Why Events Should Be Part of Your Broader Marketing Strategy

Are events part of your broader marketing strategy?

Hosting and attending events should play a significant role in your growth marketing strategy because they can elevate your brand, build connections, and drive results.

In this article, we’ll explore how and why events should be part of your company’s overall marketing strategy. We’ll also provide recommendations on how to leverage these events for ongoing success.

Aligning Events with Your Annual Marketing Plan

A common misconception is that your event itself is a marketing strategy. 

While an event requires its own strategy and detailed planning, it is not a standalone marketing strategy. Instead, your event should be integrated into a broader marketing strategy with touchpoints throughout the year. 

According to Forbes, events provide a unique opportunity for your audience to interact directly with your brand. Attendees can engage with your products, ask questions, and experience your brand personality firsthand. They also serve as powerful lead-generation engines.

When planning your annual marketing strategy, think about how your events can complement other marketing activities. 

How can events support your overall marketing goals? Here are some practical examples:

1. Lead Generation

• Every interaction with an attendee—before, during, or after your event—can translate into a focused marketing campaign. 
• Host informative webinars leading up to your main event to attract new leads. Follow up with attendees through targeted email campaigns to nurture these leads into potential customers.
• Organizing a tradeshow? Capture contact information from visitors to your booth and add them to your CRM for future marketing campaigns.

2. Customer & Partner Engagement

• Consider hosting a user conference where customers can learn more about your products, share their success stories, and network with peers. These types of events are a great way to increase customer loyalty and create a community around your product.
• Do you appreciate your customers? Show them through customer appreciation events. Host exclusive events for your top customers to show appreciation and strengthen relationships, leading to higher retention rates.
• A trend we've observed in 2024 is that events are increasingly being used not just for internal employees and clients, but also as a valuable tool for engaging partners and dealers. Businesses are now focusing on incentivizing partners to generate recurring revenue streams rather than relying solely on one-time product sales. This strategy allows businesses to recognize and reward their valuable partners, creating a more sustainable business model.

3. Brand Awareness and Thought Leadership

• Want to boost your company’s brand awareness? Consider participating in or hosting industry panels and discussions. Doing so positions your company as a thought leader and increases your visibility among industry peers and potential customers.
• Sponsorships are another powerful marketing tool. Sponsor events that align with your company’s values to increase your brand's visibility.
• Exhibiting at events enhances your company's brand awareness by showcasing your products and services to a wide audience, thereby increasing visibility and recognition.
• Participating in activations at events positions your company as a thought leader, demonstrating expertise and innovation in your industry while engaging directly with potential customers and partners.

4. Networking and Partnerships

• Include networking opportunities in your events to facilitate connections between your clients and your team. Consider hosting a networking cocktail hour after dinner or organizing activities between sessions where attendees can mingle.
• Have you ever co-hosted an event? Partnering with complementary businesses to co-host events can expand your reach and broaden your potential customer base.

• Look at all areas of your marketing—social media, content, email, and digital marketing—and find ways to incorporate events to support your business goals, such as increasing sales or building brand awareness. 

How Can You Extend the Marketing Impact of Your Events?

For many companies, a large part of their marketing budget goes to events. In fact, 14% of marketing spending is dedicated to event marketing, making it the second-largest expense after online advertising.

This is why your events should generate content far beyond the event itself.

To maximize the marketing value of your events, integrate a strategic approach from the start. 

Instead of treating events as one-time occurrences, view them as part of your overall marketing plan. 

This means creating content that stays relevant even after the event is over, keeping your audience engaged over time.

Plan to generate materials that can be used before, during, and after the event to maximize your investment. 

This can include teaser content to build anticipation, live updates during the event, and post-event summaries or recordings.

Event Content

• Before the event, create teaser content that highlights key speakers or sessions. This can be shared on social media, in email campaigns, or on your website to generate excitement and encourage registrations. Check out our article for more marketing strategies to boost attendance at your next corporate event.
• During the event, capture live content such as video interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and attendee testimonials. This real-time content can be shared immediately on social media to engage your audience and extend the reach of your event.
• After the event, use the collected content to create a variety of marketing materials. This can include blog posts summarizing key takeaways, video highlights for social media, and detailed case studies for your sales team. 

By repurposing event content, you can continue to engage your audience and extend the impact of your event.

Leveraging Customer Stories and Testimonials

89% of marketers say that customer testimonials and case studies are the most effective content forms for influencing purchases.

Events are a great opportunity to gather customer stories and testimonials. 

When a customer shares a success story at your event, think about how you can leverage that story in your broader marketing efforts.

Additionally, consider how to showcase client success stories during the event itself. For example, at a user conference, you could feature clients onstage to share their achievements with the audience.

Share these stories on social media, incorporate them into email campaigns, and use them as part of your sales pitch to potential clients.

Creating a Cohesive Theme

If you develop a theme for your event, make sure it aligns with your broader marketing message and can be used throughout the year. 

A consistent theme helps reinforce your brand and can unify your team, driving engagement and consistency in your marketing efforts.

For more ideas on event themes, see our article highlighting sales kickoff meeting themes for 2024 and beyond.

Motivating Your Team with Events

Events can also be used to motivate and incentivize your team. 

According to a study by Site International Foundation and the Incentive Travel Council, 96% of employees say they are motivated by travel incentives and 72% of those who earn the reward report feeling more loyal to the company.

Incentive trips for top performers not only reward hard work but can also be used to motivate others. Share the successes of top performers and use their stories to inspire and drive competition within your team.

Discover how utilizing kickoff meetings and incentive travel can boost your sales team's motivation and drive business success.

Conclusion

Integrating events into your broader marketing strategy ensures they support your overall business goals. 

Often, we view events as separate efforts rather than parts of a bigger plan. 

By strategically planning and using event content before, during, and after the event, you can get the most out of your investment and create lasting benefits for your business. 

Plan Your Next Event with GoGather

Need help strategizing your marketing plan for your upcoming event? Let’s chat about how GoGather can help you boost attendance and create your best corporate event yet.