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client red flags

10 Client Red Flags To Watch Out For When Marketing

Business / By / August 15, 2023

Are you aware of the most common client red flags to watch out for when marketing for your business?

Here’s a shared experience most professionals are familiar with…

If you work with people across multiple industries, you’re likely aware of exactly what it is that makes you tick. We’re not simply talking about clients that are difficult to work with as those clients offer challenges to help us adapt and grow as writers. Nope, we’re talking about clients with bold, unapologetic, blazing red flags you want to avoid entirely.

With over a decade of experience marketing for many clients, we’ve (nearly) seen and heard it all before. Whether we’re reflecting on corporate experiences or those as a small business, client red flags aren’t always visible right away. But, there are a few client red flags to watch out for when marketing for a company that you may be unfamiliar with.

Here’s our take on what we observe when working with new clients.

Psst! If you need copywriting for your business, we’re only a discovery call away! Schedule your discovery call now.

It’s Okay To Reject Some Sales: 10 Client Red Flags To Watch Out For When Marketing

Do you wish marketing client red flags were more…obvious? You may be missing out on these telltale signs that someone is not a right fit for you and your business.

1. No Respect For Your Time

We aren’t too firm around here about micromanaging our time. We strategize and acknowledge client expectations to determine what we do in a day. We’re also human, so running a bit late or canceling in emergencies is completely understandable – and we account for incidents like these, too.

However, when a client doesn’t respect your time, it usually becomes obvious right away – especially when it comes to meetings. 

If you think time might be an issue for your client, ask yourself…

If they are late or no show to a meeting, do they try to apologize and reschedule?

Are they late or do they not show up a little too often?

Do they go MIA after skipping meetings and remain unresponsive?

Sometimes, a meeting is necessary for quality work. But this isn’t the only way a client can show a lack of respect for your time… 

2. Expectations Are Unreasonable & Non Negotiable

Aside from scheduled meetings, do your client’s expectations align with your expertise, skills, and education? When it comes to copywriting, we sometimes deal with:

  • Too tight timelines
  • A queue of consistently rushed projects

Let’s be clear – we will turn copy around quickly and are happy to expedite for clients that we know trust us and our skills. But rushed new projects typically take away the time we need to research, plan, and execute properly. Seeing too many of these lets us know it’s just not going to work out because we cannot feel completely confident about the quality of work we’re delivering. 

We do our best work when there’s time and bandwidth for our copywriters to follow our process and get the deliverable done. And it would be wrong to knowingly deliver low-quality work to simply complete every task. In this case, negotiations and flexibility are key to working well together. Without the opportunity to meet in the middle, your chances of success and satisfaction with your copy are lower.

3. There’s Always A Fire To Put Out

Speaking of rush jobs, we get it. Clients can end up in a bind and really need your support to see them through. And, make no mistake, you are there! 

But what happens when 9 times out of 10, this particular client always seems to have a fire they need to put out with your immediate attention? 

Diving into daily rush jobs is no way to run a business. 

This should prompt you to ask, “How is this a sustainable way to operate for my client?” 

It likely isn’t.

4. They Treat Those Around Them Poorly

Whether you’re on a video call or in a shared chat, it’s healthy to notice the way your clients treat those around them. We’re not talking about the attitude that comes from having a bad day (we can forgive and forget). We’re highlighting behavior that isn’t acceptable in any type of professional or personal setting like:

  • Sexual harassment (no!)
  • Racist or discriminating remarks (double no!)
  • Blatantly rude comments
  • Yelling
  • Swearing
  • Aggressive behavior

If your former kindergarten teacher would be ashamed to see it, it’s probably not the type of behavior you want to deal with regularly.

5. Word Travels Fast

Pay attention to industry-related buzz. You can learn a thing or two from those who have worked with a potential client before. Hearing from a disgruntled employee is one thing. But be hyper aware of conversations about your client that have one or several similar things in common like…

  • Late or missed payments
  • Legal troubles
  • Inability to work with others
  • High turnover

Lookout! Problems like these have the potential to cut into your revenue stream, draining your resources. 

6. They Simply Won’t Pay

You don’t need to overthink it. Clients who are routinely unresponsive to communications about missed or late payments won’t change just for you. The truth is that you’re probably not the only vendor having trouble collecting payment. But if you have completed the work required using company time and resources, you deserve to be paid. Period!

7. No Loyal Vendors

If you notice a routine pattern of your client hiring and firing vendors, don’t be surprised when your services end up on the chopping block. It’s a huge red flag for a business without a handful of reliable vendors or other professional partnerships in their corner.

Ready to build your relationship with copywriting professionals you can count on? We’re SO in!

8. Bad Customer Reviews & Responses

Similar to word-of-mouth feedback, it helps to look at Google reviews, Glassdoor, Yelp, and Angi (Angie’s List) for authentic customer and/or employee reviews. Take note of recurring complaints to weigh the pros and cons of the marketing relationship challenges you may face moving forward together. 

Bonus Tip: Read their direct responses to negative customer reviews. Replies that are disrespectful and avoid addressing the customer’s problems with empathy are red flags.

9. They Favor The Blame Game

Having the ability to own up to one’s actions and mistakes is essential for business owners. If a client can’t or won’t hold themselves accountable, they may start to play the blame game. This means that they may be quick to point a finger at their own employees, co-workers, or even customers before taking accountability for themselves. And they won’t likely make an exception to give you grace when you need it. 

Yes, some mistakes are costly! But it takes everyone working together to remain focused on the task at hand, address problems fast, and offer solutions even faster.

10. Your Gut Is Telling You NO

Occasionally, deciding whether or not to cut off a client relationship can come down to your gut feelings. If something feels off, it might be best to listen to your instincts before moving forward. Do you like working with them? If not, think about what it is that makes you uncomfortable.

Also, communicate with the people you surround yourself with. If your team doesn’t enjoy working with a certain client, take the time to listen and find out why. They may end up saying something you’ve been feeling all along.

Beige Flags That We Love

What’s a beige flag?

We’re glad you asked! A beige flag is a characteristic or habit someone has that is valuable and should never be taken for granted. A few examples include…

  • Giving a head’s up about meeting or scheduling issues
  • Showing passion for the work they do
  • Sending OOO notifications
  • Constructive collaboration and criticism
  • Words of appreciation

Having clients we love to work with AND for makes copywriting so much fun! 

Big Takeaways About Marketing Client Red Flags

There is no clear-cut way to establish whether you should or shouldn’t work with someone.

Our advice for client red flags to watch out for when marketing? 

Include a red flag policy before deciding to work together. You should never have to compromise for anything less than mutual respect and the basic ability to be professional with one another.

Phew! Now, get back to business because you’ve got this!Need copy that speaks to your brand’s vision? Schedule a discovery call!

Focus Your Copy On Conversation & Conversion

Let’s Grab A Virtual Coffee With Us To Discover How To Boost Your Words
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Identify Your Target Market

Why Is It So Important To Identify Your Target Market?

Marketing / By / September 28, 2021

Have you ever felt as though you’re speaking into a void when it comes to your marketing materials? 

What about talking to potential customers that end up nowhere near you making a sale?

No one likes to exhaust their resources. However, you might be doing exactly that if your main focus is on the wrong group of buyers. In fact, 80% of content is geared towards the wrong audience. Spending all of your efforts speaking to the wrong audience isn’t beneficial to your business or to those customers missing out on all you have to offer.

What you need to do is ensure you’re speaking to the right people. This way, you’re producing deliverables that can convert into sales.

Identifying your target audience is essential to any growing business, and doing so is easier than you might think! 

Need a little oomph added to your business’s copywriting? Contact FocusCopy to learn how we can help your business grow.

Factors That Impact Your Overall Marketing

Identifying your target market is just as important as the product or service you’re offering. Because without talking directly to your target market, you likely end up losing a lot more than you realize.

Money

Did you know? The average small business spends an average of $9,000 to $10,000 per month for online advertising. 

On top of your marketing budget, you also have monthly fees associated with your website and other tools you use to get your name out there. In addition, you have operations and supply costs to cover. 

However, if you’re consistently speaking to the wrong demographic, all of those essential business elements aren’t being recovered.

Resources

On top of your budget, you have all of your deliverables that aren’t earning results because the audience you’re focusing on isn’t the right one.

Time

The time you spend planning, organizing, and executing your advertising adds up. Make sure your time is used efficiently by talking to the audience you really want.

Potential Revenue

The thing is, there are probably plenty of people who are interested in your business. But they’re not buying because they simply haven’t heard of you. Hone in on the potential customers you want by shifting your focus. 

Valuable Assets

A fantastic web design, captivating copy, and a solid team are nothing without its consumers. You can have top-notch work simply decaying because it isn’t being seen by those who matter to your business’s revenue.

Need a little help? We can push your business in the right direction with crafted copy that targets your ideal audience.

How To Identify Your Target Market

Here are the 3 steps you need to take to redirect your business’s efforts:

1. Start With The Demographics

Find out the age, gender, income, and profession of your customers. You may have to make broad strokes to identify an ideal target audience, but the goal is to get your audience to fit 80% of what you write down for the demographics.

For example, your target audience may look like:

  • Woman-owned business that offers a professional service, 35-50 years old, lives in the US, works remote, mother of 3 kids, and married 
  • 30-year old multi-generational company who the son is currently taking over, 35-45 years old, lives in the US, grew up in the company, married, goes into the office or company building for work, bilingual (usually in English and Spanish)

The key here… Get specific!

2. Get Into The Details

Use psychographics to pinpoint your customers’ lifestyles, values, and personality traits.

For example, if we were to take the woman-owned business listed above, her personality profile may include being sociable but introverted, determined to make this work, values family over money, and relationship-focused.

3. Uncover Their Values

Narrow your funnel by learning your customers’ attitude, knowledge, and response to your services.

If you aren’t digging down and getting to the root of who your customers are, it will be tough talking to them about what you can do to serve them better. Your customers want to believe you understand them and are willing to go the extra mile to solve their problems. 

They want reliability, honesty, and value. Understanding everything about them from their age range to their preference in politics helps inform your marketing endeavors.

How To Talk To Your Target Audience

Now that you have your audience, you should be able to talk to them directly.

Demand Their Attention

Don’t be afraid to call your customers out! There’s no need to beat around the bush and evade talking to a smaller group of people because you’re afraid it will single others out. People are much more likely to perk up and pay attention when they feel seen, heard, and understood.

For example, instead of saying “All-Inclusive Legal Services For Texans,” you should say, “Are You The Victim Of A Drunk Driving Accident And Need Legal Representation?”

The point is, you may be a law office that serves all types of clients. However, if your main focus is representing drunk driving victims or their families, you need to say so upfront. Don’t be concerned with leaving others out by zooming in on a specific demographic. 

Instead of spreading a net that’s too wide, you cast a net towards a smaller, but more quality audience.

Get To The Point

You don’t need to worry about using a ton of fluff copy or over-explaining yourself. Too much copy is off-putting and can confuse your customers. Stick to their pain points and how you can solve their problem. Speak their language and use every chance to write in a voice you think they would respond well to.

For example, your audience may have a wealth of experience and knowledge in the oil and gas industry. They know their profession at an extremely deep level of understanding and respond well to efficient copy. In this instance, try to use words and phrases that you know they’ll be familiar with, even if they’re technical. 

As another example, you might know your audience is largely made up of bakers who are in their 20’s. Again, it’s okay to use wording or practical phrases as they relate to the market your customers are in.

Place The Spotlight On Them

In everything you write, place the focus on your customers rather than on yourselves. There are certainly some aspects of your business that customers want to know about. 

However, this doesn’t mean you want them to forget that you’re there to help them. It’s helpful to use copy centered on the customer in your above-the-fold website copy. And use wording like “you” more often than “we”. 

RELATED: Read How to Make a BIG Impact on Your Conversion Rates By Including These 4 Requirements For Above The Fold Website Copy

Set Your Sights On A More Refined Focus With Writers Who Can-Do

Whether your business is 5 months old or 50 years strong, you need to identify your target market and understand who you’re speaking with. We understand because we’ve helped businesses in all stages of growth get where they need to be through comprehensive copywriting services that include identifying your target audience

Have a quick deadline? No problem. We’ll work with you to deliver high-performing copy in a timely manner. Worried about being shut out of input? Not with us! We believe open communication is key to a successful partnership

What are you waiting for? Get started with us today.

Focus Your Copy On Conversation & Conversion

Let’s Grab A Virtual Coffee With Us To Discover How To Boost Your Words
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build a business with a book

How To Build A Business With A Book

Content Marketing / By / July 22, 2022

When you’re questioning how to build a business with a book, first thing’s first. Try not to think of your book as another deliverable you need to rush through to reach the end product. 

Because it’s so much more than a deliverable. It’s a tool. And it’s a pretty powerful one, too.

I get it… You could spend a ton of time and money getting your book written, published, printed, and wonder if it’s all going to be worth it. But what you should know is that it absolutely will be worth it if you keep in mind that it’s one of the most impactful tools you’ll have on hand.

By writing a book for your field, you can use it in every single avenue of your business. From inspiring others and giving advice to increasing sales and enforcing client relationships, read on to find out more or watch this in depth video with author of 20+ books and founder of Plug & Play Publishing.

How To Build A Business With A Book

According to Weston Lyon, building a business (especially a service-based business) can start with a book. And there are several reasons and strategies how to get there.

Become & Be An Authority Figure

You have a wealth of knowledge and countless amounts of experiences in what you do. Writing a book can set you up as an authority figure within your industry. Clients want to hear about what they’re searching for from the experts who know best. They’re much more likely to trust whatever is said when it comes from you – a business owner and entrepreneur. 

The best part about writing a book and using it for your business is when it covers a topic you’re passionate about, the sky’s the limit. And your clients can sense that as well. You’ll keep them engaged, and they’re more likely to turn to you in the future when they’re searching for reliable and professional information. 

Check out Weston’s free Authors Confess guide to avoid any mistakes in becoming an authority.

Stand Out From The Competition

Let’s put it this way… If potential customers are faced with a company who performs similar services but sees you’ve published a book about it, who are they more likely to choose?

We know who we’d pick!

Chances are, there are a variety of other businesses just like yours. But how many of them have a helpful book, or even a simple guide, giving their audience the information they commonly have questions about?

Hear us out… Because you don’t need to be able to cover complex material or be the next Elon Musk to put a book together. Your credibility lies within your ability to run your business – knowing the ins and outs of what you do. 

For example, if you’re a fitness guru and want to bust some common myths you’re tired of hearing when it comes to health and wellness, write your own book about it! You’ll automatically shine among the rest of the competition.

Market, Market, Market

Picture it… You’ve finally published the book you’ve been dreaming about for so long. Now, what do you do with it? Make it part of your marketing strategy and see a return on your investment. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is not using your book as a part of your business model.

Take advantage of your hard work and build a business with a book by using it at:

  • Trade Shows
  • Speaking Opportunities
  • Other Marketing Or Networking Events

Don’t forget to use it throughout your social media by offering tidbits and tips to keep your audience hooked and wanting to learn more. Incorporating your book into marketing your services can help you generate leads and convert more people into higher-paying clients. 

Let your book sit around unappreciated, and you may find yourself feeling stuck. A book with quality substance should last you for years to come. Don’t be afraid to use it for that long! Get everything you can out of your efforts. 

Trust In Your Legacy

If you can connect with others who share a love for your work, believe that you’re contributing to something bigger and trust yourself. It takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there and create something that could live on for years to come.

Your book doesn’t have to stop at someone’s coffee table. Consider this: if your clients and readers take your word to heart, there’s always a chance they’ll tell someone else about you. This means your book can change hands when the time is right – inspiring others to read what you’ve written and continue the pattern.

Once you’ve done the hard work, it’s okay to be proud of it, too.

Gain Testimonials & Strengthen Client Relationships

Once you know people have read your book, get their feedback. If you were able to help someone out, then ask them to send you a testimonial. And use it on your website, social media, and wherever else your book shows up.

What’s really important here is that you truly listen to what they have to say about it. Taking in positive and constructive criticism can help strengthen your relationship with your clients and ensure they feel heard. It’s true. Not everything you hear will be easy to take in, but it can help you and your clients in the future to know what they think.

Retain Clients & Share Your Expertise

Already have a solid client base? Offer your book as an add-on to the services they already pay for and watch them be amazed. They’ll wonder how you have time for it all, which is great. Keep them wondering how you build a business with a book, and maybe they’ll go to you to see how it’s done. Allow them to take part in the conversation with your expertise leading the way. 

Having a book to showcase your years of involvement in your business can help clients see how: 

  • Dedicated you are to your craft, no matter what it is
  • Willing you are to share your knowledge with others
  • Motivated you are to keep your legacy moving
  • Committed you are to your clients by providing quality information they can use

An Interview With Book-Writing Genius Weston Lyon

build a business with a book
Weston Lyon
Founder of Plug & Play Publishing
Author of 20+ Books

Okay, you have a laundry list of benefits you can count on and the know-how to build a business with a book. Are you interested in learning more? I met (virtually) with the founder of Plug & Play Publishing to discuss how to build a business with a book in depth.

