We all know the pressure rises as time starts to tick away getting closer to the “BIG DAY.” Of course we’d love to schedule every little feature and post long in advance of our event, but we don’t always have that luxury or organization (procrastinators raise your hands). So we’ve come up with a few things we think are a must for you to tweak to refresh your online marketing and give your customers something new and exciting to look at while keeping your key ingredients in the mix.
Homepage Update
Imagery: Who wants to look at the same old info and same old photos day in and day out, year-round? No one! We know it can take some effort to locate images or files that are worthy of your homepage, but it will be SO worth it! The likelihood of an image getting clicked on (taking your customer further into your website – thus, closer to making a purchase or deciding to attend) is much greater than just a link or a page in your drop down menu. What does that tell us? We need to have fresh and inviting photography on our homepage. Make the effort to find images from recent events that are action-packed or evoke a personal emotion and put those pictures on your homepage to get your customers clicking!
Dates/Hours/Times: One way to really drive home your customer loyalty and comfort with your website is to make the dates of your event incredibly clear on your website (for fun, you may even want to include a countdown). Be sure that your dates are in a legible font, very large, and if you can, put them in the header of your website so that they are on every page. Then be sure your customer has access to your specific hours of operation so they know how early they can show up and how late they can leave. We know that during your event you don’t have time to answer the phone, and your website is your first line of defense against the #1 question asked: “What are your hours?” So save yourself some time and put that information in an accessible (dare I say obvious) place on your website. Your customers will feel confidence and enjoy their experience on your website if they know exactly when they should attend.
We can’t say it enough, email marketing is not dead. At about two months before your event, you should start pinging your customers and letting them know you’re getting geared up for your event and that they should jump on board with the excitement. A trickle of announcements can be the best way to peak interest and keep them coming back for more. We recommend that EVERY day of your event you remind folks what’s going on at your facility so they can be prepared as they make plans. Things like parking, ticket prices at the gate, and major performances will always encourage attendance and turn those last minute decision makers into buying customers.
Ecommerce
Are you selling your tickets in advance online? What about carnival items like wristbands and tokens or sponsorships and vendor registrations? Collecting money through your website is one sure-fire way to guarantee money in the bank before your event starts and put a little bit of cushion in your pockets. However, be sure that you’ve got all of your prices in order well in advance. Scheduling a ticket for sale for your early bird specials is a great way to increase traffic to your website AND ease your own anxieties about revenue.
Social Media
It’s how people stay connected, why not keep them connected to your brand by beginning to engage them weeks before your event? Lucky for you, social media is available on mobile and your customers are starting to spend more and more time on their cell phones and tablets rather than their computers. Drive traffic to your website through exciting posts (again with imagery), contests, and promotions on discounted tickets or sale items! If you’re not catching your customers on mobile, you might be missing them altogether. Do yourself a favor and start to really focus your efforts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and even YouTube–let’s get that name recognition growing!