INTRODUCTION
Gone are the days when simply showing up with a booth, some brochures and some candy was enough to capture leads at a conference. Now, attendees are more selective, more digitally connected and often times a bit overwhelmed with options.
If your company’s target audience is attending a conference, reaching them requires a strategic approach of pre-event targeting, interacting with them via the conference event app, memorable on-site experiences and post-event follow-through.
Here are three ways to reach attendees at a conference:
LEVERAGE SOCIAL MEDIA
Use paid advertising on LinkedIn and Instagram to target users by job title, industry and event interest. Many attendees will post about their plans, interact with the event page or follow the official hashtag, making them highly targetable in the weeks leading up to the event.
Post engaging content like “Who’s attending?” or “Meet us at Booth 123” to build awareness and drive traffic to your booth. You can also use LinkedIn’s event targeting feature to reach people who have marked themselves as “attending” or “interested” in the conference.
Don’t underestimate organic content either. A short behind-the-scenes video of your team prepping for the event, or a teaser of what you’ll be showcasing, can generate meaningful engagement without spending a dime. The goal here is to make sure your brand is familiar to attendees before they get to the conference.
USE THE CONFERENCE APP
Whova, Sched and Cvent are popular conference apps that can help reach attendees directly on their phones.
Typically, as a participating or sponsor company, you can send push notifications, enhance your exhibitor profile with videos or CTAs, message attendees directly or participate in discussion boards and sponsor in-app ads. Take full advantage of these features rather than treating your profile as an afterthought. Fill out every field, upload a compelling company description, add team photos and include a clear call to action.
Attendees browsing the app before or during the event are often in active research mode, whether they are comparing vendors, planning their schedules and deciding who is worth visiting. A complete profile can be the difference between landing a meeting and being scrolled over.
USE THE CONFERENCE AS PART OF A LARGER MARKETING CAMPAIGN
A conference shouldn’t be a standalone event on your marketing calendar. It should be the start that powers a broader campaign.
Create a dedicated landing page for attendees and promote it in ads, social media and QR codes. Offer something relevant, like a new industry report, access to a giveaway or a free consultation. This gives people a reason to engage with your brand beyond a casual conversation.
When you’re on-site, focus on creating moments worth remembering, whether it’s an interactive product demo, a side event like a hosted happy hour or even something as simple as a well-designed booth that gets lots of Instagram-worthy photos.
Lastly, using the email addresses you’ve collected, follow up with a targeted email sequence referencing the event specifically. Avoid generic drip emails. Instead, segment your list based on how leads engaged with you, whether it was a booth visitor, an app connection or a new social media follower. They each warrant a different message.