Posts Tagged ‘Conference Marketing Plan’

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2010’s Top Trends in Conference Marketing

Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

East to West, Big and Small – we’ve been watching what’s going on and it’s time to report the facts. Over the past year we’ve been analyzing conferences and annual meetings across the country. Organizations are still struggling to meet attendance goals. We’ve identified four major trends that attribute to low attendance.

1. Informing and assuring, but not inspiring.

Organizations are doing a good job of informing their members about the conference, and their websites and direct mail pieces are great for reassuring the intent. However, the images and wording in the marketing messages lack inspiration. Content and imagery used in marketing materials, including direct mail and websites, must inspire the member to want to register for the conference.

Opportunity for 2011:
• Answer the question “Why should I attend?” with every message and image.
• Build excitement through imagery and words.

2. Over reliance on email communications.

If we only had a penny for every time we heard an association executive say, “I’ll just email that info to our members.” Email marketing has become a central part of communications for many organizations. However, with an open rate of under 20% and a click thru of 3% – email marketing is not the most effective tool for reaching the membership.

Opportunity for 2011:
• Compare email marketing strategies to current best practices (segmentation, personalization, engaging subject lines, interactive content).

3. Lack of segmentation for marketing.

Most associations have their membership broken down into segments, however unique marketing messages are not created for each segment. Instead, one-size-fits all messaging is created for everyone – but in reality, it doesn’t fit all. It’s more likely not going to fit anyone.

Opportunity for 2011:
• Collaborate with the membership team to identify segments.
• Play up the differences in each segment to create personalized marketing messages.

4. Poor analysis of conference survey results.

Many associations are missing out on great information, testimonials, marketing messages and ideas for the event because of poor strategies for reviewing attendee surveys.

Opportunity for 2011:
• Surveys need to be analyzed by someone in marketing.
• There is greater potential for an honest look by having someone outside the organization analyze the results.

Additional trends

Marketing team dropping the ball.
Attendee survey results show that annual meetings provide members with tools and information that assists them with their daily activities and larger challenges. It is the responsibility of the marketing team to create messaging about the conference that informs members of how the content at the event will affect potential attendees.

Missing word of mouth.
Marketing has changed dramatically. Word of mouth and conversations are very important for consumers when making a purchasing decision. Associations are missing out on this opportunity by not using testimonials and social media to the fullest extent.

Late registration.
Attendees do not need to register early for various reasons. Marketing teams need to combat this by having a marketing push towards the end of registration time. Two areas of control for you to leverage: money and availability.

Attempting social media.
Associations of various sizes are tip toeing into social media and attempting to use it to supplement conference marketing. However, few are seeing conference attendance numbers to be affected by social media because the content being shared over social media platforms tends to be very informational. Also, there is a disconnect between the social media strategy, overall marketing messages and the members actual needs and wants.

The Big Picture

Low attendance is a symptom – not the problem. The problem is that organizations have a weak foundation because their three most important elements do not connect:

1 – Brand Guidelines
2 – Strategic Plan
3 – Conference

It’s a constant battle for organizations to ensure they align strategy, identity, and capacity with vision, mission and values. And, members can sense when they fail to do so. Low attendance is simply a symptom of a larger problem – the disconnect between the strategic plan, brand and conference.

The 2011 Solution

Dust off the organization’s strategic plan, create branding guidelines that define what the association stands for, and remember to incorporate the conference into the strategic plan and brand.

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Using Negative Feedback to Express Your Brand in a Positive Way

Monday, October 4th, 2010

In our recent edition of WhiteSpace we cover how an organization’s strategic plan, brand and conference must connect with each other. Part of that process involves implementing what is learned in post-conference surveys into the strategic plan and branding.

However, we know many associations freak out at the thought of receiving negative feedback. But, addressing negative feedback can be a positive way to express your brand (who you are and what you stand for).

If there are issues within the organization, take a page out of Domino’s book. When faced with negative feedback, the President of the company addressed the comments head on. In YouTube videos and TV commercials the President tells consumers how Domino’s is listening to what they have to say and how they are going to make a change.

