Strategic Event Management: Creating a Strong Foundation

Did you know that 95% of marketers believe that in-person events can help achieve business goals?

Events are undoubtedly some of the most effective methods for marketing your business. They help you engage directly with your customers, generate leads, launch new products, create brand awareness, etc.

Unfortunately, organizing and managing an event successfully can be tremendously challenging. The good news is that strategic event management could be the answer to your problems.

The success of your event does not revolve around garnering maximum attention only. It hinges on attracting the right attendees and sparking engagement among the audience.

This post will break down the strategic management of events in great detail. Its objective is to help you and your team plan and organize events to fulfil your organizational goals.

What’s Your Role as an Event Planner?

Before you come up with your event management strategy, you need to understand the role of an event planner and strategist.

Event planners play an integral role in organizing an event. For example, you have to choose the event’s theme, identify a strategic location, and find incredible speakers. In addition, you’ll need to prepare a comprehensive list of activities for the event.

The other aspects of the event that you need to look at include;

• Sponsors
• Publicity
• Entertainment

However, you don’t have to do all these alone. You can start by developing the concept of the event and brainstorm the rest with your team.

The Role of Your Event Strategist

It is vital to have an event strategist on your team to help you with a couple of things. Part of this includes aligning your marketing campaigns with the event. The other role is to define the event’s goals and create a strategy to achieve them.

An event strategy revolves around intelligently persuading customers to embrace your new products. It also helps generate leads, strengthen customer loyalty, and boost customer retention.

While an event should be vibrant and fun, your event strategy works behind the scenes to ensure it meets its business objectives.

Essential Elements of Strategic Event Management

Managing events strategically is a broad discipline. This section covers some of its essential elements to help you organize stellar business events.

Events Budget

You should prepare a budget at the initial stages of planning an event. Knowing how much the event will cost will act as a guide for planning. It will keep you and your team realistic and disciplined.

Your events budget will cover the costs of;
• Venue
• Food and drinks
• Decor
• Entertainment
• Staff transportation and accommodation
• Marketing

You might have to collaborate with the finance department to create a realistic budget. Most importantly, your event budget should also have an allowance for miscellaneous expenses.

Team

When planning a conference or any other business event, the chances are that you will work with several people. The team you choose could either make or break the event. As a result, it is vital to allocate various responsibilities and tasks prudently.

This kind of planning should apply in all stages of the preparations. For instance, you can divide roles among team members per their expertise. If you know an individual with experience in catering, put them in charge of food and beverages for the guest.

Additionally, define the roles of the team clearly to avoid confusion. For example, the venue manager should identify an ideal location for the event. Besides that, they should gather information about its capacity, availability, and much more.

You can take it a notch higher by providing each member with a document detailing their specific tasks and responsibilities. The goal is to keep each one of them focused on their role.

Event Goals

Each business event you organize has a specific goal. The purpose could be launching a particular product or generating leads. You should discuss the business objective of the conference with your team.

The ultimate aim for you and your team should be to find the best possible ways to achieve these objectives. Ensure that the event’s goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.

Branding

Branding is another important aspect of strategic event management that you cannot ignore. Your event should have a strong identity and personality.

The first step to getting your event branding right is using an event name that’s catchy and easy to remember and pronounce. Additionally, it should relate to what your event is all about.

You can create a logo for the event and use it for promotional purposes on social media and broadcast media—if your budget allows it, that is. If it’s an invitation-only event for a few stakeholders, you’ll not need to invest heavily in branding.

Technology

Technology plays a fundamental role in the management of events today. Instead of having many disjointed technological tools, investing in one holistic event management solution is essential.

Moreover, you will need to manage various aspects of the event. These will range from marketing campaigns to attendee tracking. Doing this in a unified way will make your work much more manageable.

For example, you may choose to hold a virtual event. In that case, you will need to establish one platform that all your audience members will use to participate in the proceedings of the events.

After the event, ensure that you have captured all the pertinent data, such as the number of attendees, products that drew the most attention, audience’s feedback on various activities, etc.

