Main Street Businesses Take Advantage of Shared Event Promotions
Small business owners emerge from another off year, to say the least, where retail sales and services mostly continued online but walk-in foot traffic still a mere trickle most of the time. Covid stills impacts all our lives and the only way to disrupt it is through innovative, creative activities that not only offer opportunities for engagement but stimulate excitement and hints of freedom.
Street Fairs on a hiatus but summer sales, walking tours, and special events were valuable summertime promotions, thankfully anticipated by many customers. Small business owners recognize record sales on event days. They saw new faces in their stores and some started to build a supportive communities by working together. Most importantly, business owners increased awareness for their products and services by taking advantage of the attention and publicity gained through shared event promotions.
Thinking ahead to the holidays or future promotions, here are seven ways to help you make the most of event days:
1. Take Your Business Outdoors - Many people come to a business district on event days but they may not go inside your business. Be prepared to attract people as they walk by.
Set up a display rack, a table, or any attention-grabbling showcase outside your storefront. You can display bright, colorful merchandise, or displays of your services. Get creative with a kissing or photo booths. Offer games puzzles, tongue twister competitions, bingo cards, poetry slams, or colorful art projects. Try classic carnival games like balloon dartboards, duck ponds, bean bag tosses or hoop throws. Contests or raffles are a natural way to collect customer data. Create an activity with prizes to be picked up later. giveaways, promotional flyers or coupons.
Consider teaming up with a more centrally located business and add a display, even a simple signboard, about your business where people and activities are concentrated.
Use interactive tricks, selfie-stations or contests to draw people to your storefront. A classic “prize wheel” engages people, especially kids, bringing them into your world. Focus on your target market when giving out rewards, SWAG items, sweets or certificates. In fact, at most of the events we've been to, our photo booth is constantly the principal crowd puller.
Invite a singer-song writer to play her guitar for tips or hire a professional busker to entertain people passing by.
Covid Care: Use online registration tools to let participants sign themselves up. Make a BIG noise when selecting winners. Post winner’s names and pictures on boards at your booth.
Restaurants, cafes and bars: take orders outside and online using QR codes posted everywhere out front.
Set up a lively, inviting outdoor patio with lots of shade (or umbrellas in case of rain) that also provide a rest area.
2. Make a Good Impression - A large, shared promotion increases the likelihood of new faces to an area, offering a lively first impression.
Make sure your storefront and sidewalk are clean and inviting. Add garbage and recycling containers and keep them emptied.
Be a resource for the event. Provide information and directions about event activities and other businesses in the area.
Have extra staff on hand. Make your restrooms available if possible and offer a refillable water station.
Run specials that continue through the next month to encourage customers to come back later.
3. Sponsor Event or Special Activity – You might be too busy to create your own distinct activity at a large event so instead consider offering to sponsor a display, some specialty demonstration, benefit, or entertainment activity. Your business can be promoted long before the event on posters, flyers, websites, and on social media. People will remember that your business supports community events and may choose you over others throughout the year. Promote the event, and your involvement in it, on marketing materials at your business, through mailings and in advertising.
4. Advertise – Cooperative advertising usually offers discounted pricing by news magazines, online event sites, and local community newspapers.
Whether or not you advertise in advance, plan to promote your business on ad materials or merchandise that you hand out, sell, or give away on event day.
Make sure that the new customers know how to find you again. Even if you don’t participate in shared advertising, add event information to your own ads, showing community support and keeping your own ads fresh.
Healthy Pets NW offers treats to pets and people too
5. Cater to Walkers and Bikers - Think about items you can offer that might appeal to this kind of event’s attendees and shoppers who are on foot or on bike.
Promote small merchandise that is easy to carry and give away coupons that will entice shoppers back another day.
Share quick bites, small sips of refreshing snacks and beverages.
Provide reusable shopping bags (with your business name on them).
6. “Give Back” to the Community - Show gratitude to the customers and neighbors that support your business during the other 364 days of the year. In the month leading up to a big event, give “insider” passes or Good Neighbor Discounts to say “thank you” to the community that helps to make the area a vibrant business district, even when it’s not an event day. Long-time customers will feel appreciated.
Outdoor coffee station on special event days draw people inside
Read the comprehensive book, Small Business Experience Marketing, an event planning guide by seasoned community event consultant, Bridget Bayer. Experience Marketing is straightforward manual that shows how small business owners can benefit over the long-term by using detailed sensory stimulation and community connections learn ways to provide lasting memories and loyal customers.. Small Business Experience Marketing shows how every small business can prepare, partner, promote and produce an event that creates an experience your customer wants.