Who am I? It may seem like an existential question. But when you’re a New York event planner, it’s a crucial inquiry into your business and its position in the event planning landscape. “Who am I?” becomes the starting point for a brand audit for your event planning business.
As an event planner, you — as in your creativity, resourcefulness, and a host of other personal qualities — are, in many ways, the product. All other things the same, a wedding (or bar mitzvah or 50th anniversary) in your capable hands would come out quite differently if one of your competitors got a hold of it. NYC event planning is intensely personal work.
In this article, we’ll tell you how to conduct a brand audit for your event planning business. And you can use these insights to grow and improve your business in 2024.
State the Why and What of Your Brand Audit
Most brand audits seek to solve a problem. When defining the problem you’re trying to solve, try to be more precise than simply “solve low bookings.” Try to identify where in the sales funnel you’re losing potential clients. When stating the reason for your brand audit, be as specific as possible.
Revisit Your Goals, Values, and Mission
In many ways, a brand audit of your event planning business analyzes how well you’re accomplishing what you set out to do. To do that, you first have to revisit your goals, values, and mission. By reviewing your goals, values, and mission, you’re defining what you want your brand to represent.
It’s worth noting here that well-defined goals, values, and a clear-cut mission help you with every business decision you have to make and, by extension, influence how your brand is perceived.
For example, if sustainability is one of your values and you choose vendors based on that ethic, then clients who share that value will seek you out. On the other hand, if you have failed to follow through on your stated values, your brand’s perception will take a hit.
Define Your Target Client
Now that you have a better idea of who you are, write a detailed description of your target audience. Include information such as income, education, and the types of events you wish to plan for them. Ask yourself what their values and their pain points are.
Review Your Marketing Materials
Review all of your marketing materials, both printed and online. Make sure the printed materials match the tone and look of your online content materials. Identify outdated information. Don’t forget to examine your personal and business social media profiles. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Do my marketing materials reflect my goals, values, and mission?
- Do my marketing materials target my ideal clients?
- What emotions do my marketing material elicit?
Analyze Your Online Presence
Your online presence is the most powerful indicator of your brand’s reputation. Start by diving deep into your website’s analytics. Examine where traffic is coming from, how long visitors remain on your site, and how many take the next step.
Next, examine your social media metrics. Look at data such as followers, comments, and shares. Find out what people say about you by searching for your business’s name.
Survey Current and Past Clients
Create a survey clients can fill out, but make it easy for them. Make sure the survey takes less than five minutes. And instead of making them write a novel, make the survey a simple multiple-choice questionnaire.
Research Your Competitors
The information you’ve collected so far will be more useful if you compare it to your competitors. Choose NYC event planners working in the same niche as you and event planners whose businesses are roughly the same size as yours. But be aspirational, too, and research competitors you admire or whose achievements you want to emulate.
Use Your Findings to Improve Your Strategy
You’ve set out to perform a brand audit of your event planning service because you needed to fix something. Now that you’ve collected your information, it’s time to make some changes.
Your brand audit should have highlighted weaknesses in your brand’s perception, marketing materials, or customer experience. Create specific goals based on your findings. For example, perhaps you want more social media followers, or you want to improve your website’s usability.
Be Fearless In Your Brand Audit
We know you’re tough if you’ve made it this far as a NYC event planner. You’re also a creative who puts yourself out there, and, as a result, your work is a reflection of you. What we’re trying to say is don’t dive headfirst into a gallon of ice cream if your brand audit reveals that people don’t see you as you see yourself.
A brand audit aims to align the public’s perception of your brand with your vision. Sure, you need to make some changes in how you do things. But who you are is your best selling point. And when you’re ready to wow potential clients with your brand’s unique vision, secure your exhibitor booth at The Event Planner Expo 2024.
