Growing up, I listened every weekend to radio personality Casey Kasem countdown the 40 best-selling songs in the nation. Casey’s American Top 40 radio show was a staple for many of us in those years.
In tribute to Casey’s style, we wanted to share Vettes of Atlanta Magazine’s Top 40 Corvette car show marketing ideas. There are hundreds of successful ways to market your car show.
We hope you’ll see a few you know are proven methods and perhaps a few that you would like to try when you’re promoting your next Vette event.
Just like Casey’s weekly show, we’re going to start at number 40 and work our way up the ladder. Coming in at number 40 is this proven gem but with a new twist.
Starting Off Our Countdown
#40. Reach Out To Local Car Clubs. Reach out to local Corvette clubs first, but also to people who like Chevelle and F-Body platforms (Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebirds). Here is the new twist: too often, clubs mention their show to other Vette clubs only and miss out on a much larger crowd attending their event. Real car people enjoy all types of car shows. Expand your reach at least 100 to 200 miles from your city. Don’t forget local Hot Rod clubs.
#39. Create Colorful Flyers And Distribute Them. Every business within a half-mile of the event location should be encouraged to put a small poster in their business’s window promoting their charity car event. It’s going to take some human resources from your club, but it pays enormous dividends because people in the local community can put a face on the event. Personal interaction pays when getting the word out. Farmer’s Markets are also a great place to display your poster.
38. Attend Other Car Shows In Your Area. Talk to promoters of other car shows to pick their brain about what works in marketing their event. It’s a great time to ask them if you can place your poster at their event and vice versa. Far too often, we isolate ourselves and lose out on the opportunity to network with other charitable car events. If you want the general car-loving public to attend your show, now is not the time to be snobbish about your brand.
37. Get A Booth And Become A Vendor. Often, other events will give you a booth at their function for free if you ask. You’re not selling a product in the traditional sense, but you’re providing information. It’s a fun, non-threatening way to expand your potential base of visitors to your event. Be sure to offer booth space to them as well. A rising tide lifts all boats.
36. Check Out The Dewey Decimal System. The government-sponsored State of America’s Libraries Report stated there were 1.5 billion in-person visits to public libraries across the United States. Two-thirds of library visitors borrow print books; around half go to read, study, or engage with media. Ask your local library if you can display a poster for your local event that benefits a non-profit organization. Many times, they are more than willing to help.
35. Visit Your Local Farmer’s Market. Typically, all products sold at a farmers market have been grown, reared, caught, brewed, pickled, canned, baked, fried, smoked or processed by the farmers and local vendors who are selling them. In today’s health-conscious world, Farmer’s Markets are growing steadily in popularity. Wherever people congregate is an area of opportunity to advertise your event.
Coming In This Week At Number 34
34. Ask For Support From Local Non-Automotive Businesses. Charities come to a business asking for donations every week. The problem is that charitable organizations offer no real value to the company for their gift of money or products.
Yes, there is the goodwill aspect, but having run a brick-and-mortar business myself, that is a thin value proposition at best. Do you want measurable support from a local store? Give value to the store in return.
Want to learn how? As a shameless plug, I would recommend my print and audiobook, “A Reason To Chant,” as a great place to start. Feel free to contact us here at Vettes of Atlanta Magazine as well.
33. Get Added To Calendar Of Events. Most local newspapers publish a calendar of events. Often, they are looking for exciting activities to add to their printed calendar. A few sentences are all you need to submit to get listed.
32. The Local Chamber Can Help. A Chamber of Commerce (also referred to in some circles as a board of trade) is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of companies. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community.
They are a great resource for what type of event marketing works in the local community. The Chamber could also list you on their upcoming calendar of area events for free.
31. Contact The Local Government. A Vette car show is often a fundraising activity in support of a local charity. They are usually supportive of organizations that help those in the community. You would be surprised at how supportive they can be. Local governments are often an overlooked resource.
30. Ask Local Restaurants To Be Sponsors. Gift certificates as giveaways work well to drive foot traffic to the restaurant. If the restaurant is a bakery, a booth selling or giving away their product is always appreciated by attendees.
