Since the explosion of digital marketing, a universe of new possibilities have become available to 21st century businesses. The rise of innumerable new communication channels mean that getting the word out about your product or service has never been easier – and any company failing to utilise the array of new and innovative marketing tools at their disposable is quite simply missing out on new business. The marketing revolution is on the horizon and the future is in experiential marketing.
The ‘Experience’ Factor
Event marketing is by no means a new concept, but it’s certainly one that’s experienced a metamorphosis since the digital boom. The detached and impersonal practices associated with old-school marketing lack the engagement aspect of live events – where prospective customers and clients can get to know your brand and your product up close and personal. Live demonstrations, seminars and face-to-face networking are just some of experiential marketing’s many assets, bringing new and valuable dimensions to your marketing efforts.
Traditional marketing is a potentially powerful albeit one-dimensional means of communicating with your demographic. Taking the experiential route offers a chance to engage all of the senses at once – and to follow up your bottom-line sales pitch with a one-to-one conversation with future customers. Physical takeaways including product samples and reading materials may be simple initiatives, but it’s worth remembering that anything extra you can give your attendees is an extra reason and reminder to convert.
Attendance & Participation
An event is nothing without attendees – and simply deciding to take your business to an event in no way guarantees numbers. If you’re holding an industry event in the hope of engaging with your customer base, you’ll need to let them know – and thanks to the digital marketing movement, getting the word out should be a breeze. Use social media to your advantage when taking your business on the road by alerting your audience to the event – informing them that you’ll be there and tempting them with all the awesome things they can expect from you.
Twitter is the ideal social network for building hype on the countdown to an industry event, with businesses able to provide information on an upcoming event, launch relevant hashtags ahead of the big day and even drop local journalists a line for some extra exposure. Get in on any relevant conversations happening on Twitter and plug the event where relevant to guarantee maximum attendance.
Engagement Tools
Mobile marketing should be a weapon in every business’s marketing armoury, with the immediacy and accessibility of the mobile platform enhancing every aspect of a live industry event. Encouraging attendees to check-in via mobile offers a sense of novelty to attendees and an incentive for engagement, while promoting live tweeting throughout the day maximises exposure and gets your audience talking about your industry – and perhaps even your product or service. Offer a prize to the most engaged attendee or attendees and you’ll be amazed at the impact that has on audience interaction.
The event itself is an ideal place to really showcase your business’s assets – and, more importantly, your unique selling point. This uniqueness should be the basis of your marketing strategy, so ensure that your space at the event offers visual stimuli, interactive elements or extra incentives that others don’t – setting your business apart from other industry players.
By taking your business to your customer base, you can find unparalleled brand exposure and engage with your demographic in a direct and valuable way. Through effective experiential marketing, businesses now have the chance to see one-dimensional traditional marketing evolve into a legitimate dialogue.
The Events Structure is the UK’s biggest single source provider of self-drive promotional trucks, exhibition trailers and mobile event venues. Our wide choice and fully flexible approach means we have the ideal solution to all of your experiential marketing needs.