NEWSFLASH; EVENTS ARE MARKETING!
I am a firm believer that events should be a part of every business’s marketing strategy (within reason, of course). And yes, I know, I am bound to say that because I am an Event Manager. But seriously, when events are done right, you can really reap the benefits in more ways than one!
If you want to attract new clients and propel your brand you should be implementing a regular events programme in your marketing plan every year. There’s a wide range of event types which can be specifically tailored to align with your business goals. To learn more about the different event types and the objectives of each, head over to my event management page here. In this blog we will explore strategies to help you attract new clients through events and elevate your business to new levels of success.
Pre-Event Preparation
- Who is your target audience?
- Think demographics. What do you already know about them? Ensure the type of event you are hosting is something that will appeal to their interests, needs and wants.
- What does success look like?
- Eg. Increasing brand exposure, generating qualified leads or a tangible touchpoint.
- What’s your brand identity?
- The event should reflect your brand and create an experience which the attendees won’t forget.
Engagement Strategies
- Social media
- Create a pre-event buzz and make it easy for the attendees to tell others about the event. Send them graphics and hashtags they can use pre (and during) the event to share their excitement and experience across numerous platforms.
- Thought Leadership
- Host workshops, seminars or presentations that are relevant to your industry and field. This is a great way to educate the market, create networking opportunities and build credibility and trust.
- Activities
- Provide some fun and interactive activities that encourage guests to mix and mingle and start meaningful conversations, whilst creating memorable experiences.
Networking
- Direct Outreach
- Do your research. Which companies/attendees do you want in the room? Make contact with them before the event and send a message, encourage them to come along to the event and strike up a conversation prior.
- Strategic Partnerships
- Collaborating with other businesses which align with yours will increase the visibility of your event and broaden the network reach, allowing for a more successful event.
Data and Follow up
- Lead Capture
- Collecting information from attendees is vital. The best way is to use technology such as lead capture apps or QR codes.
- Follow-up
- Taking the time to thank your guests for coming and leaving a lasting impression through sharing photos or additional resources will strengthen the connections you have made.
- Cultivate relationships
- Build a customer journey to stay connected with the guests long term. As part of the lead capture you can ask them their permission to be contacted post event with updates and valuable content which showcases your business offering.
Post Event Evaluation
- Collect Feedback
- Send the attendees a feedback form post event. What did they enjoy? What could be improved? You could even incentivize them to fill it out with a prize.
- Internal Debrief
- Meet with the event team and refer back to ‘what does success look like?’ How many leads did you get? Did you close any deals? Has brand awareness increased? (you could look at social platforms to establish this). This information can be used to define your strategy for future events.
To conclude, in order to attract clients through events you need to be prepared to put the time and effort into pre-planning, engagement and follow up. Having an event strategy is key to success, without this your ROI could be very low and result in a waste of time, energy and resource.