Module: 13

Generating a Client Base

The business model you create for your party planning business will identify the appropriate client base

for you to focus on. However, the plan alone won’t get people walking through the door and hiring you

to plan their events. It is the responsibility of the business owner and manager to get the company name

out there and generate interest among your target market.

Throughout this module we will explore how to reach the clients you hope to draw through advertising,

an Internet presence, social media outlets, and word of mouth. You will come to find that a large portion

of your responsibilities during those early months of opening the doors to your party business will be

spent reaching out to prospective clients and updating interested individuals about the services you

offer.

What you’ll learn in this module:

13.1 Targeting the appropriate clients

13.2 Advertising effectively

13.3 Web development

13.4 Using social media

13.5 Using current clients to get new clients

182 | P a g e

13.1 Targeting the appropriate clients

In the previous model of study you learned why narrowing in on a specified client base will help you

generate interest, lock in contractual agreements, and ultimately turn a profit. In order to cater your

marketing endeavors toward a specific group of people, you need to know where to find them, how to

grab their attention, and what types of party services they are looking for. Once you draw up your initial

demographic information about your market target base, you can begin creating materials and

announcements in an attempt to get them through your door. Throughout this module we will break

down some of the common target markets and the strategies you can use to reach each customer base

within that category.

13.1.1 Age

The generation that someone was born in says a lot about his or her interests, spending trends, and

overall access points in terms of advertising. Baby boomers shop and plan events differently than their

younger counterparts; generation X and Y individuals tend to be drawn to different ideas and tastes than

their parents. When reaching out to millennial, you will certainly utilize a digital marketing plan in favor

of one that sends traditional snail-mail announcements, and if you’re business niche focuses on

children’s parties, you’ll want eye catching graphics and colors to get their attention, but enough of a

business savvy mind to draw in their parents as well, since they are the ones writing the check.

middle-aged and older adults – this category of shoppers will often be hosting weddings for their

children, throwing birthday or retirement parties for their spouses, planning anniversary or birthday

gatherings for their parents, organizing corporate events, or putting together cocktail soirees. Older

individuals respond well to professionals who have a clear, concise, and informative message.

Middle and middle aged adults respond well to:

o honesty and straightforwardness

o professionalism and integrity

o humorous and entertaining marketing strategies

o informative and to-the-point materials

o traditional ideas and aesthetics

183 | P a g e

Generation X and Y – This target base ranges from people in their mid-twenties through their forties,

encompassing a lot of possibilities. While you’ll want to narrow your focus a bit, these generations do

share some of the same preferences when it comes to their interests, shopping habits, and level of media

and advertisement awareness. Like the generation before then, you’ll find traditionalists who like to

have things done in the expected way; however, riddled among them will be energetic dreamers, who

will seek out businesses to set their events apart from those of their friends’. All the same parties,

including birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, cocktail parties, and the like are relevant, but the tactics

you might use in reaching them will slightly differ than their predecessors.

Party throwers in their 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s generally have their attention grabbed by:

o visuals and graphics

o ideas that are quickly attention grabbing and don’t take a lot of thought to process

o a blend of tradition with an innovative flair

184 | P a g e

o a variety of theme and style options

o indulging their ideas and concepts with enthusiasm

o clearly defined pricing options

o flexibility

o convenient communication like texts and email

Young adults and adolescents – when targeting a client base of the millennial generation, consider a

focus on technology and digital outlets. These individuals live and breathe through the use of the

Internet, social media, and less formal forms of communication. Young adults and teens like to dream

big, often not having too strong of a concept of budgets and the intricate details that go into planning

something like a major event.

In many cases you will find that their parents are footing the bill and have control over a number of

options, such as the initial hiring of a party planner and some of the major decisions that are made along

the way. However, in your initial efforts of drawing a client base, you need to get the young adults on

board with your business and concept in order for mom or dad to sign on the dotted line. Think about

specializing in events like birthdays, holiday parties, graduations, proms and semi-formals, and themed

events.

Young adult and adolescent groups will be drawn to:

o creative, eclectic, eccentric ideas and attention grabbers

o smart advertising that isn’t dumbed down to pander

o eye catching images, colors, and graphics

o viral marketing

o ability to relate to the brand and a personalized approach

o digital advertising and extensive social media presence

185 | P a g e

o focus on fun and entertainment

186 | P a g e

children – As previously mentioned, when reaching children as your target market, you also must

appeal to their parents in order to grab business. However, children have a huge influence in the

market space, and their interests and habits greatly affect how businesses market their services.

Children will need your services for their birthday parties primarily, but other events related to

school, religious milestones, and neighborhood or holiday get-togethers might also surround the

younger individuals you will work with. Children respond well to advertising that includes:

o bright colors, memorable graphics, and animation

o commercials, and video advertisements and viral marketing

o friendly voices and enthusiastic demeanors

o fun and decorations

o making the child feel like the center of attention

o catchy slogans, catchphrases, or songs

13.1.2 Socio-economic status and location

Budget is always important. Even clients who make a great living and earn a lot of money still like to

save when it comes to shopping and hiring vendors and planners. Very few people can resist a great

product or service at a reasonable price.

As a party planner, you might cater to the higher-earning end of the spectrum and find clients who turn

over complete control to you, with dollar amount being of very little concern. For the majority of clients,

however, will be focused on cost, particularly in the early stages of shopping around for a great party

planner.

Designing your approach to reach a specific economic demographic of clients will allow you to adjust

your message in a way that will inform, interest, and move that particular base to work with you.

Included with earning power, taking the location of your business into account will depend on the

overall income of people who live and work in the area.

For instance, a business operating and serving customers in the heart of New York City is going to have a

different approach to reaching their client base than a company working out of a rural town in Kentucky.

The budgets, aesthetics, and overall tone of your marketing approach will depend on where and to what

financial demographic you are catering to.

187 | P a g e

High-earning professionals – from corporate events, large white-tented cocktail parties, and country

club extravaganza, planning a party for people whose budget seems to be open-ended can be incredibly

exciting and elaborate.

Try to following approaches to reaching this client base:

o Mailings sent to corporate businesses in the area

o Professional, yet original and fun web and social media design

o A portfolio or image gallery that exuberates confidence, innovation, technology, entertainment, and a

quality level of taste

o A “yes” approach to getting the job done

o Word of mouth from other like-minded friends and colleagues who used your services

o A reputation for quality, quantity, and customer service

o Quick communication response to initial inquiries, that follow up with personalized phone contact

and service

188 | P a g e

The middle-class – a large portion of clients fall under the title “middle class.” In other words, these

are working professionals looking for a great event who will appreciate quality services at a budget

friendly and flexible price point. Making up the largest portion of consumers who are moved by

189 | P a g e

advertising, the middle class are throwing parties of every kind and spending anywhere from

hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of dollars on their party needs.

Draw in this large client base through:

o Digital advertisements and viral marketing

o Coupon mailers and special offers

o Attending community events or party expos to make initial contact

o Clearly, quickly, and specifically offering services

o Quality and professional written and verbal communication

o Access through phone, email, text, and social media

o Offering payment plans and minimal up-front costs

rural, small town, urban and lower-income earners: this is certainly a broad and generalized group, and

within your business, depending on your location, you will narrow your focus to an even smaller client

type. However, typically, individuals in urban, rural, and small town areas tend to commercially spend

less money when it comes to consumerism. Even though less money on the whole is spent, these

individuals need party specialists just like anyone else.

In connecting to this demographic, seek out to:

o Offer flexibility

o Utilize newspaper, magazine, billboard, and digital advertisements

o Become an expert in alternative options to traditional concepts, and lead with that business model

upon communication

o Offer a wide range of availability from full-service, consultant, day-of only organizer, etc. so that you

can cater to each specific person’s budget and needs, however big or small

o Offer enthusiasm and positivity, while being realistic and cautious of over-promising items that don’t

fit the budget or plan

o Create mailers and flyers to be left in mailboxes, on car dash windows, or to pass out to pedestrians

o Create eye-catching ads that verbalize in a professional way your budget and flexible payment

options

190 | P a g e

While this is not a comprehensive list of all the potential ways to reach your target client base, these

demographics are great initial starting points to establish a report with the individuals and community

you plan to service. Throughout the rest of this module we will explore how to effectively use these

marketing strategies to draw business your way.

13.2 Advertising effectively

In designing a promotional strategy for your party planning business, you will move through four stages

of marketing that deals with decision-making regarding your target base and the way you deliver

information.

The major parts of a good marketing strategy are:

Segmentation – looking at those specific groups of people to narrow a focus and carefully research each

groups’ buying habits, demographic information, and how your company can benefit them.

Targeting – identifying the ways that you will make contact with a particular demographic, through

advertising, marketing, public relations, promotions and more.

Positioning – putting yourself and your brand in a position that is accessible to your target consumer

base and presenting an identity that resonates with these individuals.

Developing and delivering your advertisement messages – creating objectives and materials that

inform and persuade your potential clients and remind them of your presence in the industry in order to

appear relevant and essential to their needs.

In previous modules we have explored with a focus on the target base, throughout the remainder of this

module we will limit a focus to how you can effectively use marketing strategies and advertising

materials and events to become recognizable and known as a commodity in your field.

191 | P a g e

13.2.1 Traditional advertising approaches

Tried, tested, and true, these traditional means of advertising are still effective ways to reach mass

amounts of people and draw them to your business.

business directories

magazines and newspapers

radio announcements

television commercials

billboards

window signs

pamphlets and flyers

telemarketing

192 | P a g e

13.2.2 Modern advertising approaches

While print advertisements are still beneficial to company success, utilizing today’s highly digital world

is one of the most convenient ways to communicate your services to the public.

business websites 193 | P a g e

social media

presence on local blogs

reviews and ratings on industry relevant websites

banner and ad space on related industry websites

email

e-commerce

13.2.3 Face to face advertising approaches

You will end up getting some business from Internet searches and mailings you send out to potential

clients, however, it is unprecedented advertising when you are able to make positive connections in a

more personal and related way. Consider public arenas where you can connect to your target market.

wedding and party expos

fundraising events

networking parties within the industry

business cards to give to potentially interested parties upon meeting or acquaintance

exhibitions

trade shows

PR events

product launches

194 | P a g e

13.2.4 Qualities of a strong ad

What makes one advertisement great and another one mundane? Use this checklist when evaluating

your advertisements, whether it’s your website, a web banner, a mailer or flyer, or the text for a radio

spot.

Does it attract attention?

Is it memorable?

Is it clear what your services are?

Does it identify the benefits of your services?

Will someone view the ad and want to know more about your business?

Are there colors, graphics, and a distinct style?

Have you proofed the text for errors, proper grammatical and punctuation uses, and short but effective

sentence structure?

13.3 Web development

Web development is the overarching term that refers to the creation of a platform on the Internet, or

World Wide Web or Intranet, which is a private network server. In the information technology industry

web development is a necessary skill in which people are able to write code and script and configure

network adaptability, among other things.

For small business owners in the planning party business, knowing all the details associated with web

development is not necessary. If you have in depth computer knowledge and skills and can build your

web presence from the bottom up, that is fantastic. However, if your knowledge of designing web pages

195 | P a g e

and marketing via the Internet is limited, there are many resources available to you to easily create your

online business space.

13.3.1 Benefits of using the web

Free or less-expensive advertising

Convenient and satisfying for customers

Accessibility to a larger group of people and a farer reach to outside your local space

Increased likelihood of inquiries and interest

Easy access for customers to view your services, portfolio, and purpose

Up-to-date and fresh content can be consistently added

A resource that never gets lost or tossed away that has all your necessary contact details

Sharing links to other sites who in turn will link to yours, generating more business all around

Increased sales

Easy communication and relationship building

Opportunity to connect and prove your credibility in the field

New customers can discover you and repeat customers have an easy place to check in

13.3.2 Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization, called in the industry simply SEO, makes your website searchable via

search engines online, depending on keywords that users input. When people type a keyword into a

search engine box, the results that come up are not random. In fact, the web links provided at the top of

search engine results are the part of a very precise Internet marketing strategy.

196 | P a g e

By making your business have optimal search engine results, you have a better chance of landing within

the top few result links rather than the links far down the page or several page into the options. It is

typical that the first 3-5 results that arise in search engines end up getting the most traffic, so having a

strategic approach to your search engine optimization can make all the difference in the type of traffic

your business website attracts.

