As we know, personalization has become more and more important for companies to invest in as they’re trying to connect with target audiences, and event marketing is no exception. To implement the most effective personalization efforts when organizing and hosting events, companies can apply the framework to multiple touchpoints throughout the experience.
Registration
When planning and hosting an event it’s important to segment the registration process for the people that will be attending. During the registration process, companies have the perfect opportunity to personalize the invitation to attendees, by making sure that the registration forms that they will be filling in are developed according to each segment of the target audience. Companies can also utilize different digital marketing strategies, such as retargeting campaigns, to keep reminding people that might be interested in attending the event, about the event, at the right time, and on the right platform, so that they ensure a high volume of RSVPs.
Timing
A critical part of executing a successful event with a high RSVP rate and attendee rate is timing. From the timing of when invites go out, to the follow ups to the reminders for those who attended, each touch point is both an opportunity to drive RSVPs as well as to put your brand in front of your audience. One of the worst things to do is create a long and drawn-out process in the lead-up to the event, from the initial RSVP form to when the event actually happens. If there is a significant amount of time between invitations and the event itself, a company runs the risk of a high drop off rate because a lot of people may end up forgetting about the event altogether, or have different plans pop up that create conflicts for people who have RSVPed. Companies are well served in personalizing the RSVP and reminder process as much as they can, from scheduling the send time to coincide with times their audience is online or active on email, to personalized follow up for attendees and “sorry we missed you” emails to those who RSVPed but did not attend.
Event touchpoints
Basic personalization around events is making sure that the company is using the names of the attendees when sending out emails about the event, or providing them with a personalized swag bag. However, there are many other opportunities for personalization during an event that give the company the opportunity to engage with attendees at different points of the event. For example, companies can create a smartphone app specifically for its event for attendees, where people can participate in ways like submitting questions for speakers, see the various activations on a floor plan and save down which they want to attend, even creating a schedule that provides them with push notifications. Companies can also use their app to send out surveys to the attendees to understand how the attendees are feeling about the event or encourage them to attend the next year.
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