In spring and summer, or if you live in a climate that’s friendly for outdoor engagements, it could be good for your business to get involved in an outdoor event. Outdoor marketing events come in many forms, but have several advantages; they have the potential to introduce you to loads of new people, they attract the eyes of passersby and passing drivers, and they allow you and your staff members to enjoy the outdoors at the same time.

So what steps can your business take to make the most of this event?

Maximizing the Value of an Outdoor Marketing Event

No matter what the occasion is, you can improve the return on your investment (ROI) for the event with these key strategies:

1. Make your brand prominent

If prospective customers see your setup, but can’t remember your brand name, your marketing is practically useless. You’ll need to invest some time and money into making your brand as prominent and clear as possible. The most straightforward and effective approach here is to customize a tent to include your brand name and logo, and make sure it can be seen from great distances. You can also consider getting promotional items for every participant that visits your stand or signs up for your services. Try something that they would use everyday, is connected to your business and is branded with your logo. For example – a local gym or bicycle tour organizer, can offer promotional backpacks to everybody that signs up for a service that day.

2. Announce and promote the event in advance

Much of your success will depend on your ability to generate a strong turnout; the more potential customers you have to see and engage with your brand, the stronger your return will be. Accordingly, it’s in your best interest to announce the outdoor event (or your attendance of that event) as far in advance as possible. Then, spend some time on social media channels and with email newsletters, reminding people of the upcoming event and what they can expect from it.

3. Incentivize engagement

You’ll get more value from the event if people are actively engaging with your brand in one way or another. For some companies, that means inviting people to have conversations with your salespeople. For others, it means demoing your product. For still others, it means playing a game or entering a drawing. In any case, the more engagement you have, the better.

4. Get social

If the event is yours, create a hashtag for it. If it isn’t, find out how the event is being handled on social media. Either way, you’ll want to be active on those social media threads in the days and weeks leading up to the event, and throughout the event itself. It shows how committed you are to the event and your audience, and gives you a chance to have real conversations with your prospective customers. Post photos and videos of what’s going on, and reach out to people who are also attending.

5. Have a way to follow up

You’ll earn most of the value of the event after the event is over, so make sure you have a strategy to follow up with the people who visit your tent. Depending on your goals, that may mean collecting business cards and creating an email list, or having your salespeople call each person they spoke with at the event. A bar code is a great way to follow up after a marketing event. By putting a bar code on an interesting advertising item or on your tent, you can easily transfer your potential customers to a digital platform. This will give them the opportunity to learn more about your company and its products or services. Additionally, bar codes can be used to track the success of your marketing campaign. If you are taking part in a Christmas marketing event, Christmas inflatables are a great way to attract attention and promote your brand. By customizing the shape and design of your inflatable, you can create a unique marketing tool that will grab the attention of potential customers. By monitoring the number of scans, you can determine how effective your marketing materials were in attracting new customers.

Types of Outdoor Marketing Events

If you’re not sure how to get involved in a marketing event, or you’re looking for ideas for one to create, these are some of the most popular and effective types of outdoor marketing events:

1. Festivals, shows, and community gatherings

Outdoor festivals and similar community gatherings are perfect opportunities to show off your brand—just make sure you cater to the standards and tone of the event. Not every brand will belong at every fair or community walkabout.

2. Educational or workshop events

You could also create your own event, intended to educate others or give them the opportunity to try something new. For example, you could aim to help homeowners learn how to repair their own homes.

3. Sales and open houses

If you sell tangible products, you could also host an outdoor sale in front of your building. You’ll be highly likely to attract more foot traffic than you would normally, and you don’t have to worry about traveling somewhere new. Open houses or grand openings can work the same way.

Outdoor marketing events are especially powerful for businesses that thrive on foot traffic, and those with a penchant for the outdoors in the first place. Make sure you plan your strategy well in advance, including identifying your main goals before attending, and spend your budget on the items and strategies most likely to yield you a return.