The Bigger Picture

Picture this. You have the perfect idea for an event, and you feel that it represents your brand’s vision to a T. Yet, there are so many steps to get from A to Z that you start feeling overwhelmed and as the date of the event looms nearer, you realize how many things you wish you had planned for. If you have ever felt this kind of stress before or are currently experiencing it, this is the blog for you.

When it comes to event marketing, there are multiple moving pieces. At times there are so many pieces that it may seem like there are too many starting points. To help set a starting point for you, let’s focus on the big picture and then hone into the minute details that will lead your brand’s vision to the picture-perfect moment.

The First Focus: Scheduling

Imagine event marketing to be like a photographer setting up the most picturesque scene. To capture the moment perfectly, at times working backwards is best. In this case, thinking about what you want the vision to look like as a whole then mapping out how to get to that end goal. Although this may seem unorthodox, this process will lead you to a track record of success while also allowing you to tweak the planning breakdown to fit your needs.

At Front Porch Marketing, we start with writing everything down, especially anything that is time-sensitive i.e. inviting VIPs, scheduling speakers, printing deadlines, and booking sponsors. This timeline allows you to envision a clear reality and identify immediate “strikethroughs” or ideas that should be nixed.

Next, identify your audience, define your message, and determine the experience you want to provide. Having a clear vision is important, because all of the smaller event details and decisions will flow from it.

The Second Focus: Seamlessness

Once you have the deadlines and your audience in mind, choose a venue, food, music, entertainment, format, and feel that aligns best with your vision. Stay true to the experience you want to provide, and these decisions will flow easily.

When it comes to your deadlines, also keep geography in mind. Although it may seem natural to book an event near your location, for your professional partners, sponsors, or guests this location may be new terrain. As such, ensure the professional partners and sponsors you choose to assist you are on board with your vision. Your caterer, photographer, videographer, etc. should also be well versed in what your plans and expectations are for the event.

The Final Focus: Structure

Now that your event is on the horizon, it is time to hammer out the final details. Here are some of my final tips on how to create that picture-perfect moment for your future events.

1. Create an overall schedule for the day and share with all of your professional partners and staff.
2. Double-check with your staff on their roles and make sure that all loose ends are tied.
   • Examples of closing loose ties:
     • Posting check-in times to all communication platforms.
     • Pre-inspecting uniforms.
     • Finalizing catering details with the company of your choosing and making sure no cross-contamination occurred.
     • Securing all entrances and marking them accordingly.
     • Making sure that the exits are not blocked by staff or their respected station.
     • Posting last minute schedule changes to all social media platforms.
3. Notify staff and members who should be called in case of an emergency or in the event that something needs to be addressed.
4. Do an event run through the night before to make sure that all equipment is running smoothly. Also do another run through at least two hours prior to the event.
5. Check that social media has been posted and is shareable throughout the event. (A quick way for guests to get plugged in is to post QR codes throughout the location or on deliverables.)
6. Center the company’s brand at the forefront of the event from color schemes to logos to swag.
7.  Brand the sponsored content and products by making sure that they are explicitly seen.
8. Label Wi-Fi passwords and make them visible.
9. Double-check that all mandated COVID protocols are being followed. Have disposable masks and sanitation stations readily available to increase accessibility and comfort.
10. Promise a good time (and deliver)!

In Conclusion

We love planning, executing, and marketing events for our clients! Most recently, it has been our privilege to partner with Faith Family Academy to create a socially distanced graduation ceremony that is expandable for future success. We look forward to executing more events in the future and are proud of the recent 2021 graduates.

I hope that these tips are helpful and got your creative juices flowing! If you need help planning an event come see us on the Porch!

Princess Rock Brianna Slay steps onto the porch to share her ideas on marketing, Porch culture, and a fun fact!

The biggest misconception about marketing today?

It is easy to market.

Best advice to give someone struggling with brand identity creation?

Keep it simple. (KISS) baby steps.

One of the biggest lessons you’ve learned throughout your career?

With my new experience as an intern along with being a student, I’ve learned to always be prepared, involved, and aware.

What is good marketing?

Good marketing is a message that’s clear and concise.

