Niche Marketing Plans

Marketing a Conference Business

There is little room for error in marketing a conference business in today's economy. Fortunately, we have the information you need to stay ahead of the curve and outperform the rest of the field.

It's clear that exceptional conference business leaders tend to possess solid marketing skills. Yet in this industry, the characteristics of able marketers aren't always obvious.

Ready for some marketing advice that will help you grow your business? High-performing conference businesses achieve market dominance through the careful execution of deliberate strategies. Your company is one-of-a-kind. But your marketing strategy will need to include a handful of features that are common to the industry's top performers.

Marketing Consultants

In a tight economy, there are many places to cut corners in your business - but marketing shouldn't be one of them. The amount you pay a marketing consultant is an investment in your company's revenue stream. The best consultants possess a range of skills, including the ability to accurately communicate your conference business' value proposition and messaging. More importantly, it will provide the expertise you need to identify the most productive marketing channels and raise your brand profile within the industry. As we continue to experience changes in the conference business arena, businesses are relying on consultants for creative tactics and techniques.

Discounts

Most consumers respond positively to discounts whether they are perceived or real; conference business shoppers treat value as an invitation to buy. Some entrepreneurs have used the discount concept to lure in unsuspecting customers without actually reducing the price of the product. But in the conference business sector, you won't get far with discounts unless you communicate clear value. Offsetting discounts with inflated pricing is a tired ploy that often does more harm than good. Instead, think about how you can use discounts to lure customers in during a slow period, to generate traction for new product offerings, and to break into new markets.

Marketing Collateral

There is nothing insignificant about marketing collateral. Even small pieces of marketing content, from business cards to product sheets, say something about your conference business. To squeeze the most impact from your collateral, it needs to be targeted toward its recipients. Delivered to the wrong person, a valuable piece of collateral will collect dust. For direct mail campaigns, premium mailing lists from established vendors can protect the value of your investment. If you're like most business owners, you invest substantial resources in the creation of quality collateral. If you don't invest similar resources in mailing lists and other distribution channels, your conference business's marketing collateral will be wasted.

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