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Exciting, Exhilarating, Profit-Earning Events By Tatiana Velitchkov © 2001-2002 Question: What do birthdays, Christmas, and Valentine's Day have in common? Answers: 1) They are considered "special days." 2) Because they're special, people look forward to them, prepare for them, & spend money for them. 3) And - because of all this spending & other special-day- related activity - they create HUGE profits for many businesses. Lesson: Although we can't turn each day into a holiday, we business owners CAN find ways to make certain days special. And how do we do that? We launch an EVENT! An exciting event, an exhilarating event; the kind that people will look forward to & talk about & have them clicking on your URL in droves. Something to talk about! The good news is: you don't always need a big budget to create a high-profit event. This is especially true if your business is online. And the even better news is: there are practically no limits to the variety of events you can come up with! As a general guideline, however, it might help you to know that most events fall under 7 categories: 1. The Sale People love a good bargain, and nothing gets them to spend so much as the idea that they're actually spending less. And on the part of the business owner, there are 2 other advantages to holding a sale: 1) there is no special equipment required, and 2) all you really need to do is change your prices. The only tricky part about holding a sale, however, is pricing your products at a level where: - people will think they're getting a huge bargain, - while still actually bringing you profits from each product. 2. The Contest Ever wonder why game shows like "Who Wants to Be A Millionaire?" are so popular, they're now syndicated worldwide? Apart from the prizes involved, people are also motivated by the excitement of the competition, AND the prestige of being recognized as "one of the best" at what they do. Kinds of contests that work well for websites include: - the test-your-trivia-knowledge quiz - the writing contest - the design / art contest - and the solve-that-mystery quiz 3. The Raffle This is the kind of promotional event that I myself use at www.Guaranteed-Hits.Com. Each week I hold a computerized raffle of all the names entered into my ezine subscriber base, and the winner gets 2,500 free hits to his/her website. Besides being a great way to give a little something back to my subscribers, offering my service as a prize also has 2 advantages: - I can deliver the prize directly to the winner instantly, since I don't need to wait on any 3rd party, and - raffle winners experience first-hand how my service works, so they can judge for themselves how effectively it can impact their website & bring profits for their business. 4. The Show Offline, a "show" can be anything from a concert, to a circus, to a stage play, to an exhibit, to a runway fashion event. Because of the interactive nature of the web, it's now extremely easy to bring all the sights & sounds of these real-world events to a virtual audience. With a simple web cam & a microphone, online shows can be everything that an offline show can be. (And if you add in a little interactive programming, it can even be MORE!) 5. The Seminar Seminars increase awareness about your industry, establish your credibility as an expert in your field, and are a great way to collect the contact information of your best prospects. Workshops & seminars can be conducted in several ways; most of these options can even be used together, to provide a more interactive experience for your participants: - teleconferencing - videoconferencing - email list exchanges - live chat - message board exchanges - streaming video - and streaming audio 6. The Give Away Technically, a give-away event is any event the offers something free to its participants. In the real world, this includes: - book signings - parking lot / gas station stick-ups (all cars get a free sticker) - free car washes - or free desserts. Online, give-away events become: - chat events with an expert / celebrity - free file downloads (graphics, ebooks, or software) - free sign-ups to a service - and free subscriptions. 7. Finally, The Fund-Raiser Events like these became widespread after the September 11 tragedy, and the Internet even gave organizations the advantage of quickly accepting cash donations online. There are 2 ways to hold fund raisers on the web: 1) You set up a special link where people can instantly donate to your cause, or 2) You pledge a certain percentage of all profits within a certain time period, and allot them as donations to the cause. Although fund raisers are popular as far as events go, the reason they work is that people have the basic desire to help other people in need. Abuse this desire, and you would have commited commercial suicide. On the other hand, if you organize a fund raiser that TRULY HELPS a worthwhile cause, 2 things happen: - it brings you the unique fulfillment of making a positive difference in this world, and - it lets your clients know that you sincerely put people first before profits, winning you their respect, admiration, and trust. 4 Characteristics of Highly Effective Events Coming up with an event idea is only half the battle. Making sure it becomes a HUGE SUCCESS is the other half that helps you win. And how do you make sure you've got a winning event in your hands? Ask yourself these 4 questions: 1) Is it worthwhile? Does it fulfill a need or serve an interest common to most of your clients? 2) Is it time-bounded? Are you making it "special" enough for clients to look forward to? 3) Is it carefully planned? Can you make sure your event participants will enjoy themselves, and not get stuck in messy technical problems? 4) Is it widely promoted? How many people actually know that you're holding the event of the century right at your website? Do they know how to get there, what time to log on, and what to expect? True, events can take a lot of planning and hard work. But if you can pull them off, events can also be one of the best things you can do for your business - and your bottom line. © Tatiana Velitchkov About the Author: Tatiana is the publisher of: http://www.TheFortunesEzine.com , the FortunesEzineWeekly at http://www.TakeYourFortune.com, and owner of the traffic-solution slam advertising sites http://www.Guaranteed-Hits.com and http://www.Guaranteed-Hits.net |