The Ultimate Guide to Event Marketing
From technology and education to non-profit, medical, and retail, event marketing is a very effective technique for all types of enterprises. Events benefit not just their hosts and sponsors, but they also enrich the lives of those who attend. Unlike most other marketing initiatives, events inspire, instruct, fascinate, amuse, and bring people together.
Planning, arranging, and executing an event to promote a brand, product, or service is known as event marketing. Companies may either organise an event, attend as an exhibitor, or participate as a sponsor, and events can take place in person or online. The term "event marketing" encompasses a wide range of activities. You could hold a small roundtable of seven to ten people, collaborate with another business to sponsor a 5K, or put up an exhibit at a big trade fair — or host one of these events online.
Types of Event Marketing
Let's take a look at some of the numerous forms of event marketing your firm may host, support, or attend in the interim. It's worth noting that all of these events can also take place virtually.
Conferences are enormous events that are usually planned and hosted by one major corporation and sponsored by a slew of smaller brands and companies. Both B2B and B2C brands benefit from conferences. The most active agendas are usually found at these events, including speakers, seminars, and networking opportunities.?
Large gatherings organised around a certain business or kind of product, such as sales technology or medical products, are known as trade shows or expositions (expos). Trade exhibitions allow businesses to showcase their goods and services, and they often generate the most qualified leads. Unlike conferences, where anybody may attend, trade shows primarily attract pre-qualified customers, corporate representatives, and salesmen.
Seminars (sometimes known as webinars when held online) are educational events attended by a small group of individuals. Discussions, presentations, and small-group networking opportunities are all part of the programme. Roundtables are similar to seminars, although they often feature fewer attendees of similar "levels," such as CEOs, doctors, and instructors. Both activities are usually only one day long.
Pop-up shops are temporary retail venues where businesses may sell their wares in a regulated setting. They're usually arranged by e-commerce companies that don't have a full-time physical location. Pop-up stores also enable normally digital firms to bring their brands to life for their clients in a tangible, immersive setting.
Small, personal events organised at the start of a new firm, in response to a major announcement, or just to commemorate a success or milestone are known as launch parties or celebrations. Some businesses host and entertain customers or clients at an annual celebration. While these events should not be centred on a product or brand, a short speech or presentation can help tie the event to a company and remind participants why they're there.
Workshops, like seminars and roundtables, are centred on exchanging information and teaching attendees. They are, however, usually available to the public, unlike seminars and roundtables. Workshops may be held remotely or in person, and while they aren't often promotional, they are usually focused on a topic that is important to the organisation... making it appear more reputable in their industry.
Job fairs, customer-only conferences, networking sessions, VIP experiences, sponsorships, awards events, and contests are all examples of event marketing (like 5Ks or golf outings).
Benefits of Event Marketing
We've already established that event marketing helps businesses succeed. But how do they go about doing it? Why should you put money into this company strategy? Here are a few key advantages of event marketing.
Business is generated through event marketing. Companies engage in event marketing because events naturally generate new business and income prospects – 95% of marketers feel that in-person events may help their firm achieve its core business objectives.
The registration process alone provides a list of people who are already interested in your product, sector, or at the very least fall inside your target demographic as an event organiser. You may collect leads by using an email list, a demo offer, or a competition if you're attending or sponsoring an event.
Many software and e-commerce companies nowadays never encounter their customers or clients in person. This is when event marketing comes in handy. In an increasingly digital environment, 93% of marketers say in-person events give guests a useful chance to make relationships, according to a 2020 Bizzabo research. At events, engaging consumers and potential customers lead to personal contacts. These one-on-one conversations help clients personalise their business and establish brand loyalty. Events also give a break from the daily grind, allowing you to better grab a client's attention than a phone call or in-office pitch. You have a chance to sell — or upsell — your products and services with that kind of attention.
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Companies may create and grow their brands by hosting or participating in events. The major purpose for conducting events, according to 64% of event marketers, is to raise brand recognition for their firm or products. You may link a physical identity and appearance with an otherwise digital business through event marketing. Events, like pop-up stores, allow a fully immersive experience for consumers and customers to get a true sense of your brand and how it appears in person. What is the most appealing aspect of using events to raise brand awareness? People discuss current events. Consumers, customers, journalists, bystanders, and influencers all talk about events in person, on social media, in the press, etc., making them an excellent opportunity to educate and alert people about your brand and goods.
