8-Step Event Marketing Plan for B2B Event Attendees

As the B2B landscape becomes increasingly intricate, attending events isn’t just about showing up—it’s about meticulous planning, networking, and leveraging digital tools to foster an effective event marketing plan.

We put together this 8-step event marketing plan tailored for B2B event attendees to help you achieve greater event marketing ROI.

1. Set Clear Objectives and KPIs

Crafting an impactful and successful event marketing plan begins by establishing clear objectives, and subsequently, measuring the outcomes of your marketing plan through meticulously chosen KPIs.

Let’s dive deeper into the nuances of these important first steps:

Event Marketing Goals:

Defining Objectives: Before diving into the planning process, start with introspection.

• Why are you attending this event?
• What do you aim to achieve?

Setting clear objectives ensures you have a compass guiding your subsequent actions. These objectives should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For instance, instead of having a goal like ‘network with attendees,’ a SMART goal would be ‘connect with 30 potential business partners during the event.’

Types of Goals:

• Increase Brand Awareness: If you’re a newcomer in the B2B landscape or launching a new product/service, your goal might be to make industry stakeholders aware of your brand. This could mean orchestrating live demonstrations, participating actively in discussions, or presenting a keynote to showcase thought leadership.
• Feedback Collection: Events are gold mines for real-time feedback. Engaging with potential business partners or clients can provide invaluable insights into your products, services, or even your marketing material.
• Lead Generation: For many, events serve as platforms to meet prospective customers. By setting a goal on the number or quality of leads you aim to acquire, you can tailor your event marketing efforts, from booth setups to promotional material, in alignment.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

• Significance of KPIs: While goals define your direction, KPIs are the milestones that gauge if you’re on the right path. These are quantifiable metrics that indicate whether your marketing efforts are yielding the desired results.
• Examples of KPIs:
  • Number of Meetings: If networking is a goal, then the sheer volume of interactions, especially those that align with your target audience segment, can be a valuable metric.
  • Follow-up Rate: Post-event engagement is as crucial as the interactions during the event. Monitoring the rate of follow-up emails or calls can help ascertain how effectively you’re nurturing leads post event.
  • Quality of Leads: Beyond the quantity, evaluating the potential value or ‘fit’ of the leads you’ve gathered can be a more nuanced KPI. Using post-event surveys or initial engagement metrics like email open rates can provide insights here.

2. Understand Your Target Audience

Success in any marketing initiative hinges on a profound understanding of your target audience. In the context of event marketing, this involves not only identifying who will be present but truly comprehending their motivations, challenges, and needs – your Ideal Customer Profiles.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown of how to approach event marketing plans with this:

Market Research:

• Use Event Intelligence: By utilizing event intelligence platforms like Vendelux, you can gain insights into attendee data to know exactly who will be attending an upcoming event before it ever happens. Search through your ICP or connect your CRM to find prospects that will be attending events you plan to attend. Most event success comes even before an event begins.
• Analyze Previous Interactions: If you have attended the same or similar events in the past, review your previous interactions. Which pitches were successful? Which audience segments were more receptive? Past interactions can be a treasure trove of insights.
• Online Reconnaissance: Social media platforms and professional networks like LinkedIn can be potent tools. By examining the profiles of potential attendees, especially their recent posts, articles, or shared content, you can gauge their current interests and challenges.

Audience Segmentation:

• The Importance of Precision: While it might be tempting to cast a wide net, precision targeting often yields better results. Instead of attempting to appeal to everyone, focusing on specific audience segments ensures your message is tailored, relevant, and thus, more impactful.
• Crafting Tailored Messages: For CEOs, you might focus on the strategic value of your offering. For mid-level managers, perhaps it’s about operational efficiency. For consultants, it could be the novelty or innovation of your solutions. The key lies in tailoring your message to resonate with the specific challenges and aspirations of each segment.
• Engagement Techniques: Beyond pitches, consider how you engage. A CEO might prefer a high-level discussion over cocktails, while a tech-savvy manager might appreciate a hands-on demo. Adjust your engagement techniques based on the segment’s preferences.

3. Allocate a Budget

An accurate and strategic allocation of budget is important for the success of any event marketing plan. Without proper financial planning, you run the risk of overspending in certain areas while neglecting others, potentially compromising the effectiveness of your entire strategy.

Here’s how to approach the budgeting process for your event marketing plan in detail:

Event Marketing Budget Breakdown:

• Pre-Event Market Research: This is a big one. Here you’re not only thinking about how to allocate funds specifically for researching potential attendees, competitors’ strategies, and previous events’ feedback, you’re also thinking about the enormous amount of time resources it takes to accomplish this. Consider using event intelligence to discover attendee insights.
• Event Tickets & Promotional Material: This is a pivotal part of your event marketing campaign. From tickets to brochures and banners to digital ads and social media posts, each medium requires a different budget allocation. Moreover, the design, content creation, and distribution channels for these materials all come at varying costs.
• Event Website and Landing Page: Crafting landing page or a dedicated event website can drive attendee registration and engagement. This includes costs for domain registration, website design, development, and regular updates leading up to the event.
• Physical Collaterals: If the event is in-person, budget for items like stand rentals, physical promotional materials, interactive displays, or even freebies and giveaways to attract potential attendees to your booth.

