Promotional Events for a Bail Bonds Business
- November 30, 2013
- by Courtney Gordner
- Business Tips
Editor's note: This article was written by an industry professional and guest contributor. The views and opinions in this article are of the author and do not reflect the views of AboutBail. If you are interested in becoming a guest contributor, send an email to [email protected].
When trying to promote your bail bonds business you should look at your agency as any other. Sure, your ultimate goal may be a lot different than a company selling something like air conditioning units, but the methods are generally the same. You still have to generate leads and keep sales to a decent level. You also need to garner interest in your agency through advertising and marketing.
You’re not Dog the Bounty Hunter, and you don’t have a nationally recognized TV series on the air. That means you will need to increase exposure through other means. One of the best ways to promote your business is to hold a special event. It encourages customers new and old to visit your establishment. Once people are in the door, you have their full attention and it can translate to an increase in loyal customers provided everything is on the up and up.
Why Should Any Business Host a Promotional Event?
Events not only offer a fresh way to market and promote your business — they actually get potential customers in the door. One huge benefit of such an event is that you can target both longtime and new clients at the same time.
How Do You Market for an Event?
Of course, it’s going to require marketing and promotion to get word out about the event. If no one has a clue it’s happening then there will be no attendees.
You can advertise an event the same way you would your business. First, figure out your ideal audience and who you’d like to attend. If you want to hold something for customer appreciation then you can hand out ads to all of your clients and pass on word when they visit your agency. If you want to bring in a new audience, then you can mail invitations or hand out flyers locally.
It would also be a great idea to write about the event on your business website, if you have one, and hopefully you do.
How Far in Advance Should You Plan an Event?
You need plenty of time to advertise the event and get everything prepared just the way you want it. The best amount of time to allow is 6-8 weeks. It gives you ample time to put together the activities, pass on word to potential attendees and even brainstorm additional ways to make use of it.
It’s important that you hold a very smooth and well-planned event because you don’t want to give potential clients the impression you’re unprepared or unorganized.
When Should You Hold an Event? Are Weekends and Holidays Okay?
As a bail bonds agency, the target audience can be pretty widespread so you need to plan appropriately. Obviously, you’re not going to pander to children directly, but for clients that have a family you definitely want to keep little ones in mind.
If it’s an all-day event start early in the day and schedule enough time between activities. Keep in mind, some people may not want to show up early for face painting and kiddie stuff but will still show up later for raffles or ticket-based contests.
Holidays are not a good time to hold an event, especially if you want to attract family-oriented clients. A lot of them will already have vacations or personal activities planned. So, do your best to stay away from any national holidays, even if it goes with your theme.
Weekends are great, including Sunday which is a day most people use to relax anyway. That being said, weekdays will work too, especially if you give an advance notice to everyone.
What Activities, Prizes and Special Offers Should Be Available at the Event?
This is really up to you, and can also depend on how much of a budget you have set aside for the event. You definitely want to have a few activities going, and you probably want to give away some prizes too. This will encourage people to attend. In addition, you can offer attendees exclusive deals and offers which provide an even greater incentive.
You have to remember, even though you’re organizing activities for those coming, they are doing you a favor by showing up. It’s a good idea to offer incentives for attending. The activities, prizes and special offers are a cheap yet fun way to do that. You can offer things like face painting, balloon animals, raffles and giveaways, or even craft and vendor stands. FYI it is common knowledge that clowns are creepy, keep them out of the equation.
Get More Local Brands and Businesses Involved
It’s a great idea to invite local businesses to the event. In fact, doing that may encourage more people to show up. People may not realize it’s important to know a good bail bonds agency, but if they come to the event for another participating business you now have an opportunity to educate them. Point being, you could attract new customers from a particular demographic you wouldn’t otherwise be able to.
About the Author:
Courtney Gordner is a journalist/blogger who has a passion for Internet marketing. Courtney love giving marketing advice to all companies, specifically bail agencies and personal injury lawyers like Katherman Briggs & Greenberg.
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