(ThyBlackMan.com) Marketing for a niche business is always going to be difficult and sometimes it requires you to think outside the box to know what it is to draw an audience in. For those companies who provide a service or education to their audience, one of the weirder and more amazing ideas for you to try is hosting an open day.
An open day is an event which you host at your workplace where you allow the public to come and view your products or services for themselves. It is something which can be great for a growing business because you will be able to gain a lot of exposure in the local area and beyond and this can be something which is great for you in the long term. Today we are taking a look at some of the things you will need to prepare for a successful open day.
Create social media images
The first thing you can think of doing when you decide to host an event is to make some social media images which will act as adverts for your event. These don’t have to be complex, just make sure that you have the date, time and address and make sure that your branding can be clearly seen by all. You can then share this again and again over the coming weeks until your event is live.
Make a procedure
Hosting an open day is a vague job for everyone in the office and this is why you should take the time to make a document which outlines what needs to be done in the office on the day. This will include things such as the introduction, making sure everyone has activities to offer and any extra things you’ll be providing for your audience on the day. It is always good to know what you want to do and how the day will be structured from the offset.
Create a Facebook event
One of the things which can always be a good idea to drum up some interest in an event is to create a Facebook event and promote this to a target audience. By creating a Facebook event you will be able to share news about your event and also track how many people are interested in attending and who will actually look at attending the event. It will help you get an idea of numbers and this will make things much easier for you going forward.
Have a sign up form
If you want to get a better idea of how many people will be attending your event so that you can prepare for it in the best way you can, you need to think about making a signup form. This can simply be a form where they fill in their name and email address on your website and it will help you keep track of who will be attending the open day.
Provide refreshments
When people come to your office and spend more than an hour or so there it is a good idea to have refreshments on hand for them. Make sure that you take the time to buy some biscuits and drinks for everyone who attends and this will make the atmosphere more comfortable when they come through the door. The comfier people are the more likely they are to stick around and spend more time in your office!
Think awkward questions
When you run a business and you want to share this with the public it is important for you to think of answers to the kind of awkward questions people might ask. Make sure that you know what to say and have a standard answer when people ask things such as how much you get paid or how big the company is. People will always ask so it is important for you to think of answers in preparation so that you aren’t caught off guard.
Create a goody bag
A goody bag is a fun way to let people feel like they have got something from your event and it is also a sneaky way to share some details with the public. Anyone who visits you could get lanyards, brochures, business cards, pens and even a bag with your logo on it. Everyone likes to receive free stuff and the plus side is that you get to share your logo with more people and gain higher exposure as a result of this.
Staff Writer; Craig Poole