Its quite uncommon in the association world, where everyone tries to hide the dirt under the rug, to see this kind of transparency. They think that by keeping negative comments close and internal members won’t talk about it. But, members are already talking about those issues and communication like this can make members feel like….well, members, instead of random consumers.

To gather feedback from members about the conference and association, but to never address it is very disrespectful to them. And, it’s only a matter of time before they realize they are not being heard, which will cause them to loose trust in you and decrease your credibility.

Stop worrying about what members might be saying and instead practice honesty and courage in addressing whatever feedback you receive from them. That is what will drive retention and conference attendance.

Curious how Domino’s handled the disgruntled customer in their recent commercial?

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Golden Principles for Conference Marketing BONUS!

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010

Our next newsletter is about to drop with solid guiding principles for conference marketing.

These essential truths will keep your organization on target for fulfilling your mission and goals – while navigating trends, social media, economic changes and cultural shifts. Here are two bonus principles to prep you for the others to follow:

We should adapt our marketing plan based on past history, current needs and future goals.

We value impact and success over tradition. We will develop new means to work within industry trends and cultural shifts to remain relevant and vision-focused.

Trends come and go, cultural shifts occur, communication methods evolve and the economy is in a delicate place. With so much change happening in our day-to-day life, how can the same marketing plan from last year (or five years ago!) be relevant and effective?

Yet, we know many associations that execute marketing plans that were developed in previous years. Some try to “keep up with the times” by slapping on a Facebook page or  a text messaging campaign to the plan.

That strategy will guarantee the only thing in the world that won’t change is the continual decline in conference attendance.

So, what do you do?

Will you expand beyond your current membership base by purchasing an email list, sending out an email and hoping for a 2% open rate? Or, launching a Facebook page that is updated once or twice a week?

No, that’s not going to cut it. You’re wrong to think that you are the only, or the first association to think of that. You have competition. You are challenged with wooing potential attendees, and that is only going to happen if you learn to adapt your marketing plan each year.

Tips:

  • Talk to potential attendees as people first (professionals/members second). People who change from year to year and have different needs over time.
  • Listen to your target audience before acting.

We will have a vision of growth for conference attendance and commit the energy to implement necessary changes.

We will not accept excuses or utter the word “can’t” when faced with a challenge. Instead we will be flexible towards change and open to learning for the sake of growth and success of every single conference.

Keep up motivation and energy throughout the entire marketing campaign. As soon as you get in a rut, the look and feel of your marketing pieces change and the members can sense that vibe.

So, what do you do?

Be positive about your event. It is the largest, in-person gathering of your members. It has the potential to be the living representation of your mission. You should express that at every chance you get.

Tips:

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Email and Your Brand

Friday, May 14th, 2010

Email is a essential to staying in touch with our clients and we know it’s key for how you keep up with your donors, members and sponsors. Because it is vital to communications today, we like to stay up-to-date on what people are saying online about  email marketing and communications.

Sometimes we run into some great blog posts with good tips about the frequency, design or purpose of email marketing – but just like many things online, we also run into some horrible, misguided information.

Recently we came across a blog post criticizing the efforts to make email, print and online communications consistent. The author claimed that consistent branding leads to readers ignoring the message because everything looks the same.

This is obviously someone who doesn’t understand how to develop a strong and effective brand.

“For example, a certain association holds a lot of webinars and classes, and they send out a lot of marketing messages about them — each of which follows the exact same template, with the exact same look, written in the exact same style. I get them and before I even read them, I know exactly what each email is about. And I delete every single one.”

He doesn’t realize it, but his example is a great sample of how consistent branding works. Yes, he may delete the emails now, but at some point he read them. Every single one of them, and we know this because he confesses to knowing the association’s brand. He knows the look, feel and tone of their emails. And, more importantly he knows they offer educational courses.

What he calls a failure in email marketing, is in fact, a great success.

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Hollywood’s Top Interactive Designers

Friday, April 30th, 2010

Recently we had the chance to hear Kyle Cooper speak about motion graphics. Kyle has been named one of Fast Company’s “100 Most Creative People in Business,” for the interactive motion graphic work he has done for various movies such as Sherlock Holmes and Spiderman.

