Pre-event Marketing: Boost Event Turnout Through Outreach
Rebecca Matias
Chief Operating Officer @Callbox Inc. | Global B2B Lead Generation Services Company
In the B2B market, where change is constant, businesses continue to search for new opportunities to grow. Suppliers and clients alike are on the lookout for new collaborations, new markets, and sales growth opportunities.
Digital marketing has opened doors for brands to reach more people through targeted strategies. However, face-to-face interactions remain crucial for business success.
According to event tech company Bizzabo, 91% of overperforming businesses see live events as a key marketing channel in their event marketing strategy. Major companies like Microsoft, Google, Apple, and Salesforce prioritize in-person interactions, with 24% of their annual budget going to live events.
Why 87% of C-Suite Executives Utilize Live Events and Why You Should Too
A live event is an exciting tool for brand awareness. It shows your authenticity and makes you stand out from the competition. At the same time, you are connecting with your customers, sharing with them what you value, and encouraging loyalty and repeat clients.
Event marketers also see its potential for networking with existing customers, their sponsors, and partners and generating new leads. A successful event results in great publicity in public relations and high ROI. There are many types of events you can consider for your next event marketing strategy, including:
Overcoming Challenges in Event Marketing
With a huge chunk of a company’s investment going into live events, event marketers are pressured to increase outreach. Yet at the same time, it is hard to plan for outreach amidst the day-to-day priorities of a marketing pro.?
So how can a live event drive significant results and ROI for your business? Here are 11 tips:
1. Plan Ahead
Putting on an outstanding event for your clients and prospects requires smart planning. The earlier you start planning, the more attention your outreach efforts will receive. Consider setting goals, the needs of your audience, and the message you will convey.
2. Be Goal-Oriented
Start by determining what you want to achieve through the event. Choose the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that are most important to your company. Some of the most important KPIs used to measure event success include:
Once you’ve determined your key metrics, focus on building the event around achieving these goals. The event topics should reflect your goals as well.
3. Give Your Audience a Reason to Join Your Event
What value will you offer to your audience? Is it new information, collaborations, or a rare experience? Will they learn a new skill or meet a VIP guest? Emphasize what sets your brand and your event apart from the rest. Promote the takeaway from attending the event.
4. Personalize Your Message
There are several ways to promote your event. Use personalized email subject lines to avoid spam filters and plan blog posts before, during, and after the event.
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Eye-catching infographics and social media graphics can boost engagement. Live content like tweeting, Facebook Live, videos, and photos also help create event buzz.
5. Test Your Content
A/B Testing is a great way to test the efficacy of your content. Experiment with various subject lines, fonts, colors, and rich HTML then analyze the click-through rate of each style.
6. Communicate with Your Audience
Build relationships with your audience before planning an event. Know your customers and prospects. Then, you can send relevant information on time. Your outreach efforts should not reveal too much information. Instead, content should spark curiosity in your prospects.
7. Organize the Customer Experience from Beginning to End
It is important to plan for customer experience. Streamline their experience from finding out about your event and registering to attend, engaging with other attendants, and sharing the experience with their network. On the day of the event, ensure a flawless process from the moment they walk inside the event hall. Make it an experience worth sharing with others.
8. Encourage Word of Mouth
People want connections with other people. Make your content share-worthy. Word of mouth continues to be a highly trusted resource for marketing and advertising. Consider offering different promo codes that can be used when sharing your event.
9. Bring in the Whole Community
It is wise to leverage whole communities, industry organizations, and associations where your target audience engages. Think about how you can encourage social media outreach from these communities. You can discuss the event with the administrator or the community may allow you to post content directly. Some communities also have an open calendar where event marketers can add an event.
10. Tap into Public Relations
A good PR can help you reach a wider audience beyond your marketing database. Make sure to incorporate SEO optimization with keywords and links back to your site. Consider hiring press release services for this purpose.
11. Be Open to SMEs and Influencers
Research industry experts and influences within your industry. Think of ways to encourage their participation in the upcoming event. Take note that these subject matter experts have lots of followers whom they can promote and they are always active on social media.
Final Thoughts
There are many different strategies you can use to attract prospects and maximize event attendance. With the right planning, connections, and focus on customer experience, you can achieve your event goals. Make sure to use tools like referral codes and attendee surveys to help you evaluate event success.
Thank you, Rebecca!