Whether you’re planning an event for a small crowd or you’re gearing up to create the party of the century, the guest experience must be considered at every step along the way.
It may seem obvious, but it’s easy to get wrapped up in your own message, goals and branding when you start to plan an event. Event success isn’t only measured in attendance, but in overall engagement.
Recently I attended an educational event hosted in the lovely San Antonio, Texas area, and I was surprised by some of the event’s little quirks. Organizers gave away selfie sticks for a social media contest, they set aside time for networking and socializing in the evenings (hooray for a free happy hour!) and they even brought in a mariachi band.
That got me thinking: What would engage me? Taking your event—especially if you’re catering specifically to the media—to the next level isn’t an easy task, but here are a few ideas you could use to add a bit of spice to your next function.
1. Let the best person win.
What better way to bring a little fun to your event than catering to your guests’ competitive side?
Some potential ideas you could implement are:
Photo contest. Either a best selfie or best photo of the event wins.
Scavenger hunt
Trivia hour
Twitter contest. Ask a question via Twitter that rewards the most creative answers and let the wacky answers roll in. Then organizers judge answers to decide the winner.
These selfies of the author and managing editor Diane Sofranec didn’t win the event contest, but they certainly could have.
2. Create a hashtag.
Creating a contained public forum for your event will give your attendees the opportunity to voice their opinions (which offers you feedback for future events), and expand the reach of your event and company on social media. It really is a win-win.
3. Develop an online presence specifically for your event.
Piggybacking off the previous idea, it would be worthwhile to create a group on Facebook, LinkedIn or Google+ as a place to build up the event. This will be a place where attendees can start their own discussions about the event, and you can post previous footage, pictures or teasers to generate some excitement.
4. Bring your content A-game.
As I mentioned before, it’s easy to get caught up in your own messaging and forget to ask what your guests would like to be learning or doing.
Consider these suggestions for making the guest feel appreciated:
Don’t wait until post-event surveys to learn what your attendees’ expectations are. Add in a few questions during registration and try to plan a few last-minute activities and sessions around that.
Send relevant, personalized emails about what attendees may like to get out of your event based on their responses.
5. Network.
Don’t take this for granted. If you’re hosting an event, you’re also attending. Particularly with media events, this face-time is essential to a positive experience for your guests. Mingling, socializing, networking, whatever you want to call it is a necessary part of any event. By facilitating those relationships you will improve the overall experience and provide a time for guests to unwind and relax while also getting to know you and other attendees.
Kelly Limpert joined North Coast Media in 2015 and has covered events for Pest Management Professional.
The call to action (or “CTA”) might be the most important element of any marketing communication piece – and it doesn’t always get the attention and consideration it deserves.
Here are some tips to make sure your marketing pieces are getting the most out of their calls to action:
Determine what you’re really asking for.
This might sound simple, but there can often be a lot more to it than just asking your audience to buy, buy, buy.
The unique sales cycle of your product or service (along with the position of your audience within that sales cycle) is key in this regard. Lower costs and shorter sales cycles can be more direct in their calls to action – whereas big-ticket items with drawn-out sales cycles can’t.
In other words, if you’re trying to sell a $10,000 piece of equipment, it’s a pretty safe to say that it won’t happen with a “Buy Now!” button on an email. Your ultimate goal is still (obviously) to get them to buy – But the real question you need to ask yourself is what’s the goal of this communication if its not directly asking for the purchase?
Do you want them to visit your website for more info? Do you need them to get in touch with a sales rep? Is the marketing more about brand/authority building?
It can actually be counterproductive to hit your audience with extensive content and a drawn-out pitch up front (losing their interest in the process) when your real goal might be getting them to a landing page to capture their contact info, etc.
Benefits, not features.
It’s marketing 101 – “Sell the sizzle, not the steak!” – but try to work it into your call to action if possible. This might mean something as simple as turning a “Buy now” button into “Get results.” Anything that can make the message more about your audience’s benefits and less about your company/product/service’s features is helpful.
Make the call.
Once you’ve determined what you want your audience to do how to ask for it, don’t over-think it: Ask them in clear, concise language: Learn more. Improve (X). Act now! Download whitepaper. Call us. Get started. 1-Click registration. 30-Day free trial.
In print, make your call-to-action high-contrast, or use one of your secondary colors to make it pop. The same applies to web and email marketing – but especially so on buttons. Modern digital audiences are trained to recognize and respond to buttons directly adjacent to the primary content.
Call again.
There’s a line that you don’t want to cross and become too overt, but having multiple, varied calls-to-action is always good. In an email, for example, this could mean combining button ads, text links and linked images. Some of your audience might respond better to link in a well-written line of text, while others are drawn to the brightly-colored button.
As the company’s marketing manager, Scott Gebler is responsible for advancing all of North Coast Media’s brands and their related products to both advertisers and end audiences. He has more than 10 years of experience in Cleveland-area corporate marketing departments and advertising agencies and is a 2004 graduate of Ohio University.
I just returned from a business conference held in a lovely hotel located in a neighborhood that wasn’t safe. How did I know the moment I arrived I would have to be careful? To access the front doors and the ground floor elevators, I needed to insert my room key; whenever I ventured outside, the hotel staff advised me to “stay safe” and the cops on bikes took their nightly breaks in the hotel lobby.
When your job takes you out of town, there are ways to stay safe when you reach your destination in an unfamiliar city.
When you’re at your hotel:
Arrange your travel plans so you arrive at your hotel during daylight hours, if possible. If you’re driving, use the hotel’s valet parking service for your vehicle to avoid parking in an unfamiliar area.
Leave your travel information — the name of the hotel and your estimated arrival and departure times — with someone back home.
Avoid revealing your room number; you don’t know who could be listening. If the front desk staff says your room number out loud, request a different room and ask them to write down the number instead.
Seek advice from the hotel staff before you venture out. Ask hotel staff about the safety of the neighborhood you’re in or plan to visit and which areas you should avoid. If you plan to take a cab, ask how long the ride should take and what it should cost. Enter and exit though the main doors of the hotel.
Before leaving your room, turn on a light. If, when you return, you see something amiss, leave your room immediately and head to the front desk to ask for a security check.
As you leave your room, make sure your door closes and locks behind you.
When you’re in your hotel room, lock your door using the deadbolt or chain. If your room is on the ground level, check the locks on sliding doors and windows to ensure they are secure.
Be aware of your surroundings on your hotel room floor. Take note of where the emergency exits are located.
If you’re in the elevator with someone who makes you feel uncomfortable, don’t get off on your floor. Exit on the next floor possible and take another elevator to your room.
Even if you’re expecting room service, a delivery from the front desk or housekeeping, never open your hotel room door before checking to see who’s there. Look through the peephole or keep the chain locked before opening the door.
Treat your room key like your house key. Sure, it may be made of plastic and the hotel will give you another if you lose it, but keep it in a secure place, and don’t leave it where others will see it (like on your table while dining in a restaurant). If you lose it, ask hotel staff to issue you another with a different access code.
Meet business associates in the lobby, never in your room. Same goes for delivery people when ordering in food.
Avoid wearing valuable jewelry. If you must, be sure to have it on when you leave the room. Otherwise, store it in the safe at the front desk.
Whichever town your business takes you to, always be aware of your surroundings and what’s going on around you. Have a safe trip!
Cleveland Indians pitchers and catchers officially reported to Goodyear Ariz., yesterday to start Spring Training, and the club’s home opener is now less than 50 days away.
A number of baseball experts and projection systems are high on the 2016 Indians. The PECOTA projection system at Baseball Prospectus, for example, is forecasting the Tribe to win an American League-high 92 games this year – enough to win the AL Central and put Cleveland in the playoffs for the first time since 2013.
So, are the pundits right about the 2016 Tribe? Or, are the predictions as lofty as Sports Illustrated’s 2015 pick that had the Indians winning the World Series for the first time since 1948?
Let’s go around the diamond to see what this year’s Indians are made of and if they’re capable of putting together an October run.
Catcher
A healthy Yan Gomes, who suffered an early-season injury a year ago, is pivotal to a successful 2016 season. In 2014, Gomes earned a Silver Slugger as the American League’s top-hitting catcher. But the 2014 version of Gomes was rarely seen last season. After returning from injury, Gomes appeared to press significantly to be the player at the plate he was the year before. Gomes recapturing his 2014 form is one domino that must fall in place this season if the Indians plan to contend. Behind Gomes, Roberto Perez offers pop off the bench and is a viable backup whom other clubs reportedly coveted in trades over the winter.
First base
The Indians haven’t had a 40-home run threat at first since Travis Hafner was healthy and physically able to man the corner. The Indians won’t have 40-home run power at the position again this season, but they made a slight upgrade defensively with the addition of free agent Mike Napoli. Napoli is expected to handle the bulk of the first base duties, pushing Carlos Santana, last year’s first baseman, into the designated hitter’s role. Don’t expect 40 homers or even 30 from Napoli, but 20 is a possibility if he remains healthy.
