The Power of Live Events
So, you’ve nailed your social media marketing. Your email outreach is second to none, and your direct marketing is drawing potential customers to your website. What else could you possibly do to improve your marketing strategy?
It’s time to put yourself out there. Jump in the car, hop on the train or catch the bus – and make yourself known at live events. Whether your business lies in B2B or B2C, trade events, networking events and expos could be an untapped market worth making the most of. A recent survey of over 1,000 senior marketers found that the most successful businesses spend nearly twice as much on live event marketing as the average business, and the majority of these marketers planned to invest more into live events in the future – both in terms of budget and number of events.*
Here’s a few things to bear in mind before you dive in:
Raise your profile
By appearing at events, you can position your brand as active and involved within your industry. Signalling your presence within the industry will raise the profile of your brand and contribute to your credibility, thus underpinning your entire marketing strategy.
You will be able to make valuable new contacts at events and establish relationships. No matter how strong your outreach is, there’s no substitute for face to face communication when it comes to developing relationships – so spending time with all of your visitors whether they’re a prospective client or otherwise will encourage them to seek you out in the future. People love working with people, and by making them feel valuable and worth your time you will build a strong rapport.
Think about Return on Investment
As with any element of your marketing strategy, you’ll be looking to measure your success at events. That said, tracking your ROI for this particular activity is rarely an exact science.
You can look at lead generation and conversion, coverage and sign-ups, but it’s important to bear in mind that the benefit of events can go beyond tangible statistics. Be prepared to take a holistic view of your performance at events over a period of time, and remember it’s worth targeting which events you’ll attend with your ideal outcomes in mind.
Have the materials to back it up
It’s crucial that you have information to hand for anybody who is interested in your business. You should have high-quality literature available at the event in the form of business cards and flyers for visitors to take away which will link to your website and social media.
The content on your website and social media platforms must, therefore, also be reflective of your brand. Potential customers are likely to look to your website for more information, so ensure that it is readily available and presented in the right tone of voice. Your social media pages should support your message and act as a platform to showcase your successes.
Events marketing represents a significant opportunity within a comprehensive marketing strategy. Whether you are looking to raise brand awareness, meet prospective clients or generate leads, attending events is an effective way to gain a foothold in the market.
If you’d like more advice on events marketing, or assistance with your social media activity and website copy in preparation, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.
*Bizzabo’s ‘Event Marketing 2019: Benchmarks and Trends’
