Most Burning Question:
Where’s are the best places to post an event to maximize attendance?
I’m planning an event that will benefit a ton of people. I’m needing help figuring out where to post it.What are your ideas and thoughts about places and venues to promote this? Thanks!
You probably won’t like my answer, but it comes from doing things the hard way before I got smart and learned better.
~ Bill Glazer GKIC
Here is the secret in a nutshell…
If you want to successfully get people to your event, promote it to your own list of prospects. OR, second to that, partner with people who have BIG lists and have them endorse you and your event to their list.
I have in the past busted my fanny to help people promoted events that did not have a list. It is brutally hard work.
I won’t take on any seminar marketing unless they have a big list to promote it to. I don’t care how much money they wave at me. The headaches aren’t worth it.
If you want to do workshops and seminars, build a list of hot prospects who have in interest in what you do. Build it to be at least 10 times the size of the event you want to have. (100 times larger or higher is better)
Give them good content, establish that you are the expert in your niche, build a relationship with them so they trust and believe you.
Months out start to tease them by sharing about your event giving them ‘behind the scenes’ stories. This builds anticipation and can be fun for both you and your readers.
Then start pitching the event with an early sign up discount. (Note: even if it is a free event, you still have to sell it, because FREE = no value until you show them there is a value).
Keep mixing in stories about the behind the scenes work to keep them excited so even if they registered, they will attend.
Other Tips:
Don’t just rely on Internet Marketing. Send a post card, fax, letter, etc. Conversion on the same marketing pieces used offline vs online is as much as 5x higher.
Use video so they get to know you and the other people involved in the event. Video allows people to feel connected to you. Email is much more sterile, hard to build a bond unless you are a great writer.
Take Away Action:
I’m guessing you don’t have your own list, so if I were you I would figure out everyone who does have a list of people who would enjoy/benefit from this event and work a JV deal to have them promote the event to their list.
One more thing… one of the other answers mentioned blogs. This can work for you if the person blogging has:
Hypnothoughts.com has grown from zero to almost 1000 members and it’s not even a year old yet.
Some of the most prominent names in Hypnotherapy have joined and contribute to the combined knowledge of both therapuetic and stage hypnosis, as well as practice building, marketing, and fun topics like how to have a home hypnosis party.
If you click on the blue banner with my photo on it, you’ll be taken to My Page on hypnothoughts.com. Each member gets their own page, complete with a blog.
You can also start topics in the forums, join a group like Internet Marketing, or start your own group such as San Francisco members.
It’s a full Web 2.0 Social Media Community just for Professional Hypnotists and those who would like to learn more about hypnosis or the hypnosis business.
All of this is provided for FREE!
And if you are the lucky person who becomes member number 1000, you’ll be given a set of DVD’s on Stage Hypnosis by Mr. Hypnosis, Richard Rumble.
Just click on the blue banner below and sign up today.
I don’t usually pass on ‘viral’ videos, but I absolutely love this one. And I’ve watched it ‘Again & Again’ as it’s amazingly well done, very clever, and has a very catchy tune.
Well done whomever did all the hard work.
And one more thing, it’s all done on a Mac. I’m pointing this out because in the world of marketing there is a mass movement to Mac as a computing platform because it gives you all the tools to do exactly this kind of video.
Enjoy the show!
Before you go, ask yourself what can you learn from this? And how could you apply it to your business.
UPDATE:
1) Impressive Stats:
