Today's guest post and infographic, provided by Erik Mintz, Director of Event Management, Constant Contact, shows an interesting peek into the seldom-spoken world of small-business events. It's pretty cool stuff. Here's what Erik has to say:
When we think about events, it’s usually large-scale happenings like national meetings and conventions, or high-profile charity walks and runs, that come to mind. But small businesses are also holding a lot of events, largely steered by do-it-yourself business owners.
In fact, according to a recent Constant Contact small business awareness study, more than 45 percent of small businesses in the U.S. are hosting events. Like their larger cohorts, small businesses are using events to build prospects they find via e-mail marketing or social media leads into enduring relationships. Events are a mainstay of small-business marketing efforts, and play an essential role in both engaging with customers and attracting new ones.
Still, you don’t hear much about these events, which vary from workshops, classes, and conferences, to networking events and social gatherings. This infographic highlights everything from the top small-business event types, to the reasons small businesses hold events and how they market them, to what they find easiest and most difficult along the way.
