Experience marketing is one of the more traditional methods of raising awareness of a brand or launching a new product or service. It has come back into vogue of late thanks to a shift in mindset and a return to old-fashioned values, which includes a more personalised, memorable marketing experience. People like to be part of the action and a well-planned event meets the criteria.

Nothing kicks off a marketing campaign quite like a live event. With fanfare and flashing lights, potential customers can experience a new brand, product or service in a more tangible way than can ever be achieved digitally.

Tapping into all the senses, a marketing event can prove to be a big crowd-puller if the ingredients are right. Marking a launch with a big bang doesn’t have to stop there. Follow-up digital coverage is ideal for further leverage and, combined with a proactive online campaign pre and post the big day, it can maximise impact as well as prolong awareness and add to an array of connectivity opportunities to ensure a wider reach.

With a canny use of hashtags, messaging and images, even those clients who didn’t attend your event cannot fail to hear what a hit it was as well as what it was promoting. Remember the memories live on long after the party is over.

Get you party feet on!

Three steps to successful events marketing:

Create a buzz
Ensure the FOMO (fear of missing out) effect
Keep the campaign alive online

And you don’t necessarily require a big budget either. Here are some key factors to consider…

What you do need is an agency well versed in venue sourcing, innovative ideas and a backlog of happy clients.

Here are some further factors to consider:

Will the agency build an events website or webpage specifically to host information about the event ad/or to book on?

Whilst an event is all about the tangible real-life experience, the starting point will be in the virtual world and that requires an easy-to-navigate journey to an online touch point.

If your chosen agency isn’t developing a page for your event, Eventbrite offers an alternative. Either way, the content needs to be compelling to ensure you entice guest list to attend. Topic, time and venue are the three essentials but the agency should also understand the benefits of attending to those invited. It may be a takeaway gift, the chance to listen to a renowned speaker in any given field or a great networking opportunity. Flag up other key attendees, too, so they understand who to expect as well as what.

Does the agency partner with a photographer or videographer to capture the big day for posterity? Ensuring guests feature in short promos or social media posts after the event can create great opportunities for shareable content.

Will they create a logo and artwork to promote the event on social media and a solid and planned email marketing campaign?

Do they email out on your behalf? The subject line needs to make an instant connection to ensure a high open rate. What research and data do they draw on to establish the best times to send out invitations? What is the lead-time and how frequently do they send emails? How do they enhance the invitation? Video thumbnails in emails reportedly can improve clickthrough rates. Testimonials from any previous events also add kudos. Consider early bird discounts and promotion codes and email frequently, adding further delights as the event draws closer. Even at the last knockings, a ‘just a reminder’ email can tap into any latecomers who intended to book but may have forgotten.

Add links to the events page in your email signature as another way of capturing interest. And use in any social media bios, too. Sent visitors direct to the events page rather than your brand’s landing page.

Get active

In the run-up to the event, ask the agency if social media posts are part of their service. Are there sponsors to thanks, testimonials to share or new speakers to add?

Do they use auto-response email? Do they write the pre-event marketing?

In essence, connect, mention, post, tweet and link.

Incentivise others to market the event, too, by mentioning keynote speakers or prominent VIP guests if there are any. Will the events marketing agency commission writers to create profile articles that you can share with industry media or on your company website? If so, ensure the agency engages on social media using their account details to ensure plenty of shares.

There are many forms of event marketing and each can be catered to address a brand’s specific goals. An event can build stronger relationships existing customers as well as forge new ones.

Events offer a one-on-one opportunity for brands to connect with customers, sharing key trends and industry insights at any given event also offers customers added value.

If there are giveaways and/or major speakers, then this improves your business profile – putting you in the realms of an industry leader, perhaps.

However, it is important your chosen events marketing agency ensures a one-off event keeps giving and uses social media to leverage further coverage.

‘Now we can put on an amazing intimate event that may only have 200 in attendance but it is being followed by many, many more across social platforms.

Mixing the correct measure of digital with the ‘old school’ (that’s still ok) marketing practices is crucial to getting the perfect consumer loyalty cocktail’

SOURCE: Toby Havord, experiential account director at Identity

Events provide marketers with the opportunity to get highly personal with customers new and old, making it easier to form relationships and turn a networking opportunity into real-life sales.

Events reportedly offer a better ROI than any other marketing opportunity and so long as your chosen agency maximises the impact and keep the conversation long after the party’s over, it makes sense to engage with your customers in this traditional way.