Amplifying B2B Events Through Digital Marketing

Even though content marketing has become a major part of companies’ communications strategies, event presence still plays a big role in building awareness and attracting leads, especially in a B2B environment. Staking a claim at trade shows and events is not a cheap or trivial task, however. But if done right, it can produce positive returns for companies.

“Your event plans need to be about more than just the size and design of your stand. You’ll need an integrated digital strategy with support from your digital marketing mix to achieve the best possible traction from your event investment,” explains Kate Boss in her Business 2 Community article, “Digital Marketing Tips to Maximize Your B2B Event Marketing.”

For the benefits to justify the costs, marketers have to build anticipation before the occasion, keep coverage during the event and make sure to stay connected with stakeholders after it is over. Simple tactics, like engaging in conversation with other attendees and with the event’s profile on social media, can generate a positive buzz before and during, building an important bond to stay in touch after conferences and trade shows.

Tips for before, during, and after the event include:

Pre-event

Make sure to include the event in your communications calendar for existing outreach.
“Integrating your event promotion into your email marketing is a cost-effective (and quick) way of communicating the ‘who’, ‘what’ and ‘where’ of your next event.”
Another great approach is to blog about the event. Using information from previous years, such as highlight reels, comparing programs or opining on the keynotes may be a good approach to build engagement. “Getting those event details on your blog and across your website will help raise awareness and give those Google-spiders the opportunity to get your blog ranking further up those search pages,” explains Boss.

During

Don’t forget to post updates and highlights with your branded content as the event is happening. Searching for the official hashtag and engaging with participants sharing their content, answering questions and starting a conversation is also a good idea.
“Incorporate the full social sphere from YouTube to Pinterest and Vine and drip feed a social media teaser campaign throughout the day. It’s the perfect opportunity to drive a flow of intrigued delegates to your stand.”
Use short videos, like Q&A’s with attendees and interviews with speakers, to create rich content to be used even after the event is over.

Post-event

After the event is over, the knowledge that was shared and created does not have to go away. Repurpose the content that you have in new blog posts, white papers, ebooks and other interactive items.
“Turn stats into infographics, edit those video snippets into a compilation and don’t forget to say thanks to the organizers too!”
Also make sure to stay in touch not only with prospects and leads, but with other people that you’ve met. Collaborating on guest posts and distributing joint content is an easy and proven way of amping up your audience and getting your message out.

Remember that a physical event has a time and a place. It is a great opportunity to sell, but it is also a chance to build relationships and to create content that will live on forever online. That will help your brand generate awareness and more revenue on a continuous basis.

If you’re in healthcare, insurance, technology or other professional services industries, and need help with a PR, marketing or social media campaign, contact Scott Public Relations.