SIX GREAT REASONS TO RUN WORKSHOPS, EVENTS & DEMONSTRATIONS
One of the best ways to market your business is to set yourself up as an expert in your field. Demonstrations, workshops and events are all great ways to showcase your business and to get to know your customer base.
They offer unlimited potential to:
Grow your business
Generate new leads
Increase brand awareness
Boost credibility
Educate and retain your customers
Build a customer database
Remember, it’s important to be clear about your business goals before you decide which event to be involved with or what kind of workshop to set up.
1. GROW YOUR BUSINESS
A series of workshops or a one-off event could be the opportunity your business needs to help achieve its growth goals. For example, if you’re selling a new kind of makeup, running a beauty workshop demonstrating the best uses of it is great exposure. Showcasing your offerings at an industry or major event can be useful for attaining all kinds of business goals, such as:
Demonstrating your expertise and thought leadership
Gaining new customers
Educating your audience
2 GENERATE NEW LEADS
Your primary focus will likely be on generating new leads in order to gain more customers and grow your business. Be aware of the type of people you want to attend your event, workshop or demonstration and consider which prospects to invite.
If the event is by invite only, remember to seek their attendance confirmation and send out reminders closer to the time.
While it’s important to generate new leads, you’re also looking to make sure your current customers remain loyal, as they’re your best source of word-of-mouth advertising. The right events can strengthen connections with your existing customers, which in turn will help you gain new ones. So send your best customers VIP invitations, letting them know about your upcoming event, and encourage them to bring friends. It’s one of the most effective ways to get the most out of your event.
3. INCREASE BRAND AWARENESS
Events can be a great way to convey your business’ brand. In fact, getting your message across is one of the most critical tasks to accomplish in an event environment. For example, if you sell pet accessories and you decide to run a pet event, it’s a great opportunity to advertise your brand and highlight your products.
You’ll need to use all the channels you have available to put out the right message and shape consumers’ ideas of your business the way you intend. People will form opinions within seconds so even consider testing your strategy on potential customers before the event takes place.
4. BOOST CREDIBILITY
Try to express your expertise and thought leadership on the products or services that you provide. What you’re looking to do is establish yourself as an expert in your industry, so that customers feel comfortable with your goods or services. The better your credibility, the more you’ll see an increase in sales.
5. EDUCATE AND RETAIN YOUR CUSTOMERS
If your main aim is to give your customers more information about a certain product or service you offer, or to educate them on the best ways to use your products, running a demonstration or holding a series of workshops could be the answer. For example, if you sell kitchen appliances and accessories, it may prove profitable to demonstrate the use of these appliances to potential customers. Not only will you be able to show them how easy your appliances are to use, but you’ll also create opportunities to upsell suitable accessories. Additionally, it gives your customers the chance to ask questions about your product or service.
6. BUILD A CUSTOMER DATABASE
Workshops, demonstrations and events are a great way of building your customer database. The information you gather can later be used to base future web content on, or to rethink marketing strategies. So think about:
Videoing guest speakers and regular customers
Surveying attendees
Collecting testimonials
Good luck!
Natalie Lennon
Founder & Director
Two Sides Accounting
02 9030 0269
@twosidesHQ