Can your events marketing staff pivot away from disaster toward success?
For most event companies, the answer is mostly no. They have staffs that were trained by ‘the book’ and struggle with the proper and timely response to negative results, often persisting with plans that are not working. Or, as the event looms ever closer, they become paralyzed with fear.
What happens then? Senior staff must get involved and marshal greater resources to salvage the situation. Near-term urgencies consume assets that would be better invested in longer term, strategic activities.
How can you avoid this? Here are my six keys:
- Make sure that you hire people who can pivot – or are capable of learning how to do so. If it’s the latter, ensure you have a plan to train them.
- Have at least one marketing staff member who can be creative and/or have the courage to change course as needed.
- Ensure that your entire marketing staff is “plugged into” the market having the right connections with whom they can brainstorm new marketing approaches or adjust tactics when needed.
- Make sure the entire marketing staff is up to date on the latest tools and techniques, and make the necessary investment in training and conferences for them.
- Have a marketing plan with milestones and metrics so you can periodically appraise results and take action if the targets are not hit (e.g. page views, email opens and click-through)
- Ensure that every event’s marketing budget has a ‘Plan B’ allocation, comprised of money that you spend only if things are going wrong.
The failure to hit interim marketing targets can be the early indication of an event’s risk of failing. Don’t ignore those signs, nor miss the opportunity to pivot and change course. The end is not preordained. Proactive analysis and action – supported by the right investments – can mean that great results are yours….