Event Marketing
Online events connect presenters and participants through a Web-based interface and can be less costly than live events while letting you easily reach a geographically dispersed audience.
Webinars typically feature a specific topic and last anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. These can be delivered in real time or on-demand and are often interactive.
Virtual events are real time events where individuals can participate in a virtual environment that has the look and feel of an offline event, like a trade show.
Live streaming events are events you can stream to viewers by using a simple webcam or employing a full production crew for higher quality broadcasting, like a webinar.
Traditional events are the live, in-person events you've traditionally led or sponsored. These can take the form of a dinner, training, workshop or learning opportunity. Traditional events can carry a higher price tag and require several months of planning to be successful. There's plenty of opportunity for digital marketing before, during, and after the event!
Use a mix of communication methods to generate registrations. Invitations and registration should be finalized at least three full weeks before the event takes place.
Email promotion should begin as soon as the event date is confirmed. Consider a "Save the Date" to allow customers and prospects to mark their calendars.
Social media - leverage your company's social media profile similarly to give customers and prospects the heads up about the event.
Segmentation is vital to getting the right attendees with a focus on demographics like persona, job title, industry and location to target your best prospects and ensure your current customer base attends.
During an event, social networks offer an opportunity for audience interaction. Create a hashtag to follow - for those who are attending and those who can't attend.
If you're on a low budget event, capture some photos or short videos using your smartphone or digital camera. Use these for social media, post event emails, blogs etc.
If budget allows, hire a videographer! Events can be a great time to capture testimonials from customers or get all the execs in one room for a company video.
Also consider the use of software like digital check-in, wireless badge printing and a mobile application for an interactive experience.
Proper follow-up will set you apart from the competition and keep you fresh in the minds of prospects. Before the event begins, relevant email follow-ups should be finalized and ready to deploy within hours after the event takes place.
If the event featured technical content, consider sharing it with attendees by hosting it on your website or on a social channel so they can access it for future use.
After someone attends an event, make sure they are guided down your funnel. Lead nurturing and lead scoring processes are critical to a comprehensive lead management strategy. And ROI should be measured before and after the event, with strategy adjustment as needed.
How to Guides for Webinars & In-Person Events
Marketing Velocity Central has several resources to help you create promotional emails for events and landing pages and even manage your leads.
Please ensure that you are logged into Marketing Velocity Central using your CCO credentials before visiting these links:
CYO: https://mvc.cisco.com/CYOvirtualevent