This article is based on a 2020 study from Krzysztof Celuch: “Customers’ experience of purchasing event tickets: mining online reviews based on topic modeling and sentiment analysis”, University of Torun.
As the saying goes, there’s nothing quite like face-to-face interaction for building strong relationships and making business deals. This is why event marketing remains a key component of most corporate marketing strategies, despite the growth of digital marketing. But with budgets under pressure, it’s more important than ever for companies to measure the return on their investment in events. That’s why we’ve put together some of the best practices for event marketing, based on in-depth research and interviews with event practitioners.
Integrating Technology into Your Company’s Information Systems
Event marketing software that integrates with your company’s information systems can help streamline the event planning and delivery process, while also providing valuable data insights. This software can help your team work more efficiently and deliver a better customer experience. It also provides easy access to data, such as real-time event insights, which can be segmented by customer type, to support better follow-up after the event.
Measuring the Right Metrics
It’s important to measure the right metrics when it comes to events. Different types of events have different goals, so it’s essential to use stage-appropriate metrics to measure success. For example, lead generation metrics are appropriate for sponsorships and partner events, while pipeline acceleration and revenue metrics are better for VIP dinners. User conferences should be measured for customer renewal and growth, and in-store events for sales increases.
Adopting a Bias Toward Hosted Events
Hosting events gives your company more control over the customer experience and can drive greater business value. According to our survey, four out of ten respondents say their organizations plan to spend more on hosting events in the year ahead, compared to three out of ten who plan to spend more on sponsoring events.
Getting Involved Beyond the Booth
Sponsoring events is a great way to reach customers, but to get the most out of your investment, it’s important to get involved beyond the booth. Participating broadly in the event can drive deeper engagement, such as scheduling satellite events like dinners and receptions after hours. Having executives make presentations can also position your company as an industry expert and drive booth traffic.
Unlocking the Power of Data
Events provide valuable data that can help you personalize your marketing efforts and improve the customer experience. By capturing high-quality data from every touchpoint, you can gain deep insights into attendees’ preferences, which can inform future personalized marketing efforts and support in-depth event measurement.
The Power of Event Marketing
The digital revolution has given businesses more ways than ever to reach customers, but event marketing remains a critical component of most corporate marketing strategies. Companies understand that there’s no substitute for the dynamic interaction that comes from meeting face-to-face, and events are a key way to build relationships and drive business. But with budgets under pressure, it’s essential to measure the results of event marketing, which is why the latest generation of event marketing software is so valuable.
Early adopters of this technology, including some of the world’s largest tech companies, are seeing the benefits, both in terms of measuring the ROI of their events and expanding their event budgets to drive new business.
In conclusion, event marketing is a powerful tool for building relationships and driving business, but it’s essential to measure the results of your efforts. By adopting best practices such as integrating technology, measuring the right metrics, hosting events, getting involved beyond the booth, and unlocking the power of data, you can maximize the impact of your event marketing efforts and achieve success.
