marketing tactics<\/a> are evergreen, there are plenty of strategies that just don\u2019t work in our real-time digital age. <\/p>\n\n\n\nHistorically, many companies worked their whole marketing strategy around events\u2014especially B2B companies that worked the trade show circuit. For many of these companies, these events were their main point of contact with the public and those in their field. They were the start and endpoint, the main event the rest of their year hinged upon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And for many, this is still true. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marketing, like so many other industries, has changed drastically since the advent of social media\u2014and those who stick to pre-social media strategies are being left behind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the last two years, the pandemic-related risks and regulations have shut down a lot of these events, and companies have had to pivot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The result? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many moved their events online or made them asynchronous releases rather than live events. Others have begun to question why they were doing these events in the first place and if they ever wanted to go back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The truth is, this event-focused method hasn\u2019t been working for anyone for a long time. A handful of events per year just doesn\u2019t generate enough of an ROI for the companies hosting the events or the attendees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s because the way prospective customers convert has changed dramatically. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What does this have to do with Zendaya? Don\u2019t worry. We\u2019ll get to our girl Z. Read on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
How the Role of Events Is Changing for Businesses <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Think about it this way. Events used to be THE thing\u2014the starting point of contact or the first time someone might become aware of or gain exposure to your company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, few will bother attending an event unless they\u2019ve already had some exposure to your brand. Your prospects, your customers, and your partners all want and expect their introduction to a brand to be online and low-pressure. And they\u2019re smarter than ever, which means they\u2019re already doing the research themselves before they even bother to interact with you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Companies need to start looking at events as tipping points versus the main point of contact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To set up a tipping-point event, you need to build a significant amount of buzz around your business. The conversation needs to be in progress, happening across multiple platforms, so that when the event is announced, people know who you are. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
People shouldn\u2019t be coming to your booth and asking what you do. They should be saying. \u201cI\u2019ve heard of you\u2014you guys are everywhere! And I am interested in working with you.\u201d This puts you a few steps into your nurturing journey with event attendees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n