Content marketing has grown by leaps and bounds during the past five years. Unfortunately, too few event organizers fully embrace the long-tail, pull benefits of content marketing. Likewise, many conference professionals have no idea what embracing the long-tail, pull benefits of content marketing even means. It’s a foreign concept to them. Most marketing and communications teams agree that content marketing serves as the foundation to their conference marketing strategy. Still, very few … [Read more...]
Beguile Potential Conference Attendees
Want to spike your conference registration? Try an emotional call to action. It captivates fence sitters and potential first timers. The only reason anyone does anything is to change the way they feel, says Tony Robbins. With the right emotional call to action, you can help potential attendees begin to experience those feelings right now. And continue those emotional feelings at your event. Feel-Act-Think According to True Impact Marketing (TIM), a Canadian neuromarketing research and … [Read more...]
Enabling Influence Trumps Spraying and Praying
List buys and promotional email blasts rarely convince and convert the attendees you want for your conference or trade show. Today, you need to earn the privilege to be seen in a professional’s email inbox. Attendance acquisition has shifted forever from push to pull marketing. While you want to be in it for the long-run…earning inbox access and protecting that privilege, you can accelerate that through partnering with communities who represent a demographic segment that you want to … [Read more...]
Yes, Your Conference is a Brand
Yes, your conference is a brand. So start treating it like one! The Words Annual Meeting Are Out! If you’re still using Annual Meeting in your conference brand, you’re showing your age. Most association bylaws require an annual meeting of the membership. It's the organization's business portion of the conference usually for paid members. But using the words Annual Meeting in your conference brand is outdated. It does not elicit a positive emotional connection with your attendance … [Read more...]
Your Conference Needs To Go On An Education Session Diet
Your conference attendees and prospects are less satisfied with an extensive list of education offerings than a narrow one. Too much information overwhelms them. And they walk away without any action. Ultimately, confused customers don’t buy anything. The Paradox Of Choice Yes, it’s true that when given a choice between a small and large assortment, customers state that they prefer a large variety. (Chernev,2003; Iyengar & Lepper, 2000). Ironically, when they chose something from … [Read more...]
Content Marketing Strategies Light The Way For Weary Travelers
Traditional marketing methods such as broadcast emails, magazine, radio and TV ads, and web banners are fast losing their appeal. They are expensive as compared to other methods. And we ignore those ads, fast forward past TV ads on our DVRs, buy advertising free radio, use sophisticated spam filters and caller ID, and delete most broadcast emails. We walk through exhibit halls and rarely remember escalator ads, wall ads and other forms of screaming logos. In fact, research shows that most … [Read more...]
Is Your Conference Marketing So Last Year?
Every year you have to figure out how to fill the chairs at your annual event. It's Déjà vu all over again. The minute the conference is finished, you have to start again, figuring out new ways to get your audience to return the following year. It's a never-ending cycle where you're in constant search of new ways to inspire people to register. Your conference marketing goal remains the same from year to year: get as many paying registrants as possible. But that doesn't mean the marketing … [Read more...]
Your Conference Is Like One Of These Types Of Restaurants
Some of my friends call me a foodie. I prefer the term connoisseur as it sounds more sophisticated. There's no doubt about it. I am devoted to the enjoyment of good food. Three Types Of Restaurants One of the things I've learned in my scouring for good and unusual foods is that there are three types of restaurants: one for the general masses, one that serves the locals and one that serves regulars. 1. Restaurants for the general masses. Restaurants that try to serve the masses usually have … [Read more...]
