Aside from advertising, as well as direct Marketing and digital marketing methods like SEO, content marketing, and social media marketing, events offer you the opportunity to shine the spotlight on your brand like never before. You can tap into the audience that is most likely to be paying attention to your business, while also raising the profile by appearing in an space that you have to make your mark in. Here, we’re going to look at the ways that you can capitalize on event marketing to make the very best of it.

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Build it up with your platform

You want people to know that your brand is attending the event in the first place. In part, the event coordinators should be doing their part to shout out your attendance, but you should also be using your own social media platform to connect with the organizers, other attendees, and exhibitors, as well as relevant influencers and press bodies, to build the hype of your being there. This is best done if you have some news to share, but your marketing power should, in part, be directed towards getting people to visit your Booth when you’re exhibiting at the event, to come around for a chat, and to look forward to announcements from your brand.

Stand out with clear branding

Whether you’re renting out or have been invited to take some space at an event, you should make sure that people are able to see it and recognize it from afar. As such, branding your booth or your floor space is vital, and the best way to do this is with banners, table covers, and other physical, visual branding. Make sure that you choose the right materials to fit the space that you’re in, as well. If your space is outdoors, for instance, then you should be using outdoor banner printing that is designed to withstand the elements. See if you’re allowed to contribute any banners or other marketing materials to be displayed around the entrance of the event space, as well.

Don’t forget the swag

One of the oldest tricks in the book is still one of the most effective. If you think that your brand is above giving out freebies, take the time to attend an event and see who else is doing it. The answer is likely to be ‘everyone’. That’s because it really does work. A well-branded freebie, with your logo and contact details on it, can lead to some effective lead generation. You want to make sure, however, that you’re choosing swag that fits what your customers are likely to use. For instance, if you deal with B2B clients, then items that would go well in any office, be they mugs, USB pens, water flasks, or otherwise, might be a good place to start.

Bring a united front

If you get a booth at an event, you’re going to want to bring along at least one coworker or an employee. Manning the booth alone all day can be exhausting, and you need to be able to tag out for breaks, be it for lunch, to use the restroom, or otherwise. It’s good to make sure that you and your team are representing a united front. This can be done visually by, for instance, having branded t-shirts or other garments that can help you stand out to attendees as an exhibitor, rather than just another person wandering the shop floor. More importantly, is that you talk about sales and pitch strategy with your team, coming up with a way to appeal to the needs of the audience most likely to be visiting your booth.

Don’t neglect to follow up

When you have conversations with those who visit your booth, offer to take their contact details to get in touch with the future, and to give out your own, should they want to seal the deal and become a customer or client. For every lead that you do get, try to maintain a rating of those who expressed genuine interest. While you should make moves to follow up on every conversation, even with a brief email to say thanks for talking, you should hit those who seem most likely to convert first and foremost. Do not take their contacts as an excuse to put them on your mailing list unless they explicitly consent, however. That’s an easy way to lose potential customers.

Of course, being able to capitalize on an event also means having a reason to be there. Using it as a platform for new products, announcements, and tests is one of the best ways to fit events into your calendar.

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