As a new, or even existing venue, having a strong online presence is more than just a good idea. Venues that don’t have a decent online presence are discounting a huge opportunity to market and spread awareness of their venue. It’s important to have a solid social media presence and to make the most of subscription-free third-party services such as VenueNow.
Learn how to improve your venue’s online presence, create awareness, and get more bookings!
Images
Humans are visual beings. When selling your space to event planners, the first thing they look for are the pictures. Having high-quality, beautiful imagery on your page is a crucial part of a strong online presence. Attractive imagery attracts enquiries. It’s as simple as that.
Think a couple of snaps on your mobile with a filter applied will suffice? Think again. You may get away with that for mobile browsing, with the resolution being smaller on a phone screen. But event planners typically prefer using a computer. So that picture of your function room with the Mayfair filter applied now looks stretched and grainy. Pass.
You want high-quality, HD, slightly adjusted photographs of your space, interiors and exteriors. Focus on the space, and varying set-ups (cocktail-style, banquet etc). Unless you’re renowned for your menu or cuisine, keep the food and drink pictures to a minimum. If the selling point of your venue is the unique space and ambience, no one is going to be swayed by photos of your mini quiche platter.
Opt for a professional photographer if you have the money to invest – and that’s how you should think of it, as an investment in your business. You can use the images on your VenueNow listing, on Facebook, Instagram, function PDFs.
If you’re on a slightly tighter budget, you could use an affordable agency such as Snappr to source your photographer. Or, even go online and search for a student photographer with a nice-looking portfolio.
For those on a budget that’s tighter than two coats of paint, enlist the help of a very good friend with a DSLR camera to take some photos for you.
The cover image, or banner, is at the top of your VenueNow listing, and Facebook page. So, make sure you have a couple of wide shots. If you try to use a regular 600x400 pixel image in the banner, it’s going to stretch and look ugly – not a great first impression.
Add at least four regular-sized, ideally landscape, images of each space to your venue listing and social channels. Show the versatility of your space: different setups, lighting options and how it looks mid-event.
Information
Consumers want to make informed choices. Displaying useful information is another critical element of a strong online presence.
At the top of the list is up-to-date function PDFs, detailing the package options available to customers for drinks, food, and even AV. Ensure the PDF includes pricing. Customers have a budget in mind, and they want to know approximately how much it’s going to cost. Having up-to-date PDFs with pricing also limits the amount of unqualified leads you receive.
Second on the list is FAQs. These can be included in your PDF, and also separately added to your VenueNow listing. Don’t allow underage guests? Is there a security fee for events with over 50 guests? Can the host decorate the space? Adding FAQs allows the customer to make an informed choice, leading to a qualified enquiry.
Lastly, if it’s useful, add it! Floorplans are particularly handy for those planning to bring in their own furniture, entertainment or bar. It’s also a must for those planning a corporate event. Whatever you decide to add, make sure it’s useful to the customer and up-to-date.
Reviews
Whether deciding which gym to join, or what fridge to buy, consumers make a beeline for customer reviews. Reviews help you reach more customers using word of mouth, which is very effective for your business.
Having positive customer reviews on your site goes a long way to improving your online presence. By featuring these positive reviews, customers are more likely to place trust in a venue to host their special event.
You can generate organic responses via social media platforms, or, for newly-established businesses, send out a customer feedback survey to recent customers. Collate the positive reviews to be published.
For the negative reviews – take stock of what they’re telling you. You can soon work out those trying to give you constructive criticism, and those with an axe to grind. For example, “It took a really long time to order a drink at the bar, up to 20 minutes,” is fair. Perhaps you need to look at rostering more bar staff for functions. But, “Finding parking was a nightmare! Had to park 10 minutes away,” isn’t really your fault, especially if you’re reasonably near public transport.
Social Media Marketing
Developing the right social media marketing strategy for your venue can be a challenge. Here are some tips for making the most of your online presence:
1. Establish Your Brand
Define your venue’s unique brand, and use this to create content that speaks to potential guests. Think about how you want people to identify your business and focus on creating content that will help establish this image.
2. Choose the Right Platforms
Not all social media platforms are equal. Think about where your potential guests are spending their time, and focus on building a presence there. For example, if you’re targeting business customers, LinkedIn might be more useful than Instagram or Snapchat. Youtube is integrated with most social media platforms already, but if you’re producing a lot of video content you may want to consider creating separate videos for each platform. Additionally, you can look into social media advertising as well as other online advertising like Google ads.
3. Keep Your Content Fresh
Content needs to be fresh and relevant in order to keep your customers engaged. Don’t just post the same events or photos day after day; think of creative, engaging ways to showcase what you have to offer.
4. Build Brand Awareness by Posting Regularly
The key to success on social media is to post often, but not too often. Aim for a consistent posting schedule that fits with your potential customers’ behaviours.
5. Engage With Your Audience
On social media, it’s not just about pushing out content – the key is to engage in conversations and build relationships with your audience.
These digital marketing efforts should be part of a wider strategy that includes traditional marketing as well. By finding the right combination, you can really make your venue stand out from the crowd and attract more bookings.
Search Engine Optimization
Creating valuable and engaging content is an essential part of any digital marketing strategy. And, it’s no different for venues wanting to improve their online presence.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) should feature heavily in your content production and strategy. This is the process of not only creating content but targeting the right keywords so you appear higher on search engines.
To improve your SEO, make sure to conduct keyword research, optimize your meta tags, and create quality content that is both informative and relevant to your audience. For example, if you’re a venue in Melbourne that caters for weddings and corporate events, then your keywords should reflect this. Make sure to include a range of different keyword variations so your content stays relevant to people looking for specific services.
Written content
Having beautiful imagery on your listing is vital. But to form a more complete picture of your venue, add a small description detailing who you are, what you do, and what sets you apart from the rest.
It needn’t be an essay. A couple of paragraphs will do just fine. There’s no need to get bogged down in details such as your seated capacity or opening hours. All of this information is already available on your listing. Just keep it short and sharp, and persuasive. After all, this is your last chance to direct the customer to enquire about your venue and get a booking. Implementing these digital marketing strategies can help reach the target audience and get potential customers.
Customers may find your venue online, but only if you’re scaling search results, reaching the top of their social media accounts and trending on Pinterest. By investing a little thought and time into your online presence, you can help to strengthen your position in the marketplace, create awareness, and win more bookings.
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