Contingency Planning:

• Unforeseen Costs: Always set aside a portion of your event budget for unforeseen expenses. This could be last-minute changes to your event marketing plan, emergency promotional pushes, or even technical difficulties that require quick solutions.

Post-Event Expenditures:

• Follow-up Campaigns: The engagement doesn’t end when the event does. Allocate funds for post-event email marketing campaigns, feedback surveys, or even post-event highlights that can be shared on social media.
• Analysis and Reporting: Tools and resources will be needed to measure the success of the event against KPIs. This data will be crucial not just for measuring ROI, but also for refining strategies for the next event.

4. Develop a Networking and Relationship Building Strategy

Networking isn’t merely about exchanging business cards; it’s about creating lasting impressions and building fruitful relationships. Given the magnitude of attendees and the limited time at events, having a solid strategy for networking is indispensable.

Here’s how to deepen your approach:

Research Potential Attendees:

• Create a List: Use event intelligence to find your ideal customer profiles and discover exactly which events these people will be attending.
• Engage Before the Event: With the attendee insights you discovered, don’t wait for the event day to make the first move. Comment on their posts, engage with their content, or even send a preliminary introduction via email marketing or direct messaging platforms. A familiarity established beforehand can pave the way for more engaging face-to-face discussions.
• Keep Track of Existing Customers: Attending in-person events that your existing customers attend is a great way to nurture your relationship. It’s a great way to continue to build brand awareness and become more ‘sticky’ with customers by building relationships with more people within the organization.

Event App & Website Utilization:

• Stay Updated: Event apps and websites are regularly updated with event details, changes in schedules, new speaker announcements, and more. Regularly checking them ensures you’re up-to-date and can adapt your networking strategy accordingly.
• Plan Your Schedule: Most event apps allow attendees to create a personalized schedule, bookmarking sessions or workshops they intend to attend. By doing so, you not only manage your time effectively but can also spot overlaps with potential contacts, identifying opportunities to strike up conversations.
• Engage Virtually: If the event supports virtual interactions, like chatrooms or forums, actively participate. Pose questions during sessions, share your insights, or initiate discussions. This positions you as an engaged and proactive participant, making it easier for others to approach you.

Beyond Digital Interactions:

Prepare Your Elevator Pitch: Having a succinct and compelling pitch ready can make the difference between a memorable interaction and a forgotten one. Tailor your pitch based on the person you’re interacting with, making it relevant to their needs or challenges.

Listen Actively: Networking isn’t just about talking; it’s equally about listening. Understand the needs, challenges, and aspirations of the person you’re conversing with to get on the same page. This not only demonstrates genuine interest but also provides insights into how you can be of value to them.

Follow-up Strategy: The relationship-building process doesn’t end when the event does. Prepare a follow-up strategy, whether it’s sending thank-you emails, connecting on LinkedIn, or scheduling further discussions. Consistent engagement post-event can solidify the relationships you’ve initiated.

5. Digital Promotion Event Marketing Strategy

Promoting your participation in events in today’s digital age requires a blend of innovative event marketing strategies that engage your target audience even before the actual event starts. Both social media and your email marketing can serve as effective channels, reaching different audience segments in diverse ways.

Here’s how to deepen your approach for each:

Social Media Marketing:

Identifying the Right Platforms: Not every social media platform is suitable for every event or target audience. For B2B events, platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter may yield better results. Understand where your potential attendees hang out and focus your marketing efforts there.

Engaging Visuals: As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Use high-quality images, infographics, or even short video clips to convey your message. For instance, a quick video invitation from a CEO or a key team member can make a lasting impression.

Leverage Stories and Live Features: Platforms like Instagram and Facebook offer ‘Stories’ and ‘Live’ features. Use these to share real-time updates, conduct quick polls, generate excitement, or even host a Q&A session. This adds an interactive element to your event promotion strategy.

Engage with Your Target Audience: Social media isn’t just about broadcasting; it’s about engaging. Respond to comments, participate in relevant discussions, and even collaborate with influencers or other participants for joint promotions.

Use Hashtags Effectively: Research and use event-specific hashtags or create your own branded hashtag. This increases the discoverability of your posts and allows you to track the conversation around your brand.

Email Marketing:

Segmentation is Key: Avoid sending generic emails to your entire list. Segment your target audience based on past interactions, interests, or roles. This ensures that each recipient receives content tailored to them, increasing the likelihood of engagement.

Personalize Your Emails: With tools available today, there’s no reason to send a “Dear Sir/Madam” email. Use the recipient’s name, refer to past interactions if any, or mention mutual acquaintances or interests.

Valuable Content: Your emails should offer value, not just a sales pitch. Whether it’s a sneak peek into your event offerings, exclusive content, or an attractive discount for ticket sales, make sure your email offers something of interest.

Clear Call-to-Action (CTA): Every email should have a clear CTA, whether it’s to set up a meeting, register for a workshop, or simply visit your event landing page.

Analyze and Optimize: Use analytics to understand open rates, click-through rates, and engagement. This data can guide refinements in your email strategy, ensuring better results with subsequent campaigns.

6. Use Multiple Marketing Channels

To guarantee that your event marketing strategy has the widest reach and impact, leveraging multiple marketing channels is crucial to event marketing success. A diverse approach to events marketing not only increases visibility but also engages different audience segments based on their preferred platforms.

Here’s how to make the most out of it:

Active Social Media Channels:

• Live-Tweeting: This is an excellent way to document real-time insights, share quotable moments, and engage with both attendees and those who couldn’t make it. It also fosters conversations, potentially making your tweets a central hub for event discussions.
• LinkedIn Engagements: LinkedIn is an essential platform for B2B interactions. Share longer form content here, perhaps summaries of sessions or key learnings. Engaging with comments or creating polls can further amplify interactions.

7. Post-Event Follow-Up Strategy

The post-event phase is just as important, if not more so in person sometimes, than the event itself. It’s the time when relationships are nurtured, learnings are consolidated, and the groundwork for future collaborations is laid.

Here’s an expanded perspective on developing an effective post-event follow-up strategy:

Gather Feedback:

Personalized Communication: When reaching out for feedback, ensure that your communication is personalized, addressing the contact by name and referencing specific interactions or discussions you had during the event.

Multiple Avenues for Feedback: Different people have different preferences when it comes to giving feedback. Consider offering multiple channels like email surveys, phone calls, or even feedback forms on your website.

Open-Ended Questions: While structured feedback can provide quantitative data, open-ended questions can offer qualitative insights. Ask questions like, “What did you find most valuable about our interaction?” or “Is there something we could have done better?”

Incentivize Feedback: Encourage more attendees to provide feedback by offering incentives like discounts, e-books, or exclusive access to certain resources.

Evaluate and Refine:

Data Compilation: Gather all the data from feedback forms, KPI evaluations, social media interactions, and any other relevant sources.

Debriefing Sessions: Organize internal meetings with your team to discuss and analyze the event. Discuss what went well, what didn’t, and where improvements can be made. These collective insights are often richer than individual assessments.

Document Learnings: Create a comprehensive post-event report. This report should detail successes, challenges, financial metrics, feedback received, and any other relevant data. This document can then serve as a reference point for future events.

Iterative Improvement: Marketing strategies should be fluid. Based on your post-event evaluations, refine and tweak your strategies for the next event. Perhaps you need a bigger budget for social media promotion, or maybe your email marketing campaign needs more personalization. Make these changes incrementally to continually enhance your approach.

8. Document Your Learnings

Recording and documenting your experiences and insights from an an event experience can provide a goldmine of information for future initiatives.

Here’s how to methodically capture, structure, and use these learnings:

Event Marketing Plan Template:

Purpose of the Template: The primary purpose of an event marketing plan template is to create a structured framework. This framework captures all aspects of your event marketing, from initial research to post-event analysis, ensuring you don’t overlook any crucial elements in subsequent events.

Consistent Documentation: By using a standardized template, you ensure consistency in the way data is captured. Whether you’re dealing with metrics, feedback, or qualitative experiences, a consistent format makes it easier to compare and analyze information across multiple events.

Ease of Collaboration: An organized template allows different team members to input their insights and experiences coherently. This collective input creates a more holistic understanding of the event.

Key Components to Document:

Event Overview: A brief summary of the event, its purpose, key attendees, and your primary objectives.

Achievements and Milestones: Document what you achieved vis-à-vis your objectives. This might include the number of leads generated, successful collaborations initiated, or even branding milestones.

Challenges Faced: Not everything goes as planned. Document challenges or hiccups, be it logistical issues, miscommunications, or unexpected developments. This will aid in preemptive problem-solving in the future.

Experiential Insights: Beyond tangible metrics, document qualitative insights. This could include observations about attendee behavior, emerging industry trends discussed during the event, or even spontaneous interactions that led to significant revelations.

Financial Metrics: Detail the budget allocated versus the actual expenditure. Highlight areas where you achieved cost efficiencies and where you might have overspent.

Recommendations for Future: Based on the experiences and data, your team should make recommendations for the next event. These could be tactical changes, such as a new vendor recommendation, or strategic shifts, like a change in the event focus.

Post-Documentation Review:

Once the documentation is done, schedule a review session. This collaborative session allows team members to discuss the documented learnings, validate them against their personal experiences, and collectively decide on the way forward.

In conclusion, a successful event in the modern B2B landscape isn’t coincidental but a result of meticulous event planning beforehand, active digital engagement, and continuous learning. Adopt this comprehensive 8-step plan to ensure every event you attend becomes a cornerstone of success.