Whether you are launching a new product or brand or planning an internal corporate event, events help you promote your business and align employees with company goals. In addition, events can help you prove ROI to stakeholders and investors. However, before you start planning, you need to decide on goals. This will determine how you measure success.
A good way to measure success is by establishing SMART goals. These goals are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. When setting goals, consider all of the possible ways that your target audience can engage with your business. For example, if your goal is to educate and engage with current customers, then you might measure the number of attendees, the number of demos or upsells given, and the number of on-site conversations.
If your goal is to educate and engage with prospective customers, then you can measure the number of impressions, the number of on-site conversations, and the number of new contacts collected. If your goal is to attract new customers, you can measure the number of registrations and paid advertisements, as well as the number of social posts shared.
Regardless of your goal, you will need a viable plan for creating content. The content you create should be targeted to your specific audience. If you have a large audience, then you might want to consider a multi-touch marketing campaign, which includes email, direct mail, social media, and print ads.
In addition, you should consider partnering with other businesses, especially non-competing companies. For example, a local business might be willing to sponsor a local meetup, giving you the opportunity to interact with potential customers in your community. This can help you generate new customers and create a positive image of your brand.
Event marketing can also be combined with other marketing strategies. For example, you can use Facebook ads to retarget people who visited your website before the event. You can also host a live stream to engage viewers and create a community atmosphere. The higher the quality of your live stream, the more valuable your audience will be.
In addition, if your goal is to generate new leads, you might want to create a dedicated post-click landing page for your event. This page will collect prospect information, so you will need to create a lead capture form that is easy to complete. This form should also be short and to the point. You may want to offer freebies or other incentives as a thank-you for converting.
Another way to measure success is by analyzing your post-event follow-up. This is a great way to show appreciation to your best customers and increase testimonials and customer satisfaction. If you’re able to convert leads from the event, you can follow up by sending emails with special offers or by promoting the event on social media.
Before you begin planning an event, consider the following: the location, the purpose, the theme, the date, who will write the content, and how you’ll promote the event. Once you’ve outlined your goals, you can start drafting content and marketing plans.