People plan their own events all the time. Yet, your clients hire you because they want their events to be extraordinary. In the same way, you might be doing a decent job with your own marketing. But you may be ready for something extraordinary. In this article, we’ll help you weigh the benefits against the costs of hiring a marketing professional for your event planning business and offer up tell-tale signs that you’re ready to up your marketing game.
What Does a Marketer Do?
You may be posting on Instagram on the reg. But there’s more to marketing your event planning business than whipping up content and posting Instagram photos. In addition to day-to-day marketing activities, a marketing professional will do the following for your event planning business.
- Analyze your current marketing strategy to pinpoint weaknesses.
- Identify your target market and create a customer persona.
- Develop a cohesive marketing strategy across channels that reflects your brand’s voice.
- Track and analyze data so that you know your marketing dollars are working as hard as you are.
- Ensure that marketing happens consistently.
Reasons an Event Planner Needs a Marketer
When you’re just starting out as an event planner, and funds are tight, you naturally wear as many hats as you can. But now that you know what a pro does, you’re probably asking yourself, “Should I hire a marketing professional for my event planning business?”
If any of the following scenarios are true for you, it may be time to hire a marketing professional for your event planning business.
1. You Don’t Market Your Event Planning Business Consistently
Marketing inconsistently may be worse than not marketing at all. First and most importantly, prospective clients viewing your social media channels or your blog may conclude that you’re not reliable.
Doing anything consistently requires self-discipline, and visitors will wonder if you take a haphazard approach to event planning. Second, search algorithms take a similar, dismal view of a half-baked posting schedule. Inconsistent updates will hurt your website and profiles in any search algorithm.
In short, posting consistently on your website and your social media channels will reinforce your reputation for reliability and indicate to the algorithms that your sites contain timely and helpful content.
2. Your Goals Exceed Your Marketing Expertise
If your goal is to become New York’s premier wedding planner, word-of-mouth marketing alone won’t get you there. Make it happen by hiring a marketing professional.
A marketing agency partner for your event planning business will help you pivot your strategy to align with your long-term goals. To achieve an audacious business plan, you may need to revamp your brand reputation, redesign your website, or master a new marketing channel. A professional marketer can help you navigate unknown territory.
3. You’re Not Getting Results With Your Current Marketing Efforts
If you’re not reaching your goals despite consistently marketing your event planning business, it may be time to recruit another set of eyes. A fresh perspective from a neutral outsider who is also well-versed in effective marketing strategies for event planners will help uncover weaknesses in your current approach.
A marketing professional will examine your marketing efforts with your sales funnel in mind. They’ll track the customer journey and identify where prospects are falling away. So, you know you’re making changes where they’re most needed.
4. Marketing Is Taking You Away from Event Planning
There are only so many hours in the day. And as essential as marketing is, your business won’t thrive if you aren’t devoting most of your working hours to your core task of event planning. You don’t have to choose between marketing and event planning when you bring on a pro. A professional marketer can help you get the word out about your business while you focus on planning epic events.
5. You’re Guessing Your Way Through Your Marketing
Marketing isn’t as easy as it seems, especially in our current digital age. Effective marketing strategies are constantly evolving as algorithms, audiences, and trends change. Knowing how to make the most of the current digital moment requires a thorough understanding of key marketing concepts and an evolving know-how about the ins and outs of the internet landscape.
Level Up Your Marketing at The Event Planner Expo
Let’s face it. Anybody can plan a 50th wedding anniversary. But your clients turn to you because you can do it better. Marketing is the same way. You can probably muddle your way through, but a professional marketer will take your strategy to the next level.
Do you know what else will take your marketing to the next level? Get in the room this October to learn the latest strategies for event marketing from the best of the best. Signing up to be an exhibitor at The Event Planner Expo is a surefire way to meet the decision-makers for corporate events, too. Reserve your booth today.
