I had been “following the leader” without even knowing it! (I’m a true sucker for marketing, but we can discuss my home shopping network habits another time.)

To say I was stunned by the tracking and reporting taking place would be an understatement, but as I took time to study the reports I realized there is so much information you can gain for future improvements by simply paying attention to the habits of your customers.

In order to get the most of your site and continue to enhance your online presence, ensure your site is meeting its goals by utilizing tools like Google Analytics. This is a full- featured, FREE program you should be taking advantage of no matter how big or small your website may be.

Here’s a quick list of Analytics features:

Setting goals specific to your website and tracking the progress
Ecommerce statistics
Watch how people get to your website and how long they stay
View your visitors by their location
Track the views, visits and length of time on specific pages

It may sound too good to be true, but lucky for you it’s as real as can be.

Maintain Your Website with Ease

The focus of a fair, rodeo or festival doesn’t stay the same for long. When the lights go out on Monday night, they are busy preparing for Tuesday. And once the 2011 season wraps, they are planning for 2012. Your customers are the same way. Their interest switches back and forth daily, and your website … Continue reading “Maintain Your Website with Ease”

Your customers are the same way. Their interest switches back and forth daily, and your website needs to reflect up-to-the-minute information.

We’ve talked before about how hard it can be to get in touch with your webmaster for a quick content change. And while those in the web industry can appreciate your frustration, your customers simply can’t.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: We live in an age of instant gratification. When your customers want something, they want it 5 minutes ago. (Okay, maybe that’s a little dramatic, but you get the point.)

You need to keep your site fresh and up-to-date by changing features and updating event information on the fly. We recommend a friendly admin site which allows you to efficiently manage your website content, without needing a web developer to do it for you.

Can you imagine holding the power to your website in your hands? Sounds like a dream come true.

We’ve discussed the importance of Do-It-Yourself before, so let this post serve as a reminder that you can control your website.

Do a little research to find the tools that work for you. Your website can reach its full potential, and it’s time to get started.

Share the Event Experience

Through my research of fairs, festivals and rodeos, I have been impressed with the large following of each event I’ve examined. People are passionate about their local events! But whether it is time or location, sometimes things just get in the way of actually attending your favorite event. A great option is to invite site … Continue reading “Share the Event Experience”

Through my research of fairs, festivals and rodeos, I have been impressed with the large following of each event I’ve examined. People are passionate about their local events!

But whether it is time or location, sometimes things just get in the way of actually attending your favorite event.

A great option is to invite site visitors to experience the event via your website with live streaming.

Streaming your nightly events will engage customers and give them an authentic taste of your event, whether or not they are able to see it in person.

This is really a win-win situation for you. Not only will you expand your audience, but Jimmy’s grandma in Montana can see him show his steer at a rodeo in Alabama.

And everybody likes a happy grandma!