by Vernetta R. Freeney
A national tour needs a solid plan in order to be executed successfully. It also helps you replicate the event in different cities. The purpose of the plan is to ensure all stops on your national tour are as close to identical as possible.
With a solid plan in place your team members can continue implementing the details of the tour without you micromanaging. So what does a solid plan for a national tour entail? It’s very similar to a third grade paper.
Here are the essential items you must have…
Who- This is your target, ideal attendee. Identify the characteristics, needs/wants and behavior of your attendees. You must also be able to explain how your tour will benefit them and solve their business or personal problem.
What- What is the purpose or goal of your national tour? What is the benefit to the attendees? What can they look forward to?
When- This is an important part of the plan. Deciding between day/afternoon/evening or weekend hours. Which time works best for your goal? Also if you truly know your WHO, that will help make the when decision easier.
Where- This is not a hard decision as much as sticking to your budget. You need to know what cities benefit the most from your goal and are within your budget. Is that a metro area, city, town or rural setting? Will you be centrally located or on the outskirts of the city?
Why- Why is your tour important and beneficial to your ideal attendees? Why is it a must attend event? This is your message so make it relatable and resonate with your ideal attendees.
How- This is where you create a marketing plan that is strategic and concise to get your message out there. Choosing the right team members are also part of this section. Marketing has it’s own budget but make sure it fits into your overall budget for the tour. We’ll talk more about this section in an upcoming post.
No plan is complete without a budget. Yes, your budget may grow but you need a starting point. And if you market effectively from the beginning, you will be able to add money to your overall budget.
Creating the plan for your national tour takes time. It is the most important part of your tour. Mainly if you don’t know why, then your tour will never take off.
Vernetta R. Freeney is the Founder/Chairwoman of the Award-Winning Women Are Gamechangers blog and creator of the Award-Winning Fusion Tour, a national intimate business conversation tour for women who work from home, bloggers and introverts.
She is an educator, blogger, speaker, and advocate for women and youth. You will find Vernetta online sharing and discussing topics ranging from blogging, grants, women Gamechangers, social justice, Fusion and the latest news to what’s she has coming up.
When she is not online causing people to think, you can find her teaching at a local Houston college, volunteering with a youth organization, speaking somewhere across the country, blogging on her blogs or others, curled up on her couch reading a really good book or cheering on her beloved Dallas Mavericks.
Vernetta may have begun her career working in nonprofits then transitioned into education. But her true calling has always been being a champion for women taking control of their purpose in life. Her goal is to help unleash the Gamechanger within many women through Fusion Tour.