If it is a boutique-type establishment, perhaps the chef could give a presentation. You would be surprised at how incorporating a local restaurant or food truck service can enhance the look and feel of your extravaganza.
On To The Rest Of Our Countdown
29. Car Show Listing Websites. There are numerous websites devoted to keeping you up to date on local activities and shows. It just takes a few minutes to provide them with your information. In fact, Vettes of Atlanta Magazine has two of them. One for Vette-related events, “Best Corvette Events Near Atlanta,” and a general car event listing, “Top Atlanta Car Events.”
28. Local Vehicle Owner Forums. Take a moment and Google these local forums. Often, you can add your information quickly to local and regional threads.
27. Google “Things to do in (your city).” You can get listed for free on these websites because they are looking for content.
26. Reddit To The Rescue. For those of you not familiar with Reddit, their site members, also known as Redditors, submit content which is then voted upon by other members. The goal is to send well-regarded content to the top of the site’s front page.
26.4 million Americans use Reddit monthly, and they have 330 million monthly active users. A colorful flyer and a solid article concerning your event could be impactful.
25. Post Announcement on Craigslist. Craigslist.org, formerly a San Francisco community electronic newsletter, is now one of the most visited English language Web sites, with local classifieds for more than 450 cities worldwide. The site’s primary function is to host classified ads that cover practically every category you can think of, including housing, job postings, items for sale, services, personals, and local events.
As a website, Craigslist is generally safe when it comes to threats such as viruses and identity theft. The online classified ad site uses standard security protocols, has a strict privacy policy, and limits the types of files users can post to the site.
I wouldn’t post a phone number there, but a contact email for the event would be safe.
We’re Moving Up The Charts
24. Create a Facebook Page Just For Your Event. You can promote your event through your Facebook page, create ads, promote posts, and showcase the car show while it is happening. Once it’s over, your Facebook page will be an excellent platform to thank all of the attendees, volunteers, sponsors, and everyone who helped make the event such a success.
Facebook is, by far, the most powerful social media platform on the planet.
23. Develop a Facebook Event For Your Car Show. Facebook Events are the perfect way to get users’ attention and keep it. With Facebook’s calendar connection, most people have their Facebook events connected to their smartphones. You keep your audience in the know without doing much leg work. Just for the record, one billion people are currently using Facebook. Yes, it’s worth the effort.
22. Facebook Groups. Staying with the Facebook theme, search out the local Facebook car groups. Posting and engaging with other automotive aficionados will raise awareness of your event quickly.
You could also provide their group members with a special parking area or registration discounts. Local businesses should be encouraged to share your upcoming event on social media.
21. Ask Prior Attendees For A Review. Reviews from those who have attended your prior event are powerful. Reviews on your Facebook page, club’s website, or Google My Business site are an important factor in future success. The most common and effective way to get reviews is through your post-event survey.
How to do a post-event survey will be handled in future articles.
- 90% of consumers read online reviews (with 89% reading more than two reviews and 15% reading 11 reviews)
- 88% trust online reviews when considering a business or attending an event.
- 72% say that positive reviews make them trust a local business more or decide about coming to an event.
20. Sign up for a TechSoup Account. If you are a nonprofit organization, you should take the time to sign up for a TechSoup account. TechSoup, founded in 1987 as CompuMentor and later known as TechSoup Global, is a nonprofit international network of non-governmental organizations that provides technical support and technological tools to other nonprofits.
You would be surprised at the significant savings of their tools and support.
Here Are Some Long-Distance Dedications
19. Reach Out And Touch Someone. Collect email addresses of car people in your area and send them a “Save the Date.” Ask members of your club to pool their email addresses together. Ask other Vette clubs as well.
If you have email addresses from previous events, you want to email them a brochure and a brief description of the activities. Later, you should send them a vehicle registration link.
18. Work With A Reporter. Local publications are always looking for content. Contact the reporter about creating an article about the car show. It would be best if you planned to release the material on their platform the week before the event.
Often, print articles get recycled to their online platforms as well.
17. Custom Logo. Design a unique logo for just this event. Bright color and legibility are essential here. The final product should be legible in the window of a local business. There are talented people on your team who search out the artists and do the project in-house.
The final edition is for flyers, your website, social media, and t-shirts.
16. Google Non-Profit. If you haven’t heard of Google Non-Profit, you should take a moment and check in to it. To request a Google for a nonprofit account, you must be a not-for-profit charitable organization in good standing and meet the full eligibility requirements in your country.
Google has G-Suite for nonprofits, Google Ad Grants, YouTube nonprofit programs, and even Google Earth for nonprofits. There are free resources available that would grow your club’s reach and save money.
15. Create A Unique Event Website / Page. Having all of the event information quickly accessible in one place is critical. Potential sponsors and vendors need it; people who want to bring vehicles and spectators need one place to answer all of their questions. Develop an F.A.Q. Section to provide additional clarity.
We’re Reaching The Top Of The Chart
14. Ask Automotive Businesses To Share On Social Media. Even if a business doesn’t choose to become a sponsor of the event, they can share information on various social media platforms. Dealerships, parts, and tire vendors, and detailers come to mind here.
These shares help widen the net of potential attendees. Have all the show’s information and links ready for them.
The more relaxed you can make sharing for them, the better the results. Think big with this tip. It doesn’t have to be local automotive businesses only.
Expand the reach and prestige of your club by pushing out further than your regional boundaries.
13. Facebook Ads. Let’s start with the facts. 80% of all Internet users use Facebook. Even 65% of adults over the age of 65 use Facebook.
It has billions of users, and most of them check their Facebook page multiple times per day. Regardless of who your customers are, they are using Facebook. and they use it every day.
Therefore, one of the most important benefits of Facebook advertising is that your customers use it daily. A major benefit of Facebook advertising is its ability to reach your exact audience.
Facebook is the most targeted form of advertising. You can advertise to people by age, interests, behavior, and location. If you really know your customers, you can use Facebook advertising to engage them.
12. Sponsor Profile Page. The more you can give back to a sponsor, the more they will contribute now and in the future. Create a sponsor profile page on your event’s website, providing insight into the sponsor and their donation.
Ask sponsors to link to the page from their website. Want to take it up a notch? Create a sponsor profile page and a separate page for each sponsor. Important for search engine optimization.
11. Contact Local Automotive Media Companies. Top bloggers, vloggers (video bloggers), and freelance journalists can help spread the word for you and while providing content for their platforms. Please give them your press release and offer free media passes to attend the show. Be available for questions as they prepare the material.
Do you have a press release?
Here Are The Top Ten
10. Press Release. The purpose of a press release is to get attention, make the news, and generate publicity. It’s cost-effective marketing (free), and it can be used to create brand awareness.
By sending a well-written press release directly to journalists, you’re showcasing the importance and professionalism of your event. You’re also reaching out proactively to journalists, which they love.
Just make sure your story is relevant to the beat (topic) the journalist covers. You can find out more about a journalist’s stories and interests through online searches.
A well-written press release also helps to focus your team on the important aspects of your event.
9. Ask Local Radio Stations To Do A PSA. A public service announcement (PSA) is a short, community-oriented message that radio stations air at no cost to fulfill their obligation to serve the public interest.
PSAs are a cost-effective way for non-profit organizations to raise awareness about the benefits their organizations provide. It would be best if you planned far enough in advance to make this work.
Contact us here at Vettes of Atlanta Magazine if you have questions.
8. Local TV Morning Shows. In a 24/7 world, various media outlets need content. If your car show’s charity touches a sympathetic nerve in the community, and you plan far enough ahead of time, you have a good chance of getting on the air.
When you are reaching for the stars, you have to have everything organized. In most cases, we would recommend writing out a potential script for them. Think about where they are going to shoot the video and the props they will need.
It often comes down to how easy you can make it for them and how strong the visual presence. Is the juice worth the squeeze here?
Contact local or classic podcasters and offer to be a guest on their show.
7. Politicians And Local Celebrities. Politicians and local celebrities love media exposure. Invite the Mayor to stop by for photos and an award from the event for their civic involvement.
The more media and hype you can surround the event with, the higher the elected official. Plan far enough ahead and aggressively promote with a thorough game plan. You will be amazed at which elected official drops by and what media comes with them.
6. Run An Ad In The Local Newspaper. Please work with the newspaper far enough in advance so it runs the week before the show. The publication may give it to you for free in return for sponsorship promotion on your poster and flyers. Have your information organized before you make the pitch.
We’ve Finally Reached The Top Five
5. Hire Professional Videographer. It’s all about the pictures and videos when it comes to marketing today. Pre-event videos help to tell your event’s story and help to entice businesses to become sponsors.
If a business owner knows his storefront is going to be on YouTube and it’s available to link to his social, he is much more willing to sponsor in a meaningful way. You have to add value back to those you are asking for donations. Search around a bit.
The cost varies wildly. Ask to see their work on other projects.
4. Hire A Professional Journalist. At this level of marketing, everything matters. Words convey the message and entice the spirit to act.
Hiring a professional journalist ensures your press release is laid out correctly and that all written material is consistent in tone and message. This is important if you are reaching for the best possible outcome for your event.
The cost is less than you might think. Often, recent college grads in public relations can use this for their resume. Check with local colleges and universities for seniors looking for experience.
Have them write your press release and pre-event teaser articles.
3. Create Facebook Live Videos. Short video clips showing people enjoying their Vettes and talking about your upcoming event. Most users enjoy the live-action and unedited approach to live videos.
This means you don’t need a fancy camera, set design, or editing skills. Facebook Live is all about living in the moment. By implementing Facebook Live into your content strategy, you provide an instant, real-time source of content for viewers that’s like nothing else.
Powerful and free.
2. Corvette Dealership Sponsorship. Far too often, local Vette clubs start here when they are seeking donations and support. A dealership can be your biggest event supporter, but until you’ve worked through this list, don’t contact them.
Why? It all comes down to this simple acronym, “WIIFM.” Think about “What’s In It For Me?” Look at the event from the dealer’s point of view.
How is their car business stronger today by supporting your event? If the answer isn’t abundantly clear, then you’ve got more work to do.
A strong dealership presentation is the culmination of all of your hard work and preparation. Show the dealership all the steps you’re taking to garner publicity and positive exposure for their business.
Treat the meeting with the dealership like a job interview. Have your resume’ ready, and be thoroughly prepared. The results of your due diligence can be eye-opening!
And At Number One On Our Countdown
1. Truly Energize Your Team. The greatest asset at your disposal when making your Vette car show successful is your club members. It is just that simple.
Perhaps too simple because it is often glossed over by event organizers. Most of the time, Vette clubs drop the ball right here.
Whether you are running a Fortune 500 company or marketing a charity car show, your level of success comes down to everyone’s focus and commitment to a predetermined level of success. Remember, there are no small tasks or no small achievements.
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” is an appropriate quote by Vincent Van Gogh and very accurate.
When it comes to fundraising and soliciting donations, even a seemingly small contribution is significant. One person raising money for a cause may sound like a drop in the proverbial bucket.
Still, there are dozens of examples of individuals who have started with a $10 donation and then ultimately went on to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to surpass their goal.
The idea that one person can make a difference in the world isn’t just a saying. It’s a proven fact at this point. Continually focus your team on the predetermined goal, give everyone small, manageable tasks, and watch the results explode!
Keep Your Feet On The Ground And Keep Reaching For The Stars
There you have it: 40 proven ways to help grow your next Vette event. Remember, before you start planning your event, you have to decide on why you have it.
If it is to attract new members, then your strategy will take you in one direction. If you are solely trying to raise money and awareness for a charity, then how you apply these suggestions will be adjusted accordingly.
Either way, decide and write it down. Refer to it often and use it as a compass to steer you through the options we’ve listed above.
One more tip. As a general rule of thumb, I recommend promoting your event at least 90-180 days in advance. One vital suggestion is to build your advertising and event marketing campaign from the time of announcement.
Lastly, stop thinking about your Corvette event as just another car show, and it’s not; it’s a unique community-enriching event, and as such, it has to be more than just about shiny cars. Once you capture your audience’s heart and mind, their attendance will follow.
These top 40 Corvette car show marketing ideas will make your next event a huge success. Don’t be afraid to aim big. As Casey Kasem used to say, “Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.”
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