It should come as no shock that brands such as Salesforce, Apple, and Tesla are investing big in events 💲💲. Every year we see these events, with their own dedicated followers, capture the headlines with product launches, speakers, and exclusive brand elements.
With so much happening at events like this, it can become difficult to see what’s really going on 👀 and perhaps more importantly, why such well-recognized brands are even running events in the first place. From brand awareness to customer engagement and lead generation, there’s a multitude of different answers out there.
However, all of these reasons are the means to an end. Companies are using event marketing for a variety of different reasons but the end goal is for them to sell more. To help make more of this, we’ve outlined 8 tips that will enable you to sell more 📈 with events.
Note: It’s very difficult to have the same successes as the big brands that we mention because they all have a massive outreach, with a turnout of millions. And while this may not apply to your brand, what can be applied are the techniques that we mention.
Product launches
When Tesla or Apple launch a new product, they don’t just put it in stores and let their customers start shopping as if nothing happened. They strategically plan 🔮 a launch event to generate buzz about their new product.
The culmination of all the hard work that’s been put in from across the company, a product launch is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your product to the outside world 🗺️. Allowing your customers and the media to get up close and personal with your brand creates excitement.
This is vital as a first push to create sales because it establishes media exposure and traction on social media 🌐. Moreover, it gets your name out there and it gets people talking about your brand and this is ultimately what drives sales.
Having doubts? Take a look at this article about Elon Musk’s botched Tesla pickup truck presentation which still managed to receive 250,000 preorders.
Invite the right people
In order to sell more at any event 💲💲, you need to make sure that you’ve got the right people, aka those who are willing to buy from you. The more you know about your attendees, the better. To do this you need to understand who they are, what their pain points are, why they want to attend your event, and what your brand can do to add value and educate them.
Attendee personas give you a real insight into your attendees and also form the foundations for moving forward. Firstly, they allow you to create content that can spark curiosity 💡 and interest in your brand; and secondly, they help you to target your attendees on social media because you know what appeals to them and what their online behavior is like. Finally, it will give you a better understanding of how to design the invitation and how to create a narrative that taps into your audiences’ emotions.
Create a winning presentation
By now you should have the right attendees coming to your event. You’ve got them in the door 🚪 and they should be interested in your product, but to really sell, you need to deliver a killer presentation that demonstrates the value your new product can provide.
The unveiling of a product needs to have a strong presentation to go with it. Not only should it appeal to the pain points of your audience 👨👩👦 but it should also reflect your brand and what makes this product so special.
The presentation needs to feed off the hype of the product and create a buzz that gets people talking. Be creative 💡, don’t hold back, and above all make sure that it’s engaging.
Create a powerful brand experience
A powerful brand experience is what shapes your attendees’ perception of your brand. It’s the bridge 🌉 for building meaningful and long-lasting relationships between brand and audience. And this is why events are such an important platform for creating memorable experiences.
Example: Apple iPhone Presentation 2018
A great example of how to create an engaging brand experience. The presentation for launching 2018’s iPhone 📱 got off to a bang with a Mission Impossible parody video. In the video, an Apple employee is seen racing across campus to deliver an item to Tim Cook using ‘Hey Siri’ with AirPods to find the fastest possible route.
With time running out, she sprints across tables, slides across floors, leaps from staircases and skips across a pond, assisted by Siri, her Apple Watch and other technologies to negotiate her formidable obstacle course: the brand’s Apple Park corporate headquarters.
This opening video creates a great first impression, it’s cool and original but at the same time it’s able to showcase all of the different Apple products and prove how useful they can be in tight situations.
Incorporate an ‘aha’ moment for attendees
It’s only natural for attendees to be curious about the product 😜 and it’s vital that you use this curiosity when showing off your product. Try and spark as much interest as possible and create a special ‘aha’ moment that will get people and the media talking 🗨️. This could be about a special feature or a differentiator which sets you apart from the rest.
Let people get hands-on
Leading on from the point above. It’s vital that you keep the event as interactive as possible. A great way of doing this is to let people test your product and get a real feel for it. Make sure to give your attendees first-hand exposure to your product so they can see what the product is like for themselves. It’s the first opportunity to showcase your product to the world 🌎 and it’s a great way of creating a buzz at your event.
Facilitate a buying environment
Attendees are always going to be more inclined to buy your product when they’re at the event. Especially when they’ve made the effort to attend which shows that they’re already interested in your product.
To capitalize on this, provide exclusive attendee only, one-time deals. It’s basic human psychology 👨🏫 that people are more inclined to buy something if it’s on special offer or promotion. The main takeaway here is that you provide an offer that is going to persuade your attendees to buy from you. You want them to feel like they made the right decision and have taken advantage of a great deal 💱 which gives others that fear of missing out feeling.
Follow up after the event
Events provide a fantastic opportunity to present your brand and for leads and prospects to engage with it on a personal level. This should always continue after the event and this is why you need to continue nurturing so that you stay fresh in the minds of your attendees 👨👩👦.
You need to make sure that you constantly engage with your attendees, post-event included. So before planning your brand event, decide how you’ll communicate with the attendees afterward.
For an efficient follow-up strategy, apart from the standard thank-you emails ✉️, engage with your audience by sharing relevant content you discussed during the event presentations, videos 🎥, etc. In addition, remind your guests about your products or services by offering them a special discount or incentive for attending the event, which will make them feel special.
Roundup
You only need to look at what some of the big brands are doing to see just how effective events can be as a selling tool 🚀.
Events are a fantastic chance to showcase a new product or service to the outside world. For any brand, these events can make or break a business 〽️, regardless of how good, or bad, the product is.
That’s why you need to create an environment that facilitates engagement, sparks interest, and creates a fascination with your product. Only when you’re able to demonstrate this to your audience 👪, will you be able to sell more.
