Capture Prospects with Front-End Marketing
1. Best practices for location and time have not changed here; Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays still appear to be the best days to host a seminar. The 65+ age crowd will benefit from a 4-5 pm start time, while the under 65 age crowd will likely gravitate to 6 or 7 pm (depending on food, etc.).
2. Leverage technology effectively to connect with prospects. Utilize marketing platforms, social media channels, and email to reach your audience and create buzz around your seminar event.
3. Offer a virtual visit or virtual webinar for those not interested in attending in-person. Providing an alternative to meet with you individually might help you pick up an extra appointment or two.
4. Send a reminder marketing piece. Our Fill-The-Room® program has offered this for over two decades and events that used reminder pieces in 2023 saw 45% of their responses come from the second mailer on average. Busy people need reminders!
5. Consider re-engaging with prior seminar attendees/registrants.
Pre-Event Best Practices
6. Build in flexibility. It is wise for you to work with the seminar venue to create as much flexibility as possible. Have a rain-date backup tentatively planned with the venue. Buy as much time as possible for cancellation notice.
7. Be sure to send reminders to all guests as your event approaches. Best practice is confirming registration or interest, and then sending reminders both a week before and a day before your event.
8. Inform registrants that they can bring another couple with them. This might put them at ease and increase attendance.
9. Invite your existing clients. They may appreciate a night out and we would certainly encourage them to bring a guest.
Event Hosting Tips
10. Create a welcoming atmosphere and set the stage for a positive environment from the start. Welcome attendees warmly and provide clear directions and signage. This fosters a sense of community by encouraging interaction and networking.
11. Consider accessibility, size, amenities, and technical capabilities at the restaurant or seminar venue. It should be able to comfortably accommodate your expected audience and provide necessary space and tech for your presentation.
12. Paint the picture for what a follow-up appointment will feel like. Whether you are offering a live, in-person meeting or a virtual meeting, make sure to articulate what to expect.
Follow-Up Tips
13. For those unable to make it, you can offer to cover the presentation topics in your office or through a virtual meeting. If you’re hosting another seminar in the near future, extend an invitation to that event
14. Have a follow-up plan. If they reach out to you (whether or not they end up attending), reach out to them regularly after the seminar. This can even be done through audience-specific automated marketing campaigns, like some of the email sequences available in our Marketing HQ content library.
To find out more about USA Financial's Fill-The-Room® seminar marketing system, please reach out to our team.
