Using events in your marketing works. You not only bring people together but also develop a stronger relationship with customers. There are many types of events that all have their own uses. Therefore, u must make the right choices for your marketing strategy. These vary from virtual and corporate events to trade shows and product launches.
Here is an overview of the most common events in business-to-business relationship marketing.
Conferences
Conferences are very popular and often used by B2B marketers. You can participate in a conference yourself but you can also organize one. Organizing a conference will increase your product or brand awareness. Besides, a conference is also good for positioning yourself well on the market and having open discussions about a topic. Conferences are meant to encourage conversations and give people a platform to share their expertise. It is a popular addition to any event strategy where you decide how big you make it and how much money you want to spend on it.
Conferences can take place either online or live. If you regularly organize conferences yourself then your conference can become a standard in your business sector, which can only benefit your image. Moreover, your conference can potentially become a source of additional income if you manage to turn it into a successful paying event.
Opportunities |
Create brand awareness & thought leadership
Facilitate communication and networking
Take into consideration |
Create clear link with your product/service and brand
If you participate, plan how you are going to get concrete leads + how to follow up
Seminars
The purpose of a seminar is similar to that of a conference. Reach an audience and deliver valuable information. The biggest difference between the two is:
Conferences
- Often feature keynote presentations that are delivered to clients
- Clear information is expected about the product or service
seminars
- More intimate, educational events
- Focus on connecting with guests by offering practical information, tools and skills
- Not only in real life but also online through various platforms such as Zoom or InviteDesk
Opportunities |
Individuals with similar interests can meet each other
Seminars give you a chance to improve your knowledge and expertise by connecting with other potential clients who have similar interests
Take into consideration |
Tight planning must be followed
Determine your goal and target group in advance
Online or offline?
Product launch
The launch of your product is just as important as your product itself. And of course, an event is a unique opportunity to let your customers and prospects get to know your new service or product up close.
In this way, they can see how the product works together with an expert and get direct answers to all possible questions. This provides certainty and clarity around your product or service and allows laying the foundation for further commercial contacts. Of course, budgets vary in line with your approach.
Product launches come in many variations:
- Product knowledge
- Entertaining shows
- Customer experience
- Promotion
Opportunities |
Excellent marketing tool for creating new buyers
A premiere can build up to capacity and potentially generate media attention
Develop rapport with customers and prospects
The ideal way to share product knowledge and get direct feedback
Increase brand awareness
Take into consideration |
It is important to plan your product launch well. For example, make sure your new product and all materials are ready by the time of the event.
Extra stress: If this goes wrong, it can cause a negative brand image
Hospitality (Festivals, party’s, concerts…)
Everyone loves a party so why not use it to provide a fun experience for your prospects and customers.
Hospitality events provide:
- Excellent first impressions
- Building business relationships
- Rewarding your staff
- Etc…
The challenge here, however, is to ensure that every customer you bring in stays loyal to you. Business hospitality can ensure that the existing relationships you have continue. In addition to this, you not only create a fun experience for everyone but it allows you to network with more than one company at a time.
Opportunities |
The right event choice makes it easier to convince your guests to come along
Unique experiences can create great connections
Increased brand awareness
Much larger audience
Existing relationships can continue to exist
Take into consideration |
Always keep in mind why you are hosting your event
The involvement of the sales team ensures the best results
Take into account the little details (food, music…) to make the experience perfect from A-Z
Try to stand out from the competition
Webinars
As you probably know, webinars offer many of the same opportunities for live events. It allows you to increase brand awareness, generates leads, and inform customers. Also, you can reach a much larger audience because this type of event can be streamed and hosted online all over the world. There is also usually a time for a convenient question and answer session at the end of your Webinar.
This way, prospects and customers get an immediate answer to a question and you ensure clarity. There are plenty of great platforms for hosting a webinar such as Zoom, Teams…
Did you know that InviteDesk offers its own webinar solution that takes care of some of the traditional disadvantages of webinars.
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Opportunities |
Reaching large audiences without every extra guest increasing your budget
No travel expenses or time wasted in traffic jams
Direct contact with your target group
Increased brand awareness
Take into consideration |
How to engage your audience
High no shows
How to involve sales and customers during the webinar
Think about your technical risks (sound cuts, browser not cooperating)
Networking events
Networking events are a great way to:
- Meet people with similar interests at once
- Promote your business
- Expand your customer base
- Meet investors
It gives you a chance to show who you are, what your company stands for and what sets you apart from the competition. Plus, you’ll increase your knowledge of the latest trends and technology.
Opportunities |
You stay up to date on the latest trends or technology
Creating possible contacts/partnerships
Ideal for expanding your knowledge and exchanging ideas
Take into consideration |
To get added value from new potential customers you must always be well prepared for everything
The key to making a good impression on potential business customers/partners is to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies