Generating Leads Through Event Marketing

It's getting harder and more expensive to generate leads through events. What used to be a slam-dunk for sales teams looking to drum up new leads and convert existing opportunities into signed deals is no longer such an easy sell. Customers are busier than they used to be, which means they're wary of taking the time to attend events in-person.

The new key to success with events is easy though. Here's how to evolve your event success:   

a) go digital (think webinars)

b) get creative with everything - especially with in-person event strategy   

The two main types of event marketing that generate the most amount of leads are

1. Trade shows
2. Webinars. 

With a dynamic approach and lead generation strategy, these two types of events generate the highest ROI and the most amount of leads in the shortest period of time.  Below are some considerations that will enhance your success. 

Memorable Trade shows:

1. Identify Tier 1 Shows – List top industry trade shows that attract your target audience.
2. Organize – Give yourself enough time to plan and budget accordingly. Think about which of your team members you want to attend the show, walk the floor and man your booth.
3. Real Estate – Consult with the trade show managers and find the right location for your booth to ensure maximum visibility. Corner booths are the most popular as you get traffic from different directions. Make sure it’s visible and close to networking sections (i.e food/coffee or cell phone charging stations).
4. Branding – Design your booth so that it stands out and speaks to your brand.
5. Communication – Think about ways you can attract attendees to your booth and collect their data. Strategies about how you’d go about collecting the right leads and what questions you’d ask to qualify them.
6. Entice – Thinks about something cool to giveaway at the trade show. Make sure the swag is displayed and visible to by passers. Once you have their attention and desire for the give-away, be sure to ask all your qualifying questions before you give them a prize.  
7. Sales Collateral - Sales collateral that you can hand out at the show is extremely important. Take your company brochures, business cards as well any other collateral you’d want to share with your prospects.
8. Prepare – Provide your staff with the tools (e.g., tips and tricks) to collect the right leads and have meaningful conversations. Make sure they are aware of the show goals and are briefed on every detail.

Captivating Webinars:

1. Hook Them with Topic – Think about a niche topic and focus on your message
2. Know Your Audience – Deliver content that is relevant to them
3. Host Company – Ensure that you work with a good hosting company so that you don’t encounter any issues
4. Clear Call to Action – Think about the type of webinar it will be and what your call to actions are
5. Approach – Give yourself enough time to market the webinar to obtain the highest amount of attendees
6. User Friendly – Make it easy for people to sign up for the webinar and share it afterwards
7. Lastly, reach out to relevant industry associations or magazines for partnerships. It will help you generate more leads by marketing to their lists

Most importantly... Follow up with your target audience right after the show/webinar.  Make sure you don’t waste your time with unqualified leads; it’s about quality, not quantity. Lastly, ensure the qualified leads are forwarded to your marketing professionals so that they can include them in future campaigns. 

Interested in learning more about lead generation? Read a case study on a year-long campaign featuring events, digital marketing and lead generation, which resulted in over 600 new leads. Click here to download.