If you’re planning to celebrate someone’s birthday, presents are typically only part of the occasion. The other essential element is usually a party attended by the guest of honor’s favorite people. That’s because we frequently value experiences just as much if not more than material goods.
If you reflect on your fondest memories, they likely involve people and shared adventures rather than things. Research confirms that investing in doing rather than possessing something makes us happier: One study published by the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology in May 2020 found that when a group of people received $20 each and instructions to spend it on either an experiential or material purchase, the individuals who went to sports games or out to dinner reported significantly higher levels of contentment compared to those who spent the funds on new clothes or jewelry.
The fact that most people prefer memorable experiences to material goods is important to keep in mind as you consider your marketing strategy. Hosting events is a great way to boost brand awareness, attract new customers, and strengthen existing relationships.
Investing in event marketing comes with numerous advantages, according to the Adobe Cloud Experience Blog:
- Capturing more leads
- Increasing your brand value
- Improving customer engagement
- Enhancing your brand’s presence and value
- Promoting new or existing products
If you’re wondering how to plan an effective promotional event for your business, here are some essential event marketing tips based on information from industry experts and the Stratosphere team’s experience hosting events.
1. Reach out to sponsors early.
High-profile sponsors will attract attendees and assure them that your event is legitimate and worthwhile, according to Adobe. Reach out to your business partners and contacts with a variety of potential sponsorship levels to gauge their interest far ahead of the event date to ensure you have some co-conspirators on board before you start publicizing your plans and inviting prospects.
2. Define your target audience and compile a list for outreach.
Think about who you want to engage. What are their job titles, hobbies, and interests? This will help you determine what type of event you should host and compile a list of people to invite via email and other means of outreach. Email is one of the most effective ways to get the word out about a gathering, with 39 percent of marketers reporting email tools as the biggest contributors to successful events, according to HubSpot.
In addition to prospective clients, you should consider your current accounts and add high-value ones to the list of invitees. Salesforce recommends reviewing your CRM data and consulting with your sales team to identify targets as part of an account-based marketing strategy.
You should also investigate which news outlets and social media platforms your target demographic favors so you can promote your event in those places. For example, if you want to attract CEOs to your shindig, posting and messaging prospective attendees on LinkedIn will probably be more effective than focusing on Facebook.
3. Create and distribute content promoting your event.
You’ll need to put together promotional materials and establish a way to communicate event details to attendees. The content you’ll need to compile includes the following:
- A sequence of emails inviting people on your list of prospects
- A series of emails reminding people about the event after they register
- Social media posts promoting the event
- A registration page/landing page with all the details and where people can sign up
- A welcome booklet including the agenda and background info on presenters and sponsors
- A press release including quotes from your sponsors
4. Consider your goals and how you’ll define success.
The number of attendees isn’t necessarily the best measure of an influential promotional event. Here are some other metrics to consider, as suggested by HubSpot:
- Registration versus actual attendance rate
- Cost-to-revenue ratio
- Leads acquired from the event
- Conversion rate of attendees
- Social media mentions
5. Don’t forget the swag.
If you want attendees to have a great time from start to finish, don’t let them leave empty handed. Swag bags full of branded goodies like pens, key chains, koozies, and other favors offer another chance to keep your company top-of-mind with current and prospective clients.
If you’re interested in providing awesome customer experiences through event planning and other means, don’t hesitate to reach out to our technology consultants. Based on our decades of experience in IT, we can identify solutions (e.g., cloud contact center software and customer relationship management platforms) that support exceptional customer service. With Stratosphere on your side, you can transform with confidence.
Get started today by calling 877-599-3999 or emailing sales@stratospherenetworks.com.