Kyle’s work has transformed our movie-going experience. The high quality motion graphics he has created that appear at the beginning and end of a movie have made it essential for us to get there early and stay until the very end.

Kyle’s motion graphic pieces have become as (if not more) enjoyable that the actual feature length film. If a short interactive video can do that for a blockbuster, imagine the boost in engagement it could bring to your conference marketing.

When asked about the process when starting a new project, Kyle mentioned something that reinforces our thoughts on motion graphics and the strategy behind making them an effective piece for marketing communications:

“I do research. I listen to the director. I try to be an expert at the problem I am trying to solve. I try to find out everything I can about the movie, or the source material.”

Do Research & Listen to the Director
Your ability to do research is strengthened by having easy access to your target audience. Also, you can review our previous blog post about ways to collect feedback online.

The research you do should provide you with answers on how to engage, inspire and impact potential attendees. What are their interests and passions? What do they want from you? What problem can you solve for them? Answer those questions to tell a story. Motion graphics can dynamically bring your story to life, versus static pictures and text that are unchanging.

Don’t Forget Your Audience
Another takeaway from Kyle’s talk was a short mention of the purpose of each motion graphic project he completes:

“To make something that is not in the service of the film, is to not fully embrace the problem provided, and is a bit self-serving in my opinion.”

Just as his interactive short videos are designed to enhance feature length films like Sherlock Holmes, every communication piece from brochures to videos must be designed with the purpose of giving the target audience something they want/need. So, don’t add video to your conference marketing plan this year just because you think it is the cool thing to do. Instead, let your purpose to use video to solve a problem for your target audience, to inspire them or to give them something they want.

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Conferences and Crowdsourcing

Monday, April 5th, 2010

Most associations we know are petrified of social media. We get it: change is scary and opening the floodgates could lead to some nasty comments that most of us would rather not see. But it’s 2010, and it’s time to get with the program or risk becoming obsolete. These days, one of the most effective and interactive ways to use social media is to crowdsource, soliciting ideas from outside your organization.

WIRED magazine contributing editor Jeff Howe coined the term “crowdsourcing” in the magazine in 2006, and the concept has been picking up steam ever since. “Unconferences,” where the conference agenda is driven entirely by attendees, are one example of crowdsourcing in action.

Even if your association isn’t ready to completely hand off the reins, you can still use crowdsourcing to collect suggestions and get members excited. The thing to remember is that crowdsourcing needs to tap into passion. If people are passionate about what they’re being asked to contribute, whether it’s a new product idea, a catchy slogan, or a user-generated video, then they’ll do it.

Healthy competition can help your association. When members see colleagues brainstorming or creating, they’ll want to get involved, too. However, prizes or incentives needn’t be expensive. Think about something of value you already have as an offer. Maybe it’s recognition at your conference or a cool new product from one of your sponsors.

Here are a few ways your conference can tap into crowdsourcing:

  • Create a virtual conference room where people can brainstorm. This could be a forum on the conference website that allows visitors to vote on topics for panels or suggest ways to improve the conference experience.
  • Set up a physical space at your conference where attendees can exchange ideas. It could be prototypes for new products, designs for a new logo, or something else entirely. However, remember that it’s not really about creating products, it’s about exchanging ideas.
  • Use Twitter to solicit questions for panelists. Audience Q & A’s are an old school form of crowdsourcing, but now users can contribute without even being in the room.

The great thing about crowdsourcing is that it allows you to create a better conference than you might otherwise have. And when members are engaged and excited, they’re more likely to attend your conference again and keep renewing their membership.

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The Evolution of a Brand

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

You’ve created a brand identity for your association that seems to be working. Members recognize your logo when they see it on tote bags or postcards. They’re happy to refer colleagues and renew their own memberships.

Think your job is done? Think again!
In a recent newsletter, we mentioned the need for brands to change and evolve as the marketplace changes.

