Is your events venue new to EventUp? Maybe the space recently opened in the hottest part of town, and you want to generate buzz about the business. Or perhaps you have listed your venue on EventUp for some time now but want to take it to the next level. Either way, you made a wise decision to partner with EventUp. The powerful marketplace accelerates your event business and increases your online visibility and exposure. When you list your venue on EventUp, adopt this as your guiding principle: “My listing is a living, breathing reflection of my events venue.” Continue reading for a list of tips and tricks for optimizing your listing.
1. Keep your listing up-to-date with fresh photos
A picture is worth a thousand words, but multiple images are even better. The sweet spot is between five to ten high-quality images. What do we mean by high quality? The first image should be a wide, bright image of the main room. Think about what differentiates your venue and allow the photo to capture the space’s uniqueness. Further, this image shows up on the search page within the website, so a striking image is the best way to make a strong first impression with event organizers. Post photos that reflect the type of events hosted in your space. For example, if you are a wedding venue, display a photo of your space set up for the special day. If your space has windows, take a photo during the day to capture and show the venue’s natural light. Additional images should show private and semi-private rooms.
2. Respond quickly when event organizers submit quote requests.
An event organizer’s expectation for venue response times is sky-high, but it is important to respond to a quote request in under an hour. You will close more business if you respond faster than your competitors. If you have abnormal business hours or an unconventional work schedule, set up automated responses in your account to establish an initial touchpoint with potential clients, and communicate when you will follow up with more information.
3. Extend Permission Access to other team members as a way to manage inbound leads.
Has business picked up over the last few weeks? Maybe the busy season just started? Do you lack the capacity to respond to every single lead? Although this is an excellent problem to have, every minute within the events industry is vital and valuable. Delegate some of the work to your team members through the Permission Access feature. This feature allows your team members to respond to potential clients and quote requests.
4. Recognize seasonal moments throughout the year. Use them to your advantage!
The first step is to take a look at a calendar and identify moments throughout the year that could bring in big business. The next step involves updating your listing to address those moments or seasons. This update should take place at least three months before the moment or season you want to target. As you know, event organizers are searching for spaces several months (or a year!) ahead of their events. Capitalize on popular times throughout the year by updating your listing. For example - say your business goal is to book your space every weekend over the winter holiday season. Consider uploading images from previous holiday parties or update ‘The Space’ section with a holiday-related description of your venue.
5. Optimize for Google SEO Keywords
Make sure your listing contains the top event keywords that are searched by Event Planners on Google. Google will then read your listing and you will have a better chance of showing up in search results. Also, leverage this list of keywords for your own website!
Top Keywords include:
Banquet Facility, Best Restaurants, Best Restaurants for Events, Bridal Shower, Cocktail parties, Cocktail Receptions, Corporate Events, Event Space, Event Spaces, Group Dining, Holiday Parties, Large Group Dining, Corporate Meeting, Party Rooms and Restaurants, Private Cocktail Parties, Private Dining, Private Dining Room, Private Dining Rooms, Private Dining Spaces, Private Event Space, Private Events, Private Meeting Spaces, Private Meetings, Private Party Planning, Private Party Venue, Rehearsal Dinner, Semi-private event space, Special Events, Unique Event Venue, Wedding Receptions, Wedding Shower
Now that you know the top five tips and tricks for optimizing your listings, it is time to generate more leads! Any other questions about your listing? For current venues listed on EventUp, email your account manager or support@eventup.com. Please email sales@eventup.com if you are interested in listing your venue.