The information you collect can help you determine whether the event was successful. Based on the data, you will undoubtedly know the event management areas that need improvement in the future.

Tap into the Strengths of Strategic Event Management

Strategic event management can make your events more influential. The best part is that this is a strategy that any organization or business can adopt. If you’ve read this guide carefully, you are now equipped to plan bigger, more successful events.

If you’d like to learn more about intelligent event management and planning, subscribe to our blogs or contact us for our services.

5 Major Benefits of Strategic Marketing for Professional Services

Did you know that less than 49% of companies claim that increasing customer acquisition is their primary focus?

Professional services can be a tough sell, because potential customers may not understand what you do or how you can help them.

Even if you have an amazing product or service, it can be difficult to make sales if you’re not marketing your business in the right way.

Strategic marketing is the key to success for professional services.

If you want to increase your leads and sales, you need to have a plan. This plan should focus on your target market, what makes your product or service unique, and what advantages you have compared to others.

Want to know more? Keep reading to learn the 5 major benefits of strategic marketing and what effect it can have on professional services.

What Is Strategic Marketing?

Strategic marketing is an important tool for any business that wants to stay competitive. Businesses can improve their chances of success by creating a long-term plan and setting specific goals. This will help them stay on track and make progress.

Strategic marketing is also different from other types of marketing in that it is much more focused. This focus allows businesses to track their progress and see how well they are doing. This way, they can change their strategies if needed.

To stay ahead of the competition, it is essential for any company to have a good strategic marketing plan.

Why Is Strategic Marketing Important?

There are countless reasons why strategic marketing for professional services is important. We don’t always see the direct correlation between our efforts and the results, but that doesn’t mean those efforts aren’t important.

Take a look at these five important reasons why strategic marketing planning is so vital for any business:

1. Increased Sales

One of the main benefits of strategic marketing is increased sales. If you want to reach your target market, you need to take a planned marketing approach. This will help you convert leads into paying customers.

Tactical marketing is when you focus on specific channels and activities. Strategic marketing is when you take a bigger view, looking at all the different ways your business interacts with the market. This includes an analysis of the competition, the company’s strengths and weaknesses, and the needs of the target audience.

You can use this information to create a marketing plan that will guide your company’s marketing efforts. This can help to ensure that all activities are aligned with the company’s goals and that resources are used efficiently.

Although it takes more effort, strategic marketing can help your business grow and make money.

2. Improved Visibility

Strategic marketing can also help improve the visibility of your professional services business. You can make sure that more people see your business by creating a good marketing strategy. This can help with brand recognition and awareness.

Traditional marketing methods are excellent ways to promote your business. By taking the time to create a marketing plan, you can ensure that more people are aware of your business. This can lead to improved brand recognition and increased clientele.

3. Developing a Strong Brand Identity

A strong brand identity is essential for any business. But it is especially important for professional services businesses. Your brand identity is what separates you from your competitors. It also helps you build trust and credibility with potential clients.

It should communicate what you do, who you do it for, and why you do it. Your brand identity should be reflected in everything from your logo and website to your email signature and business cards.

When done right, your brand identity will help you attract the right clients, build trust and credibility, and ultimately grow your business.

4. Enhanced Reputation

In today’s hypercompetitive business environment, reputation is everything. A company’s reputation can make or break its ability to win new business, attract and retain top talent, and command premium pricing.

Enhanced reputation is another key benefit of strategic marketing for professional services. By taking a strategic marketing approach, you can more effectively build positive relationships with your target market and improve your business’s overall reputation.

5. Increased Efficiency and Productivity

Last but not least, strategic marketing can also help increase efficiency and productivity. By streamlining your marketing you can save time while achieving your desired results.

In addition, strategic marketing can help you better understand your target market and what they are looking for in a professional services business.

By taking the time to research and develop a targeted marketing plan, you can ensure that your professional services business is meeting the needs of your target market. As a result, you will be able to attract more customers and grow your business more efficiently.

Get Started With Strategic Marketing Today

If you’re looking to increase sales for your professional services, consider strategic marketing strategies. Strategic marketing is a planned and structured approach that takes all of the unique aspects of your business into account to create a cohesive and effective plan.