We know you can’t wait. Click here to watch Wondering Whether Writing A Book Is Your Next Step?, and download his free Authors Confess guide here.

Prioritizing Marketing Tasks

Prioritizing Your Laundry List of Marketing To-Dos

Marketing / By / June 1, 2021

As an entrepreneur, many things are pulling your attention – growing your team, serving your clients, keeping your books in order, and so on. 

But what about your marketing? 

You’re told to write a blog, send an email newsletter, create SEO content, post on social media, create video content, learn all the algorithms, paid advertising, speaking engagements, and the list doesn’t stop there.

But through the noise, do you feel like marketing experts think about you and your capacity (brainwidth) as a small business owner?

Here are some things you can do to start prioritizing marketing tasks.

Get Organized And Start Prioritizing Marketing Tasks

A great place to start is by making your dream list. Come on, let’s brainstorm together! 

Ask yourself, what is your all-the-bells-and-whistles checklist? You know, the whole laundry list of marketing ideas you’ve ever wanted to implement. If you’re stuck or need some suggestions, you can:

  • Review your website copy. Does it still fit you and your company’s vision? Find a copywriter who can spice it up.
  • Are you getting any traffic? Use a writer who knows SEO to help.
  • Do you have social media followers? Work on a social media strategy that can boost sales for your business.

Now look at your list and ask, what is your more sensible barebones checklist? 

This checklist is what you need to begin and get going on building your marketing strategy.

Whether you’re running the show or you have a team of helpful employees, there are some small things you can do to be productive and get organized. 

ClickUp is an online task management tool that you can use to plugin projects you need to get done, set deadlines, assign tasks to staff, and so much more. Because it’s such a user-friendly system, prioritizing your laundry list of marketing to-dos is that much easier.

A Breakdown Of Marketing Strategies

Let’s talk about several marketing strategies you may have seen over time. Let’s determine if it’s something that you want to focus on and use for your business.

Blogging

If you don’t have an SEO strategy or you don’t have a lot of website traffic, blogging could be a useful channel. With blogs, you can kick up your ranking through SEO best-practices. Doing so gives your prime audience helpful information and a sneak peek into your industry.

Lead Magnets

Your traffic rate is reasonable, but you don’t have a substantial email list of current and potential customers interested in your services. Lead magnets can get you into your customers’ minds to find out what their pain points are and what’s important to them in a solution.

Call-To-Action

It’s okay to put your customers on the spot. Ask them for their email or create other ways to encourage them to take an action on your page. Use phrases like:

  • Subscribe
  • Sign Up
  • Learn More
  • View Pricing
  • Order Now

Landing Page

A useful landing page is an engaging and easy-to-read snapshot of your business and its services. It helps to lead a viewer to click and take them to the next step. Whether the page leads them to a phone number, email address, or order form – you want your customer to take action here.

Cheat Sheet Or Guide

Post a simple cheat sheet or guide informing others of your business model or the way you produce a product. This is a quick way to get them to understand more of what you do. Again, you want them to take action and reach out to you.

Video Or Audio

Think of a video or audio bite as a more modern version of a cheat sheet. Not only can you show off a bit of your personality here, but you’re also giving your audience a way to interact. By doing so, they are more likely to make an action on your page and seek your services. 

Quiz 

There’s nothing like a fun quiz to get an audience engaged and interested in signing up for future emails (check out this fantastic example here). Quizzes are an interactive way to get your audience to question themselves and realize they may need your help. Whether you want to lead them to make a purchase or sign up for your emails to reveal their answers, you really can’t go wrong with a winning quiz.

Email Marketing

Some lively and informative email marketing can help you turn your traffic into leads and eventually into buyers. A good email marketing strategy keeps subscribers in-the-know and consistently aware of your brand.

Social Media

It’s okay to start small with social media. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself with the idea of posting on all outlets every day. It’s better to create a stable community of advocates and promoters for your business little by little.

Paid Advertising

Paid ads can kickstart awareness of your business. This can help grow your following, traffic, regular subscribers, etc. It pays to invest in yourself.  

What Are Your Marketing Priorities?

Keep in mind that you can do it without feeling like you need to do it all. 

For this upcoming quarter, make a list of 3 things you’re going to do well. It could even be cross-sections of a topic (i.e. send one newsletter a week instead of full email marketing campaigns). Then determine whether it genuinely looks doable to you.

If you know the direction you would like to go in, but you’re struggling with writer’s block, take a look at our blog 11 Tips on How To Overcome Your Writer’s Block.

Check Us Out & Check Off Your Marketing To-Do List

We’ve listed some insights into what you should really focus on between all of the agencies, consultants, and experts so you don’t skip the important stuff. Make reasonable requests for yourself. Can you put out one email a month? One blog a month? What about one social media post a week?

As a small business owner, it’s important to be true to yourself, your capabilities, and your budget.

Need some help with your prioritizing marketing tasks or creating content? Give us a shout, and we’ll get you where you want to be – operating in a timeframe that works for you.

When Was The Last Time You Updated Your Home Page?

Answer these 6 questions and spruce up your home page in 15 minutes (or less).

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Experiential Branding

Experiential Branding with Go Savvy: Building Brand Equity

Marketing / By / June 1, 2021

ALL businesses have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. For some, the impacts have been minor. But for others, there is major interruption of normal business practices driving the need for dramatic shifts in event plans and innovative financial strategizing. 

How Can Businesses Persist Through The Pandemic?

If you haven’t been impacted in a major way by the current state of affairs, you probably know someone else who has. 

My good friend and referral partner Savannah Becerril is the founder of Go Savvy – an experiential event planning company known for its savvy organization of creative and memorable events for businesses in the Houston area. As you can imagine, she orchestrated several swift shifts in event plans in the past couple weeks due to coronavirus. 

We’re all doing our part to flatten the curve. COVID-19 is a serious public health threat. It’s essential to respect federal, state, and local mandates by putting a pause on public gatherings (at least for the next 1-2 months). But for many, in-person events are the cornerstone of their businesses. 

So how can businesses host safe and successful events in the midst of social-distancing? 

Postponing is one option. Thankfully, Go Savvy works with a network of supportive vendors, sponsors, and speakers, so they were able to successfully postpone all the events that could be postponed. 

But what about the majority of businesses who don’t have the same level of support? Many have taken on financial losses and/or are experiencing setbacks in their company goals. 

This past week, Savannah and I put our heads together to talk about ways we could help companies persist through this pandemic. 

If your business or a business you know is looking to generate positivity and persistence, then there is no better time to start experiential branding. This creative marketing approach can help businesses make a positive post-pandemic comeback. 

What is Experiential Branding?

Experiential branding (a.k.a. engagement marketing) is a relatively new marketing term. Typically, when we think about company events, we imagine things like networking events or trade shows – events where sometimes the only thing enticing members to attend is the alcohol, evening networking mixers, or parties. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum is experiential branding – it provides meaningful brand-centered experiences for attendees. While it sounds like event marketing, the experience doesn’t always have to be at an event. There are ways to create experiences without gathering in-person!

Now is the perfect time to spark your creative energy and make an experiential branding plan. 

Capitalize on Your Down-Time

American business leaders constantly race to meet deadlines. Now that we’ve been forced to slow down, we are quickly becoming professional couch potatoes. Put down the remote. Take a break from Netflix and Disney+ to take advantage of that time instead. Don’t let the opportunity of time pass by!

Here’s how you can start capitalizing on your downtime to recover your business.

3 Steps to Recover From Coronavirus-Impacted Events

There is a light at the end of this coronavirus tunnel. In these uncertain times, you can still take certain measures to recover from COVID-19’s impact on your business. 

1. Piece Together Your Path Forward

First, determine whether your events should be postponed, canceled, or moved online. Here’s how to decide on the best path forward.

When To Cancel

Although Go Savvy prefers to postpone events, they understand it isn’t always a wise or cost-effective decision. 

Was your event seasonal-themed? 

If so, it might not make sense to postpone the event into a different season. A Spring Fashion Showcase wouldn’t have the same allure for attendees in August when they’re already anticipating Fall looks. It’s better to cut your losses. 

When To Postpone

When your event isn’t centered around a time-sensitive theme but gathering in-person is still essential, postponing is in everyone’s best interest. 

Speakers, sponsors, staff, vendors, and attendees who were excited for your event will be thankful they can still attend later. Your event could fare the same or even better a couple months down the road when public gatherings resume.

