While you may have questions about venue marketing that you may be afraid to ask, no question is off the table. By learning more about advertising and marketing techniques, your events business will grow in both visibility and bookings.
While you may feel a bit overwhelmed if you are tasked with trying to grow your event bookings, don’t be afraid to ask questions. For many of you in the restaurant, hotel, and unique venue businesses, you take on numerous roles to keep your business running. We got your back, and today, we cover the answers to questions that are completely ok to ask. Once you have the venue marketing answers, you’ll be well on your way to reaping the benefits.
1. Why does marketing matter for event venues?
Simply put, if you are not marketing, you are missing out on a large opportunity to book your space and gain large revenue. According to a U.S. survey done in 2022 for local businesses, an astounding 98% of consumers use internet search to evaluate local businesses, which includes restaurants, hotels, and unique venues. This stat brings to light the gigantic opportunity in digital marketing!
So, don’t wait for customers to happen to discover your venue. Instead, market your event services no matter if your venue is a small cafe, a large hotel, or a one-of-a-kind venue. If you do it right, your venue will gain visibility and more customers.
2. What if I have a small budget?
This is an understandable question, especially if you are a small restaurant, a boutique hotel, or a unique venue, you may be a smaller operation and not have a lot of funds to prioritize towards marketing. But, this should not discourage you from leveraging some marketing techniques to grow your sales. According to the U.S. Small Business Association, small businesses that provide B2C services should budget about 12% of gross revenue towards marketing. But even if you cannot budget that much, prioritize some funds towards marketing efforts. It will bring in sales and help your venue with ROI.
3. What are the various marketing channels?
At its simplest, marketing has important ways in which to advertise and gain customer exposure. These channels include content marketing, email marketing, social media, online video, pay-per-click advertising, search engine optimization, and public relations. If you opt to use various channels, you have a multi-channel marketing strategy. This is one of the numerous marketing terms you’ll come to learn.
Don’t get overwhelmed here. Simply take one at a time, beginning with your online content. We cover more about that later on.
4. How do I know what my potential customers want?
Great question! You always want to know what your customers are looking for. The answer to this question can be answered by your potential customers themselves!
A very important marketing effort is to network with event planners in your area. This way, you will fully understand their event needs and can match your event services in order to fulfill them. A great way to network is to join event planner groups in your area or host one yourself at your venue!
5. How can I complete marketing efforts in little time?
As far as limited time is concerned, marketing does not have to take a lot of time. Also, there are so many tools available to help. Utilize technology to help improve the use of your time and make all aspects of your operations more efficient.
At EventUp, we pride ourselves in offering an easy-to-use platform to help you capture event leads. It won’t take you long to get your listing up and running. You’ll easily grow your event business with the power of the largest venue directory. Make sure you add your EventUp listing to quickly market your venue.
6. What’s my first step in venue marketing?
Your online content, specifically your website, is the center of all your venue marketing efforts and should be the first thing you begin with and what you consistently update. Highlight your venue’s best attributes on your website. Make sure you provide all relevant information, and your venue description should feature the top facts you want event planners to know about your property. Prominently display your location and Include key features, amenities, and area benefits.
7. What are common marketing mistakes I could make?
A common marketing error is not making it easy for potential leads to understand your venue and its offerings. Use every available piece of digital real estate to include your information in a clear and understandable manner. For example, your website, your social profiles, your EventUp listing, and any other online content should all include the following:
- Location address
- Description of space
- Seated and standing maximum capacity
- Minimum guest count
- Square footage
- Seating plans
- Pricing options
- Food and beverage menus
- Amenities
- Lead form
- Photos and videos
Another common marketing mistake in marketing is blurry photos of event spaces! Having high-quality images is absolutely crucial in representing your brand. You want to showcase to planners what an amazing space you have for dinners, parties, experiences, and meetings. Make sure you take photos in good lighting and involve your happy customers and employees. Include a captivating description for each of your photos. Snap photos that capture the best qualities of your venue.
Ready to start planning your marketing?
We hope we’ve opened the doors a bit for you to enter the creative world of venue marketing. You’ll attract more and more bookings to your venue. If you are not an EventUp venue yet, schedule a demo to explore how we can help you market your venue.
