One of the best things you can do for your dealership is to create an environment of excitement around your products and services. A great way to do that is by having an RV sale event on your lot, but how do you attract customers to the event?
To create a successful event with plenty of customers in attendance there are certain things that must be done before, during, and after to create and keep the excitement and interest high. In this article we are going to cover Part 1 of that process, which is what to do before the event even happens.
Before The Event:
Facebook Promos – Plan and simple. Tell everyone on your Facebook page (and all other social media platforms for that matter) about your event. Don’t forget to add the important ‘who, what, where, when, how’ information so they can get that date on their calendars.
Make sure that you have these promos running fairly regularly throughout the weeks before the event at different times of the day to reach the most people via their news feeds. As it gets closer to the event date make sure those promos run more frequently and are constantly building the excitement about the celebration.
You should also create a special Facebook cover announcing the date and time of the event so everyone that lands on your page sees it immediately regardless of whether or not they’ve seen your promo.
Create An Event On Facebook – Facebook has this great feature that will allow you to create an event on their platform. This feature lets people who see it view the event and then click whether they are ‘going’, ‘not going’, or ‘interested’.
One of the great things about this feature is that once a person clicks any answer to the event it will remind them about the event as it gets closer. It will also show their friends that they are interested in the event whether their friends are followers of your page or not. This creates the possibility to reach people you might not normally reach.
Website Banners – Just like the special Facebook cover you created, you should also create a special banner for your website. This will bring your event to the attention of anyone that lands on your website. Let’s face it, if someone is on your website they are probably already interested in what you have and the awareness of the upcoming event might just be what they need to come see your dealership.
Dealership Banners – Same as the Facebook and website banners. Have a banner hanging in your dealership announcing the date and time of the upcoming event. You could also have flyers with entry forms into the giveaways or a discount for anyone who attends.
Special Incentives – It is a great idea to offer special incentives such as an additional discount or free item for anyone who comes to the event. Sometimes giveaways and discounts are just the thing to create a tipping point for someone to commit to coming to your event. Make the special incentives things people will really be interested in and you will see the attendance of your event skyrocket.
These items can sometimes be donations from local businesses who would like their name advertised at your event. Just make sure the businesses you are soliciting donations from are not direct competition for your dealership.
Free Food – Nothing attracts a crowd faster than free food. Make sure to have foods from several different businesses around town. Many times you can get the businesses to donate the food in exchange publicity or a booth at your event. This is a step that you should start the ball rolling on at least a month before the event to give the businesses a chance to prepare.
Email Blast – If you have an email list of past, current, and interested individuals then it is absolutely essential to sent out an email blast to everyone announcing the big event. Don’t forget to mention all the great things that will be there for them to enjoy like the free food, contests, music, and more. It is also great to include the special incentives and discounts in this email too.
Contests – As mentioned in some of the previous ideas above, having a contest where people win some great prizes is a great way to get people into your event. Make sure that you state that winners must turn in their entry on the day of the event in person to win so that you get the maximum amount of people coming into the dealership. They don’t necessarily have to be there when the announcement is made but they have to have attended the event at some point. Also, make sure that the entry form collects, at a minimum, their name, email address, and phone number so that you can get some leads from it as well.
Local Radio Coverage – Getting a local radio station to cover your dealership’s event as well as provide music is always a great idea. The music and announcements throughout the event really make for an exciting and festive atmosphere. Plus, let’s face it, any time anyone sees a radio or TV station somewhere they want to know what is going on. That’s great for getting ‘walk ins’ who want to know what’s happening.
The DJ should not only be feeding live to the radio station but they should be also be providing music, announcements about the happenings going on, inviting listeners to come to the event, and announcing prize winners.
Ask Other Businesses To Join You – Having other local non-competing businesses provide their services for the event too can provide more excitement and keep people on your lot longer. Businesses like massage therapists, chiropractors, local gyms, and more can provide free massages, chiropractic screenings, fun exercises and games to interest the crowd with. Make sure the event is a win-win for all the businesses involved. Again, this is something that you should arrange at least a month before the event so that everyone has a chance to optimize their offerings and create a great time for all.
This article is the first in a three-part series! Be sure to visit us often to catch the rest of our How To Get Customers To Your RV Sales Event series.
