Last month, we asked a few of our in-house experts for New Year’s Resolutions that should inspire event marketing campaigns in 2019 and beyond. We’re sharing them with you here and will be tracking our progress throughout the year…
“I will leverage more behavioral data.”
Marc Blumer, customer journey architect
Adapting attendee advertising messages based on behavioral data is proving to massively, positively impact results. To make this work for your next event, target attendees based on the educational sessions they attended in the past instead of their job titles. Time registration messaging based on when they registered last year versus arbitrary cutoff dates. Send emails that relate to the content they consumed while on your website. Data and technology tools are making it easier than ever to collect and effectively use behavioral data—resolve to employ them for your next event.
“I will write for robots and for people.”
Vanessa Page, managing copywriter
Creating concise, engaging content that speaks to the wants and needs of a target audience will always and forever come first, but digital copywriting isn’t just about pleasing fellow humans—it’s about pleasing robot overlords as well. In 2019, striking that perfect balance between content that ranks with search engines and content that rates with readers is something to work even harder to perfect so that the message and the medium can harmoniously coexist.
“I will invest in my international relationships.”
Anjia Nicolaidis, international marketing specialist
Many events aim to attract international attendees but struggle to do so cost-effectively. Instead of just looking at a one-to-one approach, resolve to spend more time identifying and nurturing relationships with international multipliers. These are trade and professional organizations, media and other in-country industry representatives. Take the time to establish a personal connection with them. Have a conversation about their priorities and objectives. Doing this will help you make connections and allow you to draw their attention to the content and features of your event that will be of specific interest to them. From there, incentivize them with appropriate perks and watch your marketing reach expand far beyond your own database.
“I will use design strategy effectively.”
Kacia Reilly, director of design
Sometimes graphic designers, in the thrill of designing something sexy and new, lose their connection to business strategy. Creating attendee acquisition campaigns that address a marketing opportunity, help achieve a competitive position, appeal to the target audience at an emotional level and/or support other event or organizational objectives must drive the mission and process. In 2019, it’s important to seek the perfect balance between business and creative goals.
“I will go beyond the press release for a more holistic approach.”
Kate Blom-Lowery, PR strategist
PR isn’t just about sending a news release and conducting personalized follow-up anymore. It encompasses myriad tools and tactics, including influencer marketing, organic social media, infographics, video, storytelling, community relations programs, charitable initiatives and more. Once you’ve defined your organizational goals, you can drill down on which tool or combination of tools will be most effective to inspire action and connect, directly or indirectly, with your audience.
“I will create a culture where team members are comfortable being uncomfortable.”
Julie Krieger, senior vice president
The marketing landscape is changing at such a rapid pace that we’re all constantly operating in uncharted territory. That’s why we have to create a space in which our team feels safe—safe to ask for help or mentorship when they need it, take risks, fail on occasion, learn new skills and admit when they don’t know how to do something. If I demonstrate an aversion to risk or a fear of failure, others will likely stop trying to innovate and experiment with new ways of doing things.
A version of this content originally appeared in PCMA Convene January 2019.
