Any ideas? Marketing Seminar

14 replies
Hey there, I'm holding a marketing seminar for local businesses in a few weeks. I have 11 attendees so far and the problem is I'm shooting for about 20-25.

I'd love to hear ideas on how you would go about getting attendees to a seminar.

Thanks!
#ideas #marketing #seminar
  • Profile picture of the author briancassingena
    Originally Posted by danielsteven View Post

    Hey there, I'm holding a marketing seminar for local businesses in a few weeks. I have 11 attendees so far and the problem is I'm shooting for about 20-25.

    I'd love to hear ideas on how you would go about getting attendees to a seminar.

    Thanks!
    JVs are all important. If you have any business friends in your city, get them to email their list. I am running one soon and this is how I have gotten 90% of bookings

    Approach your local business groups, whatever you have there, ask them to promote your event in exchange for some platform time.

    Have a Guru speak there. Somebody who has celebrity status in your niche, you may even have to pay a speaking fee but if you crunch your numbers it could be worth it
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  • Profile picture of the author Matthew NY
    Perhaps offer a free service to them for attending? Maybe amping up their Google Places pages in return for them to show up to your seminar.

    Go down your local business listings and call each business. Ask to speak with the owner/boss and tell them that you are currently specializing in online marketing for businesses in their area and would like to offer a free service if they attend. Be sure to tell them that the internet will be a prime location for them to continue to market their business and indefinitely bring in more customers.
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    • Profile picture of the author danielsteven
      Originally Posted by Matthew NY View Post

      Perhaps offer a free service to them for attending? Maybe amping up their Google Places pages in return for them to show up to your seminar.

      Go down your local business listings and call each business. Ask to speak with the owner/boss and tell them that you are currently specializing in online marketing for businesses in their area and would like to offer a free service if they attend. Be sure to tell them that the internet will be a prime location for them to continue to market their business and indefinitely bring in more customers.
      I like the suggestion, but the attendees are paying $497 each for an all day 8 hour seminar...I guess I could, through in a Bonus along the lines of something you suggested like the Google Places enhancement or setting them up on Google Places if they arent currently on there.
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      • Profile picture of the author Bennette
        Besides what the others mentioned above, you could barter with the local radio station. You offer a ticket for x amount of air time. They use the tickets as a give away to their listeners. Win-win for both!

        Press releases, Facebook, Twitter, free classifieds sites and submit your event to local newspapers. You can also take your flyers to local networking events and pass them out to the business owners.
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  • Profile picture of the author Andrew Milburn
    Hi Daniel

    Best of luck with your seminar. Just a few thoughts.

    @ How did you get those 11 people? I know this may sound silly and you may have done this already........... just repeat what you did to get those 11.

    @ Is there a reason why you want 20 people? Could you cope if all 20 / 25 became clients?

    @ If money is not an issue to have 20 people. Contact the 11 people and say as a bonus they can bring along a business friend, but it must not be from same business. These people can either come free or for a reduced payment.
    If you do this and they take your offer up - you will have 22 people at your seminar.

    Hope this helps
    Andrew
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  • Profile picture of the author sdentrepreneur
    I would suggest a bit of a ground game and Social Media.

    Print some postcard size flyers and hand to business owners at Chamber and Business Mixer events. I would then use Facebook Event (off your own Business Page) and share and post to your list. I would back that up with EventBrite and post that to Twitter. If you write good copy and are offering what people are looking for, your messages could go viral.
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  • Profile picture of the author MaxReferrals
    It was mentioned, go the JV route. Since people are paying you $500 to attend,
    I presume you have some margin in there to offer some decent payouts
    to JV partners.
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  • Profile picture of the author uncle randy 71
    Print up some postcards and hand deliver to all the businesses within a certain distance of the meeting location.

    Go to the coffee shop/starbucks closest to the meeting location and ask if you can put up a flyer announcing the seminar.

    Go to the most popular lunch places and ask if you can put up flyers/postcards announcing the seminar. Ask the business owner of the lunch destinations if you can purchase a few Gift Certificates to hand out at the seminar in exchange for placing the postcards on each table at the start of lunch.

    Online marketing is cheap and easy. But sometimes we have to get away from the computer to make a deal.
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    • Profile picture of the author Summertime Dress
      I like Andrew Millburns idea to contact the ones who have already paid. I assume your goal is to gain clients long term, so perhaps offer a "bring a colleague exclusive discount" and they split the tuition (instead of $497 they each pay $248).

      This will get people motivated to find a colleague (it would me) -- plus signing up for your backend offers is suddenly more appealing...

      Logically, if I've already spent $497...and now get $248 back...I'm more likely to spend that $248 at the close of the seminar on products because i've already "let go" of that money.

      Also, consider a direct mail campaign targeting businesses who are spending on advertising (look at Groupon, local clipper type magazines, and in your own mailbox)...
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      • Profile picture of the author kld
        To expand on the JV suggestion - Find local professional service businesses that most small businesses must use such as accountants. Offer them a free seat at the event if they will recommend your seminar to their clients. You can provide a letter that the professional service provider can sign and then pick the letters up and mail them out so you know this part gets done. Also, all that's required is some signatures - the referrer doesn't have to do much work.
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  • Profile picture of the author sandalwood
    Daniel,

    I take it you already have clients? If so, why not let them refer a few of their business colleagues at a reduced price with them getting some sort of freebie from you. That way all three of you gain.

    Just my 2¢...
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  • Profile picture of the author RKCastillo
    Danielsteven, you know I think hiring a business to business sales rep will be a great way. You can hire on a commission basis. You can give them 25-30% of any sales that people they bringing to that seminar. Anything they spent will be given 30%. I think that is the good thing you can do. You can go higher a bunch of demo craiglist. I suggest, just say, "hey! Go sign up and find some people for the seminar and I will give you 30% or whatever".
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    • Profile picture of the author BrashImpact
      Daniel,
      we have run several very successful seminars...even if u are
      2 weeks out still, take one day...and get 1000 flyers out, you
      should get a 2/3% rate of return. This will fill up your seminar
      provided you have good Value on the table and sales page.

      Further on down the road... Hire a Top Gun Sales Super Star,
      your looking to hire the top 1/10th of 1%. The true Super Stars.

      These people cannot only make your business, but can ramp it up
      so fast you wouldnt believe it. We pay a flat 33% on the lifetime
      value of all clients they bring to the table. Then let them service
      the client.


      You will find a Super Star by far the fastest way to explode your
      offline business IMHO. Congrats on taking action and doing a
      seminar, not many warriors are doing it, and the market is wide open.

      Regards,
      Robert Nelson
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