As the first crocuses of March sprout from the ground, so too may your anxiety about conferences, Business Appreciation Week events, and galas slated for spring and summer (inhale, exhale, repeat). While the learning, collaborations, and business development opportunities make seasonal events worthwhile, the logistics are time-consuming. If you’re short on capacity and hope to improve the attendee experience (and your sanity at the same time), this two-part blog on marketing automation technologies is for you!
Marketing automation software in the event planning space is trending hard—and for good reason. A software platform that helps you communicate more effectively, deepen stakeholder connections, and multi-task like a champ is a win-win.
Hassle-free experience for attendees
Software solutions like Whova, ActiveCampaign and Zapier are becoming the Swiss Army knives of special events across the board. From the moment an attendee registers and shares their details, they glide down an experience pipeline that may include features like:
- Pre-event communications/opportunities: Did additional tee times open in your golf tournament? Or did a VIP tour of that buzzy mixed-use development become available? The automated email/SMS updates functionality within these systems keeps anticipation in steady supply.
- Automated agenda updates: Whether your speaker has a stand-in at the last minute or Conference Room B sprung a leak, these platforms sync notifications about event updates, agenda changes, room changes, directly into attendees’ calendars. Poor communication leads to poor attendee experiences, so get ahead of it in the digital realm.
- Networking matchmaking platforms: If you thought “swiping right” was just for personal matchmaking, think again! Professional networking applications can connect you with other attendees, based on shared interests or business goals.
- Post-event digital resource library: Event follow-up keeps audience engagement robust year-round. Many event software platforms allow attendees to receive session recordings, presentation decks, photos, and promotional materials after the event concludes.
Back-end user perks
Big on personalization and workflow efficiencies, these systems offer:
- Hyper-personalization: Never underestimate the power of a warm greeting. Marketing automations make this process easy. A simple: Hi {$firstName!”there”}, helps your audience feel seen and valued, so personalization is the way forward.
- Automated email campaigns: Create segmented email flows before, during, and after the event that build excitement for your event and other programs and services. Automated email sequences are worth investigating, as they send the right message to the right person at the right time. If you’re interested in a deep dive on the topic, part two of this blog series probes the depths of email automation. Tune in next week for more!
- Post-event feedback surveys: Automatically send surveys to gather feedback (it’s also an opportunity to ask if attendees visited any local destinations during their time in town). While that raffle at the closing session is enticing, you’ll gather more feedback by going digital.
- Social media scheduling: Plan and schedule posts in advance to provide interesting content on speakers, sessions, and destinations in your community that are worth checking out.
- Data analytics analysis: Gather and analyze data to track campaign performance. This will help you see what content is popular so you can adjust your strategies in real time.
What conferences or events are you planning or attending this spring or summer? Drop us a line and let us know where we’ll see you next!