If you could be anywhere in the world right now where would it be?

I would travel to Ireland to visit my cultural roots and enjoy the green scenery!

If you could have dinner with one person living or dead who would it be?

I would love to have dinner with Jesus because he could answer life’s biggest questions, as well as making the food delicious!

If you could describe yourself in three words what would they be?

Observant, Trustworthy, Collaborative.

What is your favorite thing about FPM?

I love FPM’s fast-paced workability. The FPM Team can take a client’s vision and quickly make it a reality.

Tell me about a major milestone in your life?

A major milestone in my life was traveling internationally for the first time. It was the summer into my sophomore year, and I stayed with a host family for three weeks. I learned how to communicate with others who don’t speak my native language.

How would you describe the culture at FPM?

FPM’s culture is very optimistic, and they keep an open mindset when working with clients. They are always positive when talking to clients about updates. The team is enthusiastic in their manner, and they give solid opinions that are backed with facts. They never make their clients feel pressured.

Fun Fact?

I’m going to Southern Methodist University in the fall. Go ponies!

Thanks for tuning in to another Rocker Spotlight featuring Princess Rock Brianna Slay!

Without a defined marketing strategy, a company runs the risk of chasing marketing tactics that might not work. It’s tempting to chase every trend or try to do #allthethings. But it’s far better to focus on executing a few things right than to try to do everything and accomplishing nothing.

Take a step back and give some serious thought towards your marketing strategy.

Strategy First

The terms strategy and tactics are frequently used interchangeably but they are not the same thing. A company’s strategy will define the marketing tactics they should use, not the other way around.

At the core of every marketing strategy are five things: goals, a value proposition, target audience, competition and your marketing messages.

Goals
Choose goals that are SMART, or Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely. Having SMART goals keeps you and your team accountable.

Here are some examples of SMART goals:

• Grow e-newsletter list to 50,000 subscribers by the end of the year.
• Increase website traffic by 50% with SEO and content efforts.
• Convert and capture at least 1,000 leads over the next three months.

Value Proposition
What value does your product or service bring to your customers? How is your company different from your competitors?

Target Markets
“Everyone” is not a target. Think about the annual income of your target customer, where they hang out online, age or stage of life, what industries they work in, education level, and their motivations for buying your product.

For B2B customers, this may look slightly different. What is the annual revenue of your target client? Who makes the purchasing decisions for the product or service that you sell?

Competition Identify and know the competition. Run a competitive analysis and/or create a competitive profile matrix. Know what your company is doing that is both different and better than the competition. Define your competitive advantage.

Marketing Messages
Your marketing messages should be tailored to all your target markets. A message directed at a CTO of a Fortune 500 company will look different than a message for the CMO of a tech startup. Adjust your messaging accordingly.

Tactics Second

Now we get to play in my sandbox, marketing tactics. Here are a few tactics to consider:

Social Media
I’m surprised by how many businesses are still wary of using social media to promote their organizations. If you don’t think that your target customer is on social media, check out these stats from the Pew Research Center:

• 69% of U.S. adults use Facebook. And its not just for kids anymore – among Americans 65 and older, almost half use Facebook.
• 73% of U.S. adults use YouTube. YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world behind Google.
• A quarter of U.S. adults use LinkedIn. The growing network is a great place for B2B marketing leads, growing thought leadership, and finding your next employee.

So, basically, if your ideal customer or employee is breathing, it’s time to pick a social media channel or two and start getting social.

Influencers
If you can’t build a huge audience, then buy it: this is the thinking behind influencer marketing. But, the right influencer for your company doesn’t have to necessarily have the biggest following to be effective.

The trick is to find influencers with the right fit, engagement, and reach that feel authentic to your company.

Influencer marketing isn’t just for lifestyle products like makeup or the latest diet fad. Check out how this welding products company created their own influencer program.

Video
More than 50% of consumers want to see videos from brands – more than any other type of content. There are many different types of videos a company could create: demo videos, expert interviews, explainer videos, and list goes on.

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It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day demands of your company. Most entrepreneurs are too busy working “in” their business to work “on” their business. But, don’t you think its time to work on your business?