The when and where of your events
Dealers put a lot of effort into events. We’ve seen the gamut of cool ideas — from dog washes to Strider races to stunt shows and more. So it’s frustrating when people don’t show up to these carefully choreographed and somewhat costly occasions.
Though some dealers may scratch their heads searching for why their event was less successful than imagined — it’s on a holiday weekend, it rained, another event is going on, etc. — one source to go to may be the marketing materials.
In the many dealership e-newsletters I receive, there are often virtual fliers embedded, and one thing I sometimes notice is the lack of information about the event. Sure, it may scream that their will be music, a bikini bike wash, free food and giveaways, but where’s the important information, like the when and where?
Before you send out any type of flier, advertisement, Facebook post or e-newsletter about your event, make sure each has a time, date and place on it. With all that goes into these materials, unfortunately those key facts are all to often missing.
Always remember the time, date and place, and be specific. “All day” doesn’t mean much to someone who doesn’t know your regular hours, so use specific times. If you have a highlight activity, tell your customers when it is. If it’s at 1 p.m., they might not show up early if that’s what they’re coming for (unless you have more going on earlier, hint, hint), but you don’t want them arriving at 2 p.m., upset because they missed the main attraction.
Days and dates also help. “This Saturday” can be confusing to some, even if you think it’s not. And just a date might get lost if someone looks at their calendar wrong, so something like Saturday, July 27 is ideal.
Also, add some sort of location information other than your dealership’s name. If you’re looking to attract new customers, they may not know where your dealership is, and without an address, or a general location description (think “off Highway 5, Exit 100”), they may not find your place or be willing to look it up.
Make sure to give your customers notice as well. A lot of people’s schedules fill up quickly, especially in the summer. Make sure they know about your key events early, while also reminding them the week of, in case they haven’t nailed anything down for the coming weekend.
Once you think you have that all down, double check the flier or photo before sending it out. One missing piece of information could be the difference between people coming to your event and people skipping it.
Liz Keener is the managing editor of Powersports Business, a trade magazine for the powersports industry. She reports on the powersports industry through Powersports Business’ varied media, including in the magazine and online. She assembles the brand’s twice-a-week e-news and handles a variety of assignments for the magazine. Powersports Business is known for its exclusive national dealer surveys, in-depth industry analysis and dealership conference, Profit Xcelerator.
Contact: ekeener@powersportsbusiness.com