The ultimate example of brand evolution is Madonna, whether or not your a fan. Over the last twenty-five years, she’s gone from “Material Girl” to Marilyn Monroe lookalike to children’s book author to pop icon. While many eighties rockers are relegated to the bottom of people’s CD collections, Madonna remains relevant and in the public eye decades later.

But you don’t need such an extreme makeover to keep your brand current.
Just look at Apple. Their logo is iconic, and it’s undergone several redesigns since the mid-seventies. Remember that rainbow-striped apple they used between 1976 and 1998? It made sense because its color graphics were one of Apple’s main selling points. Now the company is known for the slick, streamlined appeal of the MacBook and iPhone, so their new logo reflects this new identity.

Brand enhancements like tweaking or simplifying your logo can improve your brand, but they’re not a cure-all. Your association itself needs to evolve as well: for instance, getting involved in social media and facilitating two-way communication with members. With strategic changes over time, you ensure that your association continues to grow alongside its members and maintain relevancy.

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Social Media in Marketing Survey

Monday, March 29th, 2010

Getting sick of hearing about social media this and social media that?  If the results of the 2010 Social Media in Marketing Survey are any indication, you’ll be hearing more about it this year—and for years to come.  Corporate Event Magazine recently featured the survey, in which 8,000 exhibit and event marketers were queried by Exhibitor Media Group on their use of social media in their marketing efforts.  The results were a bit predictable in some areas, but they also offered some surprises.

The overall conclusion was that social media will continue to gain influence and play an integral role in marketing campaigns.  If you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon, time to do so; it can have a lasting, positive influence on your organization.  According to the survey, social media can help build brand awareness, enrich professional relationships, generate additional media coverage, boost event attendance, and increase sales. For companies concerned with generating a strong return on investment in their marketing efforts, that last bit is critical.  After all the goal of marketing is to increase sales, right?

It was a bit surprising to learn just how many people are using social media in marketing.  Of those surveyed, 66% use it, and almost half (49%) spend 1-5 hours on social media every week.  That figure sounds about right.  Those (18%) who spend less than an hour on it are probably not feeding and watering their social media efforts enough, while about a third of respondents who are spending more than 6 hours a week might be investing a little too much time.  Unfortunately, the survey did not compare time spent on social media with quantifiable results of those efforts.  However, if they are seeing the results, then their time is well-spent.

Of those who are not using social media in marketing, 22% said they lack the time and 20% said they lack the know-how.  These arguments are not surprising, but they are also disingenuous.  As stated above, one need not devote vast amounts of time on social media to integrate it into your marketing efforts.

The excuse of not knowing how to properly use social media is almost as bad as that old chestnut “the dog ate my homework”.  There are numerous resources for learning how to use social media: online webinars, books, workshops, and even private tutorials.  Find a way to learn how to use social media and then embrace it with open arms, because it is not going anywhere.  Those who continue to ignore social media do so at their own peril, because it will be the marketing tool within a couple of years, tops.   Survey respondents agree:  90% say it has moderate or limitless potential for exhibit or event marketing, while 76% say social media’s importance will increase strongly or somewhat in the coming year.

Another unexpected finding of the survey is that marketers continue to use the biggest social media sites.  Gravitating to the biggest and best known sites makes perfect sense, of course.  Go where the people are!  Most of those surveyed are using Facebook (between January and July 2009, the number of Facebook users grew by 70.8%!), LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and internal and external microsites and business blogs.  These sites are being used for general marketing (57%), exhibit marketing (31%), and event marketing (24%).

One aspect of social media in marketing that this survey did not cover is the importance of using social media as a two-way form of communication to build your brand.  The unique and powerful thing about social media in marketing is that it allows companies and organizations to actively and regularly engage with their clients and constituents.  You can start a conversation, respond to a question or comment, and get instant feedback on a new product or service.  The possibilities of using social media in all aspects of marketing are indeed limitless.

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Video Killed the Radio Star, And Traditional Online Marketing

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

Online marketers have seen their sales skyrocket when they start to incorporate video into their marketing. At the beginning of the year, eMarketer projected that online video ad spending would increase by 50% this year, and that it would reach $4.5 billion in 2013. That’s a lot of money!

