Conferences and events offer you a great opportunity to market your business face-to-face. Maybe you’ve been asked to give a presentation or received an invite to a conference and you want to showcase a new service or product. However, you shouldn’t overlook the fact that as well as being a great face-to-face opportunity, events can also improve your digital presence as well (take it from us we are a Digital Marketing Agency Manchester after all.)
Think of it this way. Every aspect of your face-to-face activity can be translated into digital activity, and digital activity can easily be translated into face-to-face activity as well. This way, every time you go to an event or conference you will approach it with the mindset that any conversations you have and content you create can be used online.
From the point of view of an Online Marketing Agency Manchester, if you happen to meet an industry expert at your next event – why not connect with them on social media and ask them to follow your business back? You could also snap a picture with them and post it online and tag them in it. Make the most of every opportunity you get, and it will soon become second nature.
#1 Create an Event Landing Page
Even if you are not hosting the event, create an event landing page to share key information and invite people along to meet you there. You can easily share the URL of the landing page with customers and colleagues, through social media and email campaigns. You can also share it with the event organisers, event listing sites and local publications as this is a great way to attract links back to your website.
To make your event landing page, the best and most engaging, make sure to include:
- An event guide explaining exactly what not to miss out on – such as travel tips, where to eat and where to stay.
- Link to any blog posts or videos you have created about the event (and to your social channels as well)
- Make sure all relevant content, such as presentations or product demonstrations, are downloadable – this way it is more likely they will be shared
#2 Run a Competition
Run a competition, prize draw or special offer that is specific to the event and the people who will be attending it. Host the competition on your website, and promote it on your social channels – you could even create a specific email campaign around it including a link back to your landing page (see point 1 above.)
One crucial point to make very clear is that your competition must include the fact that people HAVE to attend the event in order to win the prize. This way people will not only engage with your brand online but also face-to-face at the event which will give you the opportunity to build a much stronger relationship with them.
Some competition ideas you could use include:
- Hiding an envelope containing a prize at the event
- Asking entrees to post a picture of your business at the event and tag you in it
Again, this will not only ensure you get a lot of engagement on your social profiles but on your website as well – and generate a lot of links back to your site as well.
#3 Write lots of blogs and press releases
Write, write, write and write some more. Write about the build-up to the event, write about the event itself, write about what you learnt at the event and what’s coming up next year. The more content you can create around the event, the better. Make people want to attend.
If you are going to be showcasing a new product or service, then make sure you write a press release to send to relevant industry publications. This can help to generate interest and excitement around the launch, as well as backlinks to your website as well.
Make sure you write up a brief recap of every day. It sounds like a lot of work but well worth it. Share insights from industry experts and let them know you have mentioned them – they might share it with their followers or link back to it from their site.
#4 Network like a pro
For many businesses attending events and shows is the only opportunity to meet their customers face-to-face – so you should use this to your advantage. Work hard to build personal relationships with customers and industry professionals, by building trust and ensuring you share their values.
Engage in conversations with people and encourage them to follow you on social media and maybe even sign up for your email newsletter as well. Nurture relationships for mutual benefit.
#5 Create as much Video content as you can
74% of customers have bought a product after watching a video explainer or demo – so you need to capture as much of the event as you can on video. For maximum impact, you should ensure your video is embedded on your event page so that everyone can see it, whether they attend the event or not.
You should also upload your video to YouTube as well, as it is the second most popular search engine but it also allows its videos to be visible in Google search results – so two birds with one stone. The potential reach of one video is therefore huge.
One last point to remember is that whatever event you are attending you should always be active on social media. If you want to find out more about how you can do this, then get in touch with us today. We are the leading social media agency Manchester after all.