It’s not just about advertising or promoting your services. It’s about understanding what makes your company different. Then using that information to reach potential customers in a way they’ll understand.

Here at Big Bold Thinkers, we have years of experience helping businesses just like yours achieve success with their marketing strategies. Contact us today to find out how we can help you take your business to the next level!

Boost Your SEO Performance by Avoiding These 7 Mistakes

Nearly 70% of all activity online begins with a search engine. The majority of search engine users (75%) don’t bother checking the first page of results, though. Without search engine optimization (SEO), consumers might not find your website online.

Even with an SEO strategy, the wrong mistakes could cost you top-of-page rankings.

Want to boost your SEO performance to reach more customers this year? Read on to make sure you’re avoiding these seven costly mistakes first!

1. Never Gathering Research

One of the biggest SEO mistakes you can make is attempting SEO marketing without research and a strategy first.

Without research, you’ll make assumptions about who your customers are, what they care about, and their search intent. Their search intent indicates what they expect to find during a search. If your content doesn’t match their intent, Google won’t display it on search engine result pages (SERPs).

Gathering audience and keyword research will help you create content that aligns with the user’s search intent. Then, you can make sure your website appears in front of relevant consumers.

Start by segmenting your target audience into smaller, distinct buyer personas. You can define these personas based on demo- and psychographic research. For example, you might consider the consumers:

  • Location
  • Gender
  • Age
  • Marital status
  • Household income
  • Buying behaviors
  • Interests
  • Hobbies
  • Pain points

Focus on the pain points your customers are experiencing. How can you leverage your expertise to offer them a solution?

Think of each buyer persona as a real person. What questions do they ask while online? Keyword research can help you appear for those searches.

You can gather keyword research using Answer the Public, Google Trends, or by working with an SEO agency.

Focus on longer keywords that include four or more words. These longtail keywords are precise, allowing you to better determine the search intent.

As you begin applying these SEO tips, imagine each persona as a real person. Create your SEO content with specific consumers in mind. Personalization will help you forge stronger connections with your target audience.

2. Neglecting Your Website

Another major SEO mistake you can make is ignoring your website. Google prioritizes sites that are:

  • Mobile-friendly
  • Secure
  • Easy to use and navigate
  • Fast

Run your site through Google’s PageSpeed Insights and Mobile-Friendly Test to check its performance.

Try to improve the user experience (UX) on your site, too. A positive UX can improve your dwell times. Higher dwell times can boost your SEO performance and organic rankings.

If you’re neglecting technical SEO, visitors will leave without exploring. Your bounce rate will start to increase, negatively impacting your rankings.

3. Forgetting to Create Fresh Content

Google also prioritizes fresh, unique, helpful content that aligns with the user’s search intent.

Take the time to develop a content marketing strategy that aligns with your SEO marketing strategy.

First, take a look at your keyword research. Let your focus keywords determine what topics you’ll cover.

Don’t write content and place the keyword within the post after the fact. Otherwise, the keyword might sound awkward within the content.

Try to mix up your content marketing strategy this year, too. Create more interactive content, like polls and quizzes. Try eye-catching graphics like infographics or engaging videos.

Diversifying your content will ensure your posts appeal to different consumers.

About 70% of marketers say content helps educate their audience. Focus on demonstrating EAT (expertise, authority, trustworthiness) overselling within your posts. Otherwise, heavy sales language could scare readers away.

Instead, provide readers with helpful solutions to their problems.

Then, add a call to action at the end of your post. Direct readers to contact you for help or information. You can also direct them to other blogs or the product page on your website.

When creating your content, don’t neglect internal and external links, too.

Make sure to focus on quality over quantity to create the best SEO content possible.

4. Never Generating Backlinks

Backlinks are one of Google’s top-ranking factors. These links direct readers on other websites to your content. The more backlinks you generate, the more traffic you can gain.

Start generating backlinks by looking for guest blogging opportunities on websites that have high domain authority (DA).

Otherwise, consider working with the best SEO marketing agency. They can help you generate quality backlinks for stronger rankings.

5. Mismanaging Your Listing

If you want to boost your SEO performance, you need to consider all types of SEO. For example, local SEO can help you reach nearby customers.

Make sure to claim and optimize your Google Business listing. Confirm that the information on your profile matches what appears on your website. Match every abbreviation, too.

Google will review your website to verify the information is accurate.

Ask you’re happy customers to post their reviews on your listing as well. Positive reviews can boost your brand’s credibility and SEO performance.

Otherwise, update your listing with fresh videos, images, and posts.

6. Writing Weak Titles and Descriptions

Your SEO title tag and meta description will appear on SERPs as consumers search for your content. Strong titles and descriptions can boost your clickthrough rate. A higher clickthrough rate can improve your SEO performance and rankings.

It will also help you attract more traffic to your site.

Make sure your titles and descriptions are easy to read and understand. Don’t forget to add your focus keyword to both, too.

7. Never Hiring a Pro

One of the biggest SEO mistakes you can make is neglecting to work with an experienced professional. You can leverage an SEO agency’s experience and expertise to boost your rankings. Meanwhile, you can focus on what matters most: your customers.

With help from an agency, you’ll never fall behind the latest SEO trends like voice search optimization.

Instead, you can continue improving your SEO marketing strategy to expand your reach online.

Boost Your SEO Performance: Hire an Agency to Avoid These Costly Mistakes

Don’t miss the chance to boost your SEO performance this year. Instead, make sure you’re avoiding these costly SEO mistakes. Otherwise, consider working with an experienced SEO marketing agency.

With help, you can improve your rankings in no time.

Want to work with the best SEO agency available? We’re here to help.

Get in touch with our team today to get started.

3 Ways Team Building Activities Can Help to Bring Your Team Together

Studies have found that engaged workers have a positive impact on a company’s bottom line. They boost profits by 21%, sales by 20%, and customer satisfaction by 10%.

Yet a majority of employees are still disengaged at work.

One way your business can create an engaged workforce is by having outstanding team building activities. These are designed to connect workers and bring them together, whether it’s a simple ice breaker or a several-day retreat.

Here are three ways that you can make your business a better place to work through team building events.

1. Team Building Leads to Stronger Collaboration

At its core, team building provides a fun, relaxed way for employees to get to know each other before they begin the higher-stakes work at the office.

Collaboration involves your team working together as equals. Research has shown that this is an effective management tool—workers who are free to exchange ideas and respect each other are more productive.

So when employees go on a hike together or go to happy hour together, they become more comfortable with each other. More structured team building like playing games together helps improve communication and requires creative thinking.

When it comes time to problem solve, delegate tasks, and get the job done, your employees will be ready to collaborate.

2. Team Building Events Improve Motivation and Morale

One of the biggest benefits of team building exercises is fostering positive work relationships. Anyone who expects to see their friends when they arrive at work is going to be more motivated.

Unfortunately, the reverse is true as well. One study found that feeling isolated at work has profound psychological effects.

This is especially important in the age of the virtual workplace. Employers need to find ways to connect their workers and bring them together so that they feel like valued members of the team.

Whether it’s virtual board games, trivia, or another team builder, there are plenty of ways to keep your team engaged with each other.

3. Team Building Activities Lead to Better Communication

Sometimes the fundamentals are most important—and communication is a foundational piece no business leader can afford to forget about.

The fact is that a team that communicates more effectively with one another will be more productive. Team members who are comfortable with their peers will tell them about any problems they encounter early on, making it more likely that they’ll solve those problems.

Workers who have taken part in team-building together will be more likely to jump on a Zoom call or have a face-to-face meeting with their coworkers. These more personal ways of communicating are more effective than email or texting when discussing complex issues.

They’re also more likely to resolve conflicts quicker. If you feel like you know someone, it’s easier to clear up misunderstandings.

Keeping Your Team Together

The bottom line is that when you invest in team building, you improve retention and boost productivity. You show your workers that you care about them and want them to work well together through team building activities.

If you want to get started on team building events for your business, contact Big Bold Thinkers through our website.