Event Marketing can feel like a fool's game. There are so many dynamics that have to be considered when planning an event; it makes you wonder if it's all worth it!

 

This article is for the bookstore that is already seasoned at doing events and will find some good reminders, or for those stores that are looking to start events.

 

At BookTowne, event planning has three objectives:

• List Building
• Sales
• Relationship Building

For this article we are going to talk about List Building.

 

At BookTowne I'm emphatic about the responsibility of building our list. Some events are better than others, for this effort. The staff at BookTowne will vouch for my persistence.

 

This is how I see it. Your LIST is an ASSET of your BUSINESS. It is a tool to continually keep in touch with your customers.  You want to have a consistent way for your customers to become familiar with your style, offerings and eventually become an advocate of your business.

 

List Building helps you:

 

To keep in touch with your customers, even if you are a seasonal bookstore.

To have a selling point with Publishers that your store has an established marketing system.

Save on Ad Dollars. You don't have to rely solely on Print Ads to promote your business.

 

The easiest and most immediate reason most bookstores build a list is for their newsletter. Most stores email a newsletter regularly. If you are not emailing a newsletter there are a few email marketing systems that are affordable.

 

You can also be collecting names and addresses for special direct mailings.

 

As your list grows, you want to improve your messaging by targeting your emails to a specific lists. Segmenting your list into sub-groups is very helpful to increasing the response rate or your readers. Some sub-groups could be... CHILDREN'S STORY TIME, TEACHERS, YOUNG ADULT, POETRY NIGHT.

 

Whether a customer has made a purchase or not, we still want them to sign up for our mailing list.

 

As the Event Planner at BookTowne, I make sure we always have a Newsletter Sign up Sheet at each event. I'm physically passing the sign-up sheet around OR I'm escorting our new guests to the sign-up sheet. Even if you aren't sending out a newsletter yet...(which begs the question, WHY NOT?) you want to be collecting at least First and Last Names with their Email.

 

For the month of April, don't be foolish. Build your list with every opportunity. Start today! If you have any Event Marketing Questions, please email them to me directly at events@BookTowne.com. I'd be happy to address them in next month's article.

 

About Maribeth Pelly:

Maribeth is a Marketing Strategist for small business owners specializing in Marketing Systems that are effective, measurable and profitable. Since 2010, Maribeth has been contracted as the Event Planner for BookTowne, an independent bookstore, located at the Jersey Shore. She is passionate about helping booksellers to think like marketers. If you are ever in the area, be sure to visit us, we'd love to meet you! You can see what we have been up to at BookTowne by visiting our website at booktowne.com.