You and your company have committed to hosting an experiential event, and the idea of it all is intimidating. Lots of “what if’s” start to creep into your head:
What if nobody comes?
What if people think our event is boring?
What if something goes wrong and it goes viral on social media?
What if we invested all this money and it didn’t work?
Enough with the “what ifs!” With the right plan of attack, you’ll be able to make the most out of an experiential event. Here’s how.
Why you should invest in an experiential event
In the past few years, the most effective way to market a brand has shifted. Online advertising yields little results causing companies to invest in experiential marketing. The Harvard Business Review said that in 2018, 93% of event marketers say their companies prioritize hosting experiential marketing events. The motivation to do so comes from the way to track a campaign’s success. The Harvard Business Review explains, “Marketers are under increasing pressure to demonstrate value for the dollars they spend on all forms of marketing, including events. Until recently, doing this was problematic; marketers simply had no efficient and reliable way to track the results of their event activity at scale.” Now that data and lead generation software is more available, companies can track which events are converting into sales, making them more inclined to host an experiential event.
Create a buzz
To get the most out of your experiential event, you’ll need to let people know that your event is happening! In a previous article, 3 Ways to Use Experiential Marketing to Stand Out in the Digital World, we discussed the importance of leveraging digital marketing before, during, and after an event. Use social media and email marketing to peek people’s interest. A great way to do so is by reusing marketing content you have on hand. Post videos from previous events to show what attendees can expect when they come to your event. This makes things much easier than trying to generate content on a whim.
Get feedback
Instant feedback is one of the reasons brands love experiential marketing. A few hours into the event, you’ll see whether or not your campaign is working. Unlike other forms of marketing where you have to wait to see metrics, you have the ability to adjust things right away. You also can discuss with potential customers at the event and hear their thoughts. Take this time to see what they have to say about your brand and the experience you promised customers when you marketed the event in the first place. This is a great opportunity to prepare yourself for future events too.
Leverage technology
Today some of the most talked-about brands are the ones that showed up to an event with technology that blew attendees away. We can attest to that as we’ve seen that first-hand with our clients. Target, Dyson, Under Armour, and Kate Spade all had success with our photo booths, event microsites, and lead generation services.
Contact us today to learn more about our services and how you can use them as leverage at your next event.