Variety may be the spice of life, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have favorites. And if you are wild for planning weddings or crazy for corporate event planning, you can still monkey around with the occasional milestone celebration. After all, life is too short to stare at the same buffet table legs every day. Have your cake and eat it, too, when you master how to market your event-planning niche without getting pigeonholed.
The Dark Side of Niching for Event Planners
It’s bliss when you find your groove. And after you’ve been event planning long enough, you’ll find that you enjoy and are especially good at one type of event. Whether it’s festivals, galas, or corporate retreats, you’ll find that you love something about it. It may be the beautiful décor, the technical production, or something as vague as the energy that animates it. Whatever it is, when you taste it, you want more.
But just like with wedding cake, you shouldn’t gorge yourself on just one type of event planning. There are several downsides to niching in event planning.
- Your customer base is smaller.
- Your competition is larger.
- Most types of events have an off-season.
- You’re more susceptible to an economic downturn.
- You risk becoming bored.
Have an Event-Planning Niche While Still Being a Generalist
You can avoid the pitfalls of niching and still follow your event-planning passion by specializing while remaining a generalist. Developing a niche for one type of event while still attracting a variety of projects requires some savvy, though simple, marketing techniques.
Market Your Expertise, Rather Than an Event Type
At the most basic level, all events require a core set of skills. Beyond that, though, different types of events require a variety of skills. You can highlight these skills and attract the events you most want without excluding others. Below are some examples of the skills related to niche events.
- Luxury weddings: Access to an elite network of vendors, skilled at maintaining confidentiality, adept at executing high-end concepts.
- Corporate Event Planning: Creating realistic cost estimates, Skilled at C-suite coordination, Knowledgeable about modern event platforms and tools.
- Concert Event Planning: Proven track record in marketing for ticket sales, Adept at talent acquisition, adept at large-scale project management.
Use Your Portfolio to Showcase Your Passion
Stop arranging your portfolio by your most recent events. Instead, showcase the type of events you want more of at the top of your portfolio. Then, list other events less prominently to demonstrate your range of experience.
Use Specialized Content to Feature Your Niche Events and Clients
Your chosen specialty is the perfect focus for supplementary content. Case studies and photo galleries highlight your expertise. Client spotlights put the focus on your ideal customer. User guides and checklists will motivate your targeted audience to sign up for your email list.
Maintain Your Generalist Appeal on Your Website
Avoid boxing yourself into a rigid niche by including copy and content that appeal to a general audience. Create a variety of blog posts that feature different types of events. Make sure your logo and tagline have general appeal. Sprinkle different types of events into your social media strategy.
Market Your Generalist Planning Services to Your Specialty Clients
Chances are that your current clients will have event-planning needs that extend beyond your niche. Nurture your relationship with these clients and use CRM software to keep track of details like birthdays or children’s names. Reach out when milestones approach. Personalize your communication and offer a loyal customer discount to avoid coming off as salesy.
Have It All With the Right Marketing Strategy
You can enjoy all that the NYC event-planning life has to offer by specializing in your favorite events and still being a generalist who can do it all. Focus on your skills. And use copy and content that appeals to your favorite type of event clients while still showcasing your versatility. With the right marketing strategy, you can nurture your passion and avoid boredom and other pitfalls of niching.
Learn more marketing tips and event planning insights when you attend The Event Planner Expo. Level up your business and get inspired when you hear from top industry experts. Buy your tickets today.
