Marketing can help you fill empty seats at your seminar.
Hosting a seminar involves planning, time and money. That's why it's important to be clear on the objective of your seminar. Maybe you are trying to make money on ticket sales or cash in on follow-up product offers; or, you may just want to spread the word about your business by getting people in the door. Your objectives should dictate the marketing strategies you implement, and there are a variety of marketing tips that can help you accomplish your goals.
Contact Past Attendees
If you have hosted a seminar in the past, one of the best ways to fill empty seats is to market the upcoming seminar to past attendees. There are several ways to do this. If you have email addresses from past attendees, send an email marketing campaign with weekly updates about your seminar. Communicate the benefits they will get from attending and the differences from the previous seminar they attended. Another way to market your seminar to past attendees is to send a postcard. Communicate the date and include a call to action, which is a statement asking the reader to do something. For example, "Sign up by April 20 and get the loyal customer discount on our upcoming seminar."
Last-minute Pricing
Marketing last-minute deals and special pricing can also help you fill extra empty seats. Post an ad in a trade publication or website related to your seminar 7 to 10 days before the seminar to announce your last-minute special. Then, post another ad 3 days before the seminar with another rate reduction. Any vacant seats are lost revenue, so even if you have to substantially discount the price for last-minute attendees, you are still getting something out of the deal.
Brochures
A brochure can be a great way to market your seminar. Work with a graphic designer and copywriter to help you craft a professional-looking piece. Then, send the brochure to past attendees and prospective attendees. If you lack prospects and leads for your seminar, hire a list management vendor to help you put together a list of customers who meet the demographic profile you are targeting with your conference. Send your brochure to this list of people, and track the number of responses you get so you can use the metrics to determine if this is a useful strategy for the future.
Website
A simple website is crucial for marketing your seminar. Work with a web designer and copywriter to help you build a website for the seminar. The site should be concise and simple. Include a page that communicates the seminar information, location and benefits to attendees; a sign-up page; and a page with your contact information. Then, sign up for a paid search campaign with Google, Yahoo or Bing. You'll be able to easily create targeted ads that appear when prospects use specified search terms, and you only pay when someone clicks on your ad and views your website.
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