Second base
Jason Kipnis returns at second base, giving the Indians once again one of the best players in baseball at the position. No worries here assuming Kipnis stays healthy and doesn’t encounter some of the nagging injuries that have plagued him throughout his career.
Shortstop
Francisco Lindor, who got the call to the bigs last season, starts his first full season with the club. Lindor was a huge spark for the Tribe in 2015, providing electrifying defense up the middle and giving the Indians a legitimate player to slot into the No. 2 hole. This kid is the future of the franchise, and building on his stellar rookie campaign is central to contention in 2016.
Third base
Giovanny Urshela, like Lindor, is entering his first full big-league season. Urshela offered a defensive upgrade over the inconsistent Lonnie Chisenhall in 2015, but he didn’t necessarily deliver the offensive production that’s expected from players who handle the hot corner. At the moment, the Indians appear to be intent on giving Urshela the full-time job, but veteran third basemen like David Freese and Juan Uribe remain on the market. The Indians could sign such a veteran to a one-year deal if they aren’t confident Urshela is ready to handle the full-time job.
Outfield
This is where my biggest reservations about the Indians lie. They have arguably the best left fielder in the game in Michael Brantley. But Brantley may not be ready for Opening Day because he’s recovering from off-season shoulder surgery. He’s trying to make himself ready for the start of the season, but rushing back could hamper his performance throughout the year. (See Gomes’ rushed return last year, which had lasting negative effects, as an example of an injury that derailed the Indians.) On the flip side, if Brantley misses significant time in April, the Indians could find themselves five or more games out of first place come May. The Tribe has, after all, played poorly in April for a number of years. Beyond Brantley, the outfield looks pretty bleak. Rajai Davis was another off-season signee, and he’ll take up left field at the outset if Brantley isn’t healthy. Still, don’t expect Davis to be an everyday player. He’s a platoon guy much like the rest of the outfield, which will consist of guys like Abraham Almonte, Joey Butler, Chisenhall and Collin Cowgill. Good luck finding an All-Star in that group.
Designated hitter
As mentioned previously, Santana will shift largely to this role in 2016 while filling in as needed at first. Santana is no All-Star but he’s a model of consistency, delivering at least 18 home runs, 74 RBIs and 100 walks over the last five seasons.
Starting pitching
This group, which carried the team in 2015, will be counted on to do the same this year. Competitors coveted the Tribe’s pitching in the off-season, but the organization stood pat and carries over one of the game’s best staffs. Corey Kluber is a bona fide ace, and Carlos Carrasco is a budding ace. Danny Salazar is capable of delivering 200 strikeouts in the No. 3 slot, and Trevor Bauer is a more-than-capable No. 4 starter. Josh Tomlin will likely secure the fifth spot. Based on the stuff Tomlin flashed at the end of last season upon a return from injury, he could be the most pleasant surprise on the 2016 Indians. If not, Cody Anderson, T.J. House and others will serve as fantastic fill-ins at the back end of the rotation.
Bullpen
The Indians bullpen has been a tough group to project in recent seasons. They’ve been a team strength in seasons when little was expected from them, and they’ve been a mess when pundits expected them to be a strength. There’s a lot to like about this year’s bullpen, starting with Cody Allen at the back end. Bryan Shaw returns as another reliable right-handed arm, and the recent signing of Tommy Hunter is a welcome addition. The Indians have enough solid arms in the bullpen to bridge the gap from the starters to Allen. Still, Indians bullpens are unpredictable.
My projection
So what’s the verdict on this team? Are these Indians capable of winning 90-plus games and competing for the AL Central, or is another .500 season in the works? My prediction: 83-79.
I love the pitching and firmly believe Kluber, Carrasco, Salazar and the others will keep the club in games. Still, how many 1-0 and 2-1 games can the Indians win to ultimately contend? This team will again struggle to score, particularly in the season’s first weeks if Brantley isn’t fully healthy. The early hole will force the Indians to play catch-up all season long, and in a division that includes the World Series champion Kansas City Royals and a reloaded Detroit Tigers, the Indians will finish third.
Kevin Yanik joined North Coast Media in 2012 and has worked in B2B media for more than seven years in various editorial positions. Kevin is a Cleveland native (although you might not guess it from this projection) and a 2006 graduate of John Carroll University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in communications.
Launching a Facebook page is easy. Finding great information to post takes some effort.
