Hosting an event can be the equivalent to getting an article published in a local magazine or newspaper!
Your event doesn’t have to be fancy or a huge production. It can take the form of an open house, a launch of a new product, a seminar (eg: Skincare workshop), or a guest appearance by a celebrity or expert in a particular health / beauty or baby topic.
People love celebrities, even local ones. Invite a local news reader or reporter – Even someone on the local radio station. (She must be important; she’s on the radio, so she must be a celebrity).
Here are a few great ideas and tips:
Let your target market know that you are having an event.
An announcement can be made first with a press release to publications that reach your local market.
Hand out fliers with customer purchases.
Everywhere in your local community and other friendly businesses.
A follow-up press release as the event approaches further instills your name into an editor’s list as a progressive promoter and a business worthy of news.
Target local publications, personal newsletters, and any publication linked with your office.
Place signage in your office announcing the event.
Ask for Supplier Support.
Suppliers quite often can assist with resources, merchandising, staffing, contacts, displays, marketing just to name a few. Obviously their “payback” is extra product sales and exposure.
If you are having a speaker or another guest of honor, a separate press release announcing the appearance of that person can be issued.
Consider releasing a series of press releases for the event, depending on the nature of the event.
The announcement of the special guest can come from you or sometimes speakers and guests like to announce themselves appearing at a particular event. The more coverage, the better.
Invite the media with handwritten invitations.
Treat your event just like a party and invite the people you want to attend. Send invitations to the media, your patients and important prospects, friends, and family.
It’s even okay to include a copy of the first press release with your invitation to further emphasize the importance of the event. Invite fellow retailers, and your neighbours.
At the event itself, announce the media representatives that are present and present them with press passes and/or special name tags.
Press people like to feel special and have special access. Also making your local mayor look good will go a long way in your business.
Have plenty of press kits, brochures, product information, and fliers available to pass out to those attending.
Pass them out to everyone. Customers and prospects should receive any and all press releases that you issue.
If you don’t have a press kit, make one.
They are not that hard to put together, they don’t have to be fancy, and they don’t have to include volumes of material. A sample press kit might be the press release announcing the event – a bio on any presenter – And a fact sheet on Your Office.
This will also help the media write their follow-up stories about your event. You can even be so bold as to write a suggested article as a “template” for them to use/modify.
Most importantly, hire a photographer or carry around a digital camera.
You will want your event recorded. Even consider having one of your staff carry around a video camera. Offer the media electronic photos for their publications.
Post printed photos in the office on a cork board for everyone to see – and include them in any follow-up thank-you notes to your guests.
Ask potential attendees to give out invitations to their friends – who they think would be interested in attending.
Use a Hook!
Offer a free report, such as “Top 10 ways to improve your Skin,” to those in attendance.
Have a pre-event contest, with the winner to be announced at the event.
These are just a few ideas that will help you with your event.
Consider having events periodically such as once every 4 months. Make them fun.
Using your imagination to come up with a few more will increase your PR, exposure, and communication with patients immensely.
The goal is to get noticed and to get people talking about you so they will eventually pay you a visit.
