Trade shows, seminars, off-premise sales, conferences, webinars – online or offline, these are all great examples of event marketing. As marketers, event marketing can be an extremely valuable strategy to reach your potential and current customers. At mXtr, our clients are taking good old fashioned event marketing to the next level by combining it with the power of marketing automation.
Let’s take the concept of an actual in person, on-site event. For example, in the automotive space, it could be an off-premise sale; perhaps an open house for a home builder; or an educational seminar for an elder law attorney. Adding a marketing automation component to the mix can greatly impact the pre-event, post-event and even the during-event strategy.
Here are a few thoughts on how automation can help each area:
Pre-Event
Registration – the entire registration process can be set once, and then automated to guarantee that each registration is handled in a consistent manner.
Content – Share relevant content as it relates to the event and track the interaction of each attendee.
Logistics – simple last minute details such as hotels, directions or even on-site appointment scheduling can be handled efficiently.
During-Event
New Leads – as new contacts are gained at the event, they can be added to the database for immediate and timely communication. A “nice to meet you” email automatically sent just hours after the initial introduction can be extremely powerful.
During Event Announcements – keep in touch with your contacts during the show. Keep them informed of where you will be, activities at the booth or after-hours social events.
Post-Event
Follow Up – of course each contact needs to be followed up on after the show, why not have a basic follow communication strategy already in place that is activated by each visit to the booth. Again, bringing some consistency to touch points with new connections.
Feedback – part of the follow up strategy might be to gain feedback from your customers and prospects. How did they enjoy the event? What went well? What could have gone better?
Education / Nurture – in most cases, new prospects need to be further educated on the product or service featured at the event. An educational nurture program can help this process and greatly assist the sales team on taking the prospect to the next step.
Of course these are just a few of the areas that automation can assist with event marketing. The key is developing a strategy in advance and leveraging the power of marketing automation to bring consistency and efficiency to your program.
If you would like to talk more about putting the power of marketing automation to work for your next event, give us a call today.
