Strategies for Getting the Most Out of Your Marketing Events

Marketing events can boost your brand visibility and help you connect with new consumers.

You also have a chance to network with associates and convince potential investors that your business is a hot commodity while hosting a conference or giveaway. 

However, you need to advertise your event effectively if you want to maximize your ROI. There’s no point in throwing an expensive event if it only attracts unqualified leads and folks looking for a free lunch. 

Make the most out of your event by starting your pre-event planning early. This will give you a chance to use data during the decision-making process and will minimize your risk of throwing a flop of an event. 

1. Have a Clear Budget and a Strategic Data Oriented Plan

Consumer data is key to your efforts as a marketer. It's crucial to have a clear budget and a strong understanding of your objectives for a successful event. An effective data analysis strategy can give you key insights into consumer preferences and supercharge your reputation management programs as well. 

Make the most of your marketing spend by gathering data at your event. At a minimum, you should gather useful metrics like: 

• Attendee demographics; 

• Contact information;  

• Session attendance and interests; 

• Social media engagement;

• Purchasing intent.

These data points will help you assess the effectiveness of the event and will give your sales team a chance to follow up with highly qualified leads. 

Use registration forms to find out key demographic details. Try to promote the use of digital forms at your event, as this will minimize the amount of time you need to spend collating data later on. You can also track attendee activities using lanyards, QR codes, and RFID scanners. This will help you assess the popularity of your event and give you a more detailed post-event breakdown. 

2. Focus on Key Metrics Including Recent Trends such as Sustainability and Carbon Footprint

As a modern marketer, you need to take your commitments to climate change seriously if you want to land loyal, repeat customers. Studies reveal that 85% of consumers have become ‘greener’ in their purchasing habits and young consumers routinely pick eco-friendly brands. 

Consider hosting a sustainable outdoor event if you want to connect with climate-conscious consumers. Offer alternative forms of transport to attendees like bike rentals, shuttles, and public transport links. This will reduce your event’s carbon footprint and will look great in advertisements. 

Decrease waste at your event by using a digital ticketing system. This will reduce paper usage and minimize the need for re-printing. You’ll also save the carbon costs associated with packaging, as folks will get their tickets immediately through their emails or associated apps. 

3. Survey Your Attendees and Get Their Feedback

Data collection is a key part of running an effective event. However, some insights can’t be quantified as points on a graph. You’ll need to use surveys to gather qualitative insights from your attendees to get the most out of your marketing event. 

Get more from your consumer surveys by clarifying the purpose of the questions before folks get a chance to fill in forms. This will help attendees understand the value of their feedback and improve the veracity of their contributions. 

Design your questionnaires mindfully by keeping the prompts concise. Folks don’t want to read a paragraph before they can answer the question and will likely skip over important details. Give respondents plenty of time to answer your question and consider incentivizing participation with a freebie or perk.

4. Promote Discounts for Loyal Customers and Sponsorships to Increase Attendance

Get the most out of your marketing event by promoting discounts to loyal clients and focus on building strong ties with brands to sponsor your events in order to increase attendance. Also, pay particular attention to highly qualified leads who attend your function, as these folks will be prime targets for your sales team. Attract even more consumers by making your event as eco-friendly as possible. This will boost your brand image and help you connect with a new generation of younger consumers.