Search Engine Optimization deals with:

Making website content specific

HTML and codes are relevant to your core services

Promoting the site on other websites, generating more backlinks that relay customers back to your site

Business owners unfamiliar with how to utilize search engine optimization can hire outside contractors

to make their websites more searchable.

13.4 Using social media

With millions of users worldwide, social media is the 21st century’s answer to advertising. Through the

use of one of the half-dozen major social media outlets that people use nowadays, businesses can

present themselves on a grand scale, even if they are small and just starting out.

Utilizing social media allows you, your family, and your friends to constantly share your sites, statuses,

tweets, and updates. You can join groups and organizations via social media that gives you a direct link

197 | P a g e

to stakeholders and potential clients. Furthermore, once people “follow” your site, you have a daily,

immediate, and powerful place where you can showcase your talents and services.

13.4.1 Benefits of social media

more exposure and visible to your audience

chance to build a good reputation

receive immediate feedback from potential clients and hear what they have to say, answer questions,

and learn about their interests and needs

social networking sites can lead you to new business partners and clients through networking

more people are attracted to businesses who utilize and update their social media

gives you a place where you can show support for your clients’ celebrations and achievements, and they

can do the same for you

allow for personal connections in addition to business contacts

the chance to build long-term relationships with clients and potential clients

can advertise promotions, contests, and reward systems

ask customers for their opinions on business ideas

198 | P a g e

13.1.1 Rules and tips

Sometimes venturing into the world of social media, where all information is in a pubic domain and

open to constant ridicule, companies can find themselves in hot water. Make sure that you avoid faux

pas and keep your reputation in tact, by paying attention to a few things on your business’ social media

account.

proof read everything – it can be embarrassing and a turn off if your professional domain is subject to

constant spelling, punctuation, or grammar mistakes.

balance being yourself without being too personal – your personal social media pages are the place

where you can voice your political rants or invite your friends to play games with you. Remember that

the purpose here is to remain a professional and network contacts, therefore, you should never be

overly personal about yourself, your beliefs, or your free time. Keep a focus on business and things that

matter to your customers regarding your business and avoid being “unfriended” or blocked, or worse,

losing business.

avoid confrontations – you will receive public questions, comments, and even criticisms. How you

handle these things publically will have a huge affect on how your customers and potential customers

view you and your business. Reply to public inquiries and address concerns in a professional, customer

service oriented way, without losing your cool.

promote yourself – you’ve created this social media profile, now use it. A lot of business owners tend to

go missing after their initial contact with followers on their sites. The key to social media is that it’s a

daily tool for communication. Don’t let yourself be forgotten; instead, run online promotions and deals,

share stories and images related to your events and industry, and promote appearances and locations

that people can check you out or set up a meeting.

199 | P a g e

13.5 Using current clients to get new clients

The best promotion for your business comes as a result of existing or previous clients who recommend

you to their family and friends. Staying relevant and prevalent in your current clients’ lives and minds

will make them connect your business to their loved ones when their party needs arise. Here are the

best ways to utilize those existing customers as a promotional tool for new business:

customer service – providing a great service, meeting client expectations, and offering continued

communication will ensure that your clients have a positive experience with you. Clients who are

pleased with the outcome of their events will not only use you again, they will recommend your services

to people they know who are looking for similar service.

social media – putting out interesting posts, articles, images, and information on social media will

encourage your contacts to share, like, or retweet your site and posts. The more your posts are shared,

the better chance you have to reach new, prospective clients.

Offer a discount off future service – promotions are great ways to generate business. After a clients’

event is over you can offer them a perk or discount on a future service if their name is used as a referral.

Handing out business cards where they can list their name as the person referring business or having

their name mentioned when a new client calls is effective in getting people to recommend you over

someone else.

World of mouth goes a long way when it comes to generating new, repeat, and constant service. By

providing exceptional results, keeping in contact with previous clients long after their events, and

offering special promotions for referrals, you can guarantee that your name will be on the lips of people

when their friends, family, acquaintances, or colleagues are shopping around for party services.

200 | P a g e