Fueled by the fact that it’s getting easier and cheaper to produce quality videos, and that consumers like watching videos. We recently read that in July of 2008, 134 million Americans watched 11.4 billion videos. That’s two videos per user, per day.

Even with today’s economic situation and shrinking budgets, online marketing campaigns still include video, because it’s working.

A video is the closest that we can get to actually touching and holding a product, or experiencing a service.

The same is true for conference marketing. Using videos in your marketing efforts is the closest you will get to letting potential attendees experience your event before registering.

And, the stats show that they enjoy watching and sharing videos. About 75% of the US internet population watches videos online daily, or every other day. And, 98% of all connected desktops have Flash Player installed, meaning they are equipped and ready to watch videos online.

2010 Video Usage Stats

Video usage is only going to increase in 2010. Here are some stats we discovered projecting usage in the next year:

  1. In 2010, there will be 176 million online video viewers.
  2. In 2010, 86% of internet users will watch videos online daily.
  3. Video is expected to continue to grow at a 40% year-over-year increase.

Just as online marketers are using video to boost sales, you can use video in conference marketing. Videos reviewing last year’s break out sessions, interviews with previous attendees, or short talk from the main speaker can help interested attendees get a feel for the conference.

Here are some tips to get you started:

  1. Keep your videos simple with short talking points – no more than 2 minutes.
  2. Test out the theory by creating videos for one or two products, or offers and see how they perform to other registration offers.
  3. Look for user generated content. It could be that some of your previous attendees or members have created videos about their experience, or would be open to creating their own videos about the event.

A video gives people something that direct mail and e-marketing can not. If done right, you can connect with people in a more personal way and increase your chances of eliciting an emotional response. A video allows you to speak to potential attendees with a “human voice”, instead of the marketing speak that is on most collateral pieces. That is a powerful tool that you can use to increase conference registration.

References for stats:

Adobe Scene 7

eMarketer

Universal McCann

Rottman Creative Group

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What Personal Touches Are You Doing To Increase Attendance At Your Conference or Events?

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

There are many ways to communicate with your potential conference attendees that it’s very easy for the information being communicated to be lost or forgotten because of the use of traditional communication methods. To separate your communications from the traditional ways, personalize the information. Incorporating personalized information into your communication efforts will help with increasing attendance at your conference. Encourage potential attendees to engage with the information they are receiving by using pURL’s, twitter, and facebook.

PURL’s
Personal URLs are perfect for potential attendees to interact with the marketing materials. For example, as you send out your save the date postcard, you can send along with it a PURL for the recipient to log on to. On their personal page, you can have them register early, fill out a questionnaire, or have them choose or suggest topics that they would like to have covered during the conference. By allowing the attendee to participate during the pre-conference stage, the conference value and attendance will increase.

Twitter
During the pre-conference stage, you can begin to setup #hashtags for your conference on Twitter. Invite possible attendees to follow your conference twitter account to receive instant updates about the conference and to begin conversations about what they would like to see at the conference and to start networking with other attendees.

Twitter can be used during the conference as well to let attendees provide their own personal views on subjects and to strike up hot topics throughout the conference. Have the speakers setup their own accounts so they can get involved with conversations through twitter.

For more information, check out our newsletter on Twittering your Annual Conference.

Facebook
Setting up a group on Facebook for your conference is a great tool. As you add friends to the group, you can gauge the potential for attendees at your conference. Utilizing the upcoming events tool, the group will be notified about key dates for the conference.

Check out this blog post about using Facebook for your organization.

Registration Offers
Who does not like a discount or special offer? Why not offer a discount for early registration using PURL’s? Provide special offers to your Facebook Fans who participate in discussions. Conduct contests through Twitter during the conference where you provide information or clues only seen through your Twitter updates.  Providing more options for early registration and participation in pre and post conference sessions will encourage members to take advantage of the situation and in turn it will help with conference attendance and late registration because we know “it’s not just a trend, it’s a fact.”

By incorporating these personalization tools, you will help with the overall value of the conference, but more importantly it will help increase your attendance.

Rottman Creative Group

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