When To Go Virtual

If your event was going to happen in-person, but the theme of the event wasn’t tied to a specific time or place, going virtual is a very lucrative option. 

You’ll be able to bypass any uncertainties in rescheduling with venues and expand your audience to a larger geographic area – world wide if you choose! 

At any other point in history, being together while being apart would be an anomaly. But modern technology has made it possible. We have an array of free and fun online platforms at our disposal. Put them to use!

2. Communicate Event Changes Effectively

After you’ve decided on your event changes, you’ll need to create a plan to communicate them effectively. 

The way you communicate with your community will make all the difference in your recovery success. For tips on this, check out last month’s blog post on communicating through coronavirus. In order of importance, communicate with your planner, vendors, and then finally the attendees. 

Reach Out To Venue & Vendors

Review your venue and vendor contracts. Make sure there are options available during emergency and global situations like COVID-19. If not, take this as an opportunity to work with your venue and vendors to renegotiate terms that can work well for all parties.

Have A Sensitive & Strategic Refund Policy

If you cancel your event, make sure to offer a refund to all parties involved. Even if you decide on postponing, you should offer this option too. Offering a refund provides more transparency and trust for your brand – building brand equity. 

However, in the case of rescheduled events, the key is to offer a refund but not to streamline it. This will make it clear that you’re still excited and positive about hosting the future event while still being sensitive to attendees and vendors’ financial circumstances. Most people who truly support your event will bypass requesting a refund and wait for your event’s new date.

Keep Attendees In The Loop

In the case of canceled events, keep your community in the loop about what factored into your decision. They’ll be grateful that your business is committed to taking public safety seriously. Spin the situation as positively as possible by directing them to other events that you have on queue in the future.  

For rescheduled events, you’ll want to keep your current audience and grow it before the new date. Keep the excitement and anticipation alive! Social media and web presence are key here. That’s why now is a crucial time to invest in your business marketing.

Traffic & Conversion Summit postponed their annual summit for entrepreneurs and digital marketers to later in the year. BUT they also put together a virtual summit (which you can still access on their Facebook page) for everyone to view. They already had the content from years past; they just had to package it to build even more hype for the postponed event. 

Experiential Branding
Experiential Branding

3. Improve Event Experience

Seeing the good in this very grim situation isn’t easy. But here’s a silver lining: this situation presents an opportunity to improve your event experiences. 

Think back to when you first started planning your event. Was there something you initially expected to include that didn’t make the cut? Did you discover something exciting to add to the event, but it was too late? Well, now is your opportunity! 

And one of the most optimal ways to improve your business events during these uncertain times is through experiential branding.

Why Companies Need to Invest in Experiential Branding in 2020 and Beyond

Experiential branding will undoubtedly be a useful tool to help businesses persist through the pandemic and recover after the smoke has cleared. Here’s what it will empower you to do…

Grow Client Relationships Through Digital Interactions

What many businesses don’t know is that they can grow their client relationships without a physical gathering. 

You can do this through digital interactions – and not just virtual events. Think hashtags, brand-themed social media camera filters, or virtually-driven community challenges. These are all ways to create digital experiences around company products, services, and values that will get your clients involved.

A creative digital interaction that provides your clients with a meaningful experience will grow their affinity toward your brand and make them more likely to spread the word to others.

Encourage Emotional Engagement With Your Brand

What kind of emotion do you want people to associate with your brand? If you haven’t considered this question, you’re missing out on a vital way to engage with your audience. 

The right experiential branding experience can encourage your audience to feel happy, motivated, relieved, empowered, or inspired.

The more emotionally engaged your clients are, the more memorable your brand will be. If the emotional experience is impactful, you’re on your way to fostering brand loyalty. 

Gain Media Momentum 

Experiential branding can often take the form of public art installations or stunts –  either in the real world or online. If your business is looking for a way to generate buzz, this is a great way to get people talking!

The more creative your experiential branding event is, the more buzz you’ll generate. With the right experiential event planner, businesses can maximize this approach to keep anticipation high for rescheduled events or to introduce new products and services in the future.

Meet Savannah Becerril of Go Savvy

Meet Savannah Becerril, founder of Go Savvy. She is a dear friend of mine, a graduate of the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship (the same program I graduated from), a client, and a referral partner. We do a lot together, and there is no one I would rather trust with my event planning and experiential branding than her. Please check out her site at gosavvy.biz and follow her on social media. 

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