But if Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is correct when he said consumers in the United States spend an average of 40 minutes on Facebook each day, it’s well worth your time to create compelling content.
You want your customers and your potential customers to check out your Facebook page on a regular basis. Posting new content regularly will keep them coming back.
Consider sharing information your customers will find helpful or humorous, and remember to be yourself when you write your posts. Here are a few ideas on how to fill your Facebook page with interesting and engaging content.
Post content that showcases your company. Consider showing the evolution of your company logo through the years, taking a picture of your staff in action, or showing off your fleet of vehicles. Remember, anyone who shares a post with your company’s name or logo is helping you publicize your services.
Snap a selfie with your satisfied customer when you’re still on the jobsite, and post it on your Facebook page right away. This is a great way to spread the word that your customers love what you do for them. Ask nicely and chances are your customer not only will be happy to help but will share the post with their friends and family.
Post discounts and promotions that will retain current customers and attract new ones. Be sure to include a call to action (call us today at 800-555-1234) to make it easy for them to take advantage of your offer.
Celebrate the charitable work you and your employees do for your community. Take photos or video, and post them with a link to the organization you’re helping. It’s a great way to show you care and it spreads the word about charities that need a hand.
Share links to articles you think customers and potential customers would find of interest. If you own a pest management firm, for instance, perhaps the local news station reported on an outbreak of bed bugs or maybe a video of a pizza-loving rat has gone viral. Add stories like these to your Facebook page to boost likes and shares.
Include pictures and video with your text. You’re competing with hundreds of other posts, so you want to grab your customer’s attention. Use your smartphone to snap a photo or shoot video; the quality usually is fine for Facebook.
Encourage engagement by asking customers to post a photo. Request a snapshot of a squirrel or hornets nest, if you own a pest management firm for example. Or if the weather is bad, post your own photo and the ask them to show you what the weather is like where they live.
Show your Facebook followers what your company is up to. After all, the majority of people who post on Facebook write about themselves, so why should your company be different? Did you recently relocate or hire someone new? Are you just about to start your busy season? Are you restocking your truck or storage shelves? Snap a photo and share the news.
Every time you create a post on Facebook, you’re helping your business. Write posts with your loyal customers or potential customers in mind and you should begin to attract new followers.
North Coast Media’s resident commercial-loving marketing gurus, digital operations manager Bethany Chambers and marketing manager Scott Gebler, weigh in on the best and worst of the commercials from Sunday night’s Super Bowl 50. Share your thoughts with us on Facebook or Twitter.
Best Commercials
NFL “Super Bowl Babies”
BC: Usually a house ad isn’t going to be all that memorable or good (look no further than the commercials for CBS shows that were the definition of a flop). But this year, the NFL put all other self-promotion to shame with an awkward-yet-adorable choir of babies born to the fans of Super Bowl winning teams. Yes, it did feature children singing about how they were conceived. But it also brought back the nostalgia of teams across four decades and from several different cities. To make matters more interesting: They were singing Seal’s “Kiss from a Rose” … with Seal himself. Fandom is very much a family affair, so, hey, they should be proud to say they were Mom & Dad’s lil’ Lombardi Trophy.
SG: Definitely agree with you on these — if you’re going to shamelessly promote yourself during the most self-aggrandizing sporting event on earth, you better do it well. I liked these individually, they were even better collectively… and who doesn’t love “Kiss from a Rose?”
Skittles “The Portrait” with Steven Tyler
SG: Like Skittles’ other slate of commercials, this one makes absolutely no sense… and that’s why it’s great. A ridiculous “portrait” of Steven Tyler made out of Skittles, squealing out “Dream On” until it shatters, shrieks and falls all over the ground. Perfect. When you’re selling little bags of candy, there’s not a whole lot to say.
BC: Completely agree. I expect Skittles commercials to be a little creepy. In fact, I’d find it off-putting and out-of-sync with their other messaging if it wasn’t bizarre. It’s also great when a celeb like Tyler can caricaturize himself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21ivbtgqJkg
Apartments.com “Moving Day”
BC: Jeff Goldblum singing The Jeffersons theme “Movin’ on Up” as his piano literally floats above the ground would have been pretty good on its own, but then came the pun of all puns: He sees George and Weezy…only it’s George Washington and Li’l Wayne grilling out on the fabulous deck of a high-rise apartment. This is a commercial where details matter: In the background of the scene, the commercial itself is playing on the TV (1:26 mark in the video below).
SG: Personally, I could take or leave this one. But on a side note, there was a staggering amount of Jeff Goldblum in these commercials.
https://youtu.be/L6OmHbZ2vHs
Jeep “Portraits”
SG: Let me start off by saying that I’m totally biased on this one: My first car was a Jeep CJ7 that I rebuilt with my dad and brothers — and on the morning of the Super Bowl itself, we drove an hour-and-a-half to pick up a Jeep engine for a rebuild we’re just getting started on. So in other words, the appeal to Pathos really got me here, especially the “We don’t make Jeep. You do.” on-screen text at the end. (Bethany, Jeff Goldblum was in this one too… plus the Independence Day trailer.) Jeep also did well on the second commercial with the cool “4×4” song.
BC: And I here I thought you were a Honda man. The main problem with this was the timing; with it being right after half-time, I was still pumped from Beyonce (Dancing in six-inch heels on grass? She put in a better performance than Peyton.) and just wasn’t ready for something this saccharine. Also, I’m Team Subaru.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKn5K5V7tRo
Bud Light “The Bud Light Party”
BC: The party theme is getting a little outdated to be sure, but bringing on powerhouse comedians Seth Rogan and Amy Schumer and letting them use raunchy puns (“We got the biggest caucus in the country!”) and their unique ability to charm while being ironically stupid (“America has seen the light, and there’s a Bud in front of it”), and you have a recipe for success. Furthermore, the ad was only improved by the tweet of the night coming from Pabst Blue Ribbon.
SG: Rogan and Schumer were OK for Bud Light, but Paul Rudd stole the show for me.
https://youtu.be/JohgwbpQuy8
Worst Commercials
Quicken Loans “Rocket Mortgage”
BC: Hey Scott, did you know you could get a mortgage while at a magic show? Or while grabbing a snack in the fridge? No? You’re better off for it. The concept of advertisers trying to bait millennial audiences (which I think we count as, despite being on the early ’80s end of it!) with quick-and-easy fixes like fast mortgages is so early 2000s.
SG: Not only was the commercial forgettable in-and-of itself — the whole “Rocket Mortgage” concept seems ridiculous. So you’re asking me to sign up for (potentially) hundreds of thousands of dollars over 10, 20, 30 years — and your big selling point is that I can do it quickly and easily by smartphone?
BC: After the subprime crisis and America’s shift to a rental economy, it’s no surprise so many lending firms are targeting young people. But millennials have proven we dislike being lumped into a single stereotype…almost as much as we dislike traditional TV.
Doritos “Ultrasound”
BC: It’s true, I love lowbrow, gross-out humor, but this was even a little too much for me. Of course, judging by the consumer sentiment and Twitter volume, it seems I’m in the minority listing this as one of the worst commercials.
SG: My thoughts exactly. I immediately thought of a certain Tom Green movie when I saw this one. Not a good look.
https://youtu.be/ZNK1_Yop6oo
Doritos “Dogs”
SG: The ’90s called — they want the commercial back. While, for the most part, I miss the olden days when animal commercials ruled the Super Bowl, (Clydesdales, frogs, lizards, chimpanzees, etc.) this one was horrible. I realize Doritos has a competition in which someone wins $1 million for their commercial concept, but how this was the big winner is beyond me.
BC: Wow, we’re really hitting Doritos hard, aren’t we? I think you pointed out why. Doritos must leave quite a few ad agencies miffed by crowd-sourcing Super Bowl commercials. While I love dogs doing human things, this one just fell flat for me. Subaru’s dog driving the puppy was more heartfelt. Here’s a better idea: have people submit pics of their pets eating Doritos. Like my cat Jimmy, the world’s biggest Doritos fan.
OIC “Constipation”
SG: Were Super Bowl viewers really treated to a commercial about opioid-induced constipation? Yes. Yes, we were. Why? Not a clue. Is “OIC” really that much of an epidemic that someone needed to shell out $5 million for a 30-second audience with 111 million people? Apparently. (The same can all be said for the Jublia toenail fungus commercial.)
BC: Personally, I felt like I learned a lot about health problems that I’ll need to ask my doctor about as soon as possible. Maybe next Super Bowl we’ll be treated to a commercial for an expensive medication for my hypochondria.
Mountain Dew Kickstart’s “PuppyMonkeyBaby”
BC: To paraphrase a quote from Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park: “Your [ad agency was] so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.” And, yes, Scott, I’m bringing it all back around to Jeff Goldblum to close out.
SG: Great take! When all I can remember is the PuppyMonkeyBaby itself — and not the product that it was “promoting” — you’ve got a problem.
