How to promote a small event planning business

Effective promotion is a crucial part of any business. For an event planning business, your success will depend entirely on your ability to get some positive attention and attract new clients. 

This guide will show you how to promote a small event planning business using these methods:

• Networking
• Advertising
• Business cards
• Informative brochures
• Social media
• Email marketing

1. Networking

Networking is a straightforward way to promote your small event planning business. But, thanks to the nature of event planning, it’s one of the most effective ways. 

The reason it works so well is that you’re not only meeting other business owners and professionals, you’re meeting potential clients. 

A social setting allows you to promote your small event planning business more personally, something that will never come across quite as well in other forms of advertising.

From the client’s point of view, they get a better understanding of who you are, what your business can offer, and they can ask you any questions they have in person, allowing you to talk yourself up. 

Overall, networking allows you to promote your business on a more human level, showing everybody the people behind the business. 

2. Advertising

When it comes to advertising that will make an impact, every detail counts. 

With event planning, getting it right can be tricky. You’ll have to switch up your approach for each different event you plan, so getting it right every time will take some practice. 

The most important factor is how easily people can find your event. If you’re creating a dedicated website for an upcoming event, then choose a name that will come up in Google searches, and make sure you promote it across your social media pages. 

Incorporate striking images, videos, and slogans for the event, and mention them across all of your advertising material to build up some hype. 

3. Business cards

While it may seem a little bit old school, business cards are still a perfectly good way to promote your business.

It works particularly well with event planning because there is always an emphasis on meeting people and making connections. You’re bound to meet loads of new potential clients at the events you plan, so having a business card handy will leave a great first impression.

When it comes to the business card itself, it’s an opportunity for you to present your brand image through its design, so you should think carefully about how it looks and what it says about you as a business.  

Think of it as a small glimpse into your business as a whole. The colour scheme, font, layout, and graphics on a business card can have a profound effect if done right. 

Once you’ve figured out the design, don’t forget to hand them out to other businesses you’ve worked with, like florists, caterers, and photographers. 

4. Informative brochures

Similar to business cards, a well-made brochure is still a great way to promote an event planning business. Also, like the business cards, the design choices you make about your brochure will have a huge impact on the amount of business it can generate. 

First of all, it should look professional. Spending less money on a cheaper looking brochure will save you some money, yes, but probably won’t lead to much new business, so paying that little bit extra will be well worth it. 

You should also think about your target audience and what kind of design they’ll respond to. You might even consider producing different designs to target different industries. For example, a more corporate crowd would appreciate something more sleek and professional, whereas a birthday party planner can lean into something more fun and silly. 

5. Social media

A strong social media presence is essential for modern businesses, especially those so focused on personal connections, like event planning. People spend a huge amount of time on sites like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok, so together, they represent an enormous number of potential clients. 

While you should adjust your content and strategy for each social media platform, a few golden rules apply to all of them. For example:

• Post regularly and be consistent. 
• Don’t go overboard with the salesy stuff. 
• Post content that your audience will enjoy, like blog posts, videos, and photos. 
• Connect with other businesses and engage with their content. 
• Engage with your followers by replying to comments and sharing posts. 
• Include links to your other social media channels and business website. 

6. Email marketing

Email marketing is an efficient and cost-effective way to promote your event planning business. It’s targeted, and it doesn’t cost much to do, so it’ll give you an impressive return on investment (ROI) compared to other forms of marketing. 

The first step is to get people to sign up for a mailing list. After that, it’ll start showing results. Rather than posting on social media or paying for ads, email marketing will go directly to a potential customer’s inbox, making it much more likely to get noticed. 

You can send newsletters, promotional material, and blog posts, as well as automated emails that will trigger after a certain amount of time or in response to certain actions. 

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