There is almost always an educational component to each event that your firm sponsors or participates in. That's why event marketing is so effective: it's not just focused on a brand or product. Rather, they concentrate on informing and entertaining a certain population or sector... On the side, promote items and services. (In fact, this makes for excellent marketing in general.)
Creating an Event Marketing Plan
Let's talk about how you can put your next event together. A marketing plan for your events should be independent of any other marketing efforts you make for your company. Although you can cross-promote (for example, sharing event details on corporate social media and vice versa), it's best to treat event marketing as a separate campaign approach.
Here are some questions to consider as you plan your next event marketing campaign.
Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely goals are referred to as SMART goals. You may avoid running with broad goals like "bring in leads" by keeping your goals SMART. SMART objectives serve a dual purpose: they steer you while you organise and execute your event, and they help you determine whether or not it was a success (and, if it wasn't, how to improve).
"Grow our potential leads list for our new product by 100 names by the conclusion of the event," for example, is a SMART event marketing target. This goal is specific (prospective leads for only the new product), measurable (100 names), attainable and relevant (assuming the event is relevant and there are more than enough attendees to get 100 names), and time-bound (assuming the event is relevant and there are more than enough attendees to get 100 names) (by the end of the event).
You must know what information and material to advertise to market your event. Establish the name, topic, brand, and goal of your event before going on. What are the benefits of attending? What will they get out of it? Is your event a subsidiary of your firm or a separate entity?
Next, decide on the location and timing of the event. Attendees are likely to ask these questions the most. Then, look into and plan out your event's agenda, including keynote speakers, workshop sessions, entertainment, and gathering and networking periods. You don't have to have all of them in place before you start marketing your event, but you should have a good sense of who will be attending and what you'll be offering them.
Define whom you want to reach. Who would be the most benefited by your event? What kind of individuals would be interested in attending your seminars, learning from your speakers, and interacting with your sponsors? Establishing your target audience will assist you in identifying and investing in the most appropriate marketing channels. In today's technologically crowded market, social media and your event website are provided outlets. Consider using paper ads if your event is local.
For starters, you'll need to know what, when, where, why, who, and how to promote your event. To effectively handle all of this data, you'll need to devise a strategy for generating and controlling it. You'll be faced with publishing, updating, and modifying information for months leading up to the event because your event specifics are unlikely to be available all at once. Will you send out a newsletter? Who will be responsible for keeping the website up to date? Will you invest in an event app so that attendees have access to this information at all times?
It's ideal to publicise your event in the weeks and months preceding it to keep your audience interested. It is helpful to create a promotion schedule so that you know when and what to release. As you disclose additional names or information at different periods, a timeline like this helps stimulate your attendees' interest. It's also a good idea to put together a multi-touch promotion. To reach the largest number of people, use a range of methods (email, social media, direct mail, phone calls, print advertisements, and sponsored commercials). Simply spreading the word might result in a significant increase in registrations.
When it comes to marketing your event, it doesn't have to end once it starts. Devote some time and resources to publicising your event while it takes place. Attendees may learn something new about the services provided, and those who did not register will be intrigued as to what they are missing out on. Most businesses utilise social media to keep people informed about their events while they are taking place. During the event, 73% of firms use social media to advertise specific events and features, 55% use it to publish images, and 35% use it to highlight product announcements.
It's easy to glance around a crowded gathering and feel good about your attendance and involvement. Is this, however, the best approach to determine whether or not your event was a success? Most likely not. Setting some key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess and analyse your event's performance, just like any other marketing effort, is a good idea. Organizing and putting on an event is a difficult endeavour. However, if you use a "snackable" approach, you'll be arranging your first event in no time.
Event marketing may be the best answer for you — and the most enjoyable for your consumers — whether you're looking to amuse new clients, develop your contact list, or raise money for your non-profit. Organizing and putting on an event is a difficult endeavour. However, if you use a "snackable" approach, you'll be arranging your first event in no time.