5 Tips To Creating a Successful Event Marketing Plan in a Post-Pandemic World

Over the last 18 months, event marketing teams have shown nothing but strength, resilience, and a commitment to innovation. As cancellations became the norm and priorities were forced to shift daily, the entire events industry adopted an adapt-or-fail approach.

While we’ve successfully made it through to the other side, the hard work doesn’t stop here. Event marketers need to get energized and focus on the future. In this blog, you can discover 5 tips on creating a successful event marketing plan in the post-pandemic world.

Let’s dive in.

How Has Event Marketing Changed in the Age of COVID?

While the world has returned to some semblance of ordinary life and in-person events have quickly resumed, event marketing has undoubtedly been changed forever. Technology is the future for launching and hosting a successful event, enhancing and elevating every part of the process.

Over 90% of event marketers say they plan to incorporate virtual events into their strategy going forward, even in a post-COVID world. Those hoping for a return to the traditional systems before lockdown should buckle in and get ready to adapt.

5 Tips for Creating a Successful Event Marketing Plan

Creating a successful event marketing plan post-COVID isn’t just about opting for Zoom over a live venue. There’s so much more to consider than that, especially if you’re hoping your events will be more successful than ever before.

Keep reading to discover 5 key tips for creating a comprehensive event marketing plan that’s equipped and ready for a bold new age.

1. Capture Quality Leads You Can Nurture and Convert

The key reason why businesses host events are to expand their reach beyond the go-to mailing list. It’s all about spreading the word, getting your ideas in front of new people, and turning them into potential customers.

Capturing quality leads you can nurture and convert should be at the top of your priority list when creating a successful event marketing plan. By following a well-strategized marketing funnel, you can target your event to every stage of the buyer journey. Whether you’re B2B or B2C, using a mix of virtual and hybrid events in a post-COVID world is an effective and affordable way to capture leads for conversion.

2. Don’t Rely on Cookies for First-Party Data

Are you ready to say goodbye to your precious cookies? You better be, because, in 2023, the world’s biggest search engine intends to stop supporting them. With privacy regulations around the globe evolving, event marketers need to have a plan in place for vital data collection.

One of the best ways to prepare for a cookieless world is to stop relying on third-party data to drive your event marketing plan. Start developing better relationships with your customers by finding out more about them. As a team, you should brainstorm inventive new ways to collect their information and leverage it to improve your strategy.

3. Generate Revenue Using Data and Digital

We’ve all learned in the last 18 months that data and digital is the key to generating revenue. While physical businesses without a digital presence collapsed, those able to run entirely online continued to flourish. Unaffected by global disasters, the virtual world continues to persist through thick and thin. Making the most of your digital capabilities and valuable data should be a firm priority when creating your event marketing plan for the new age.

Creating an omnichannel marketing strategy is a great place to start. This is all about using the plethora of digital channels available to you, using them in different ways to serve one central purpose. This ties in with the idea of seeking sponsorships for your virtual event. The more people you can reach with your concept, the more likely you can secure a high-paying sponsor to boost your revenue.

4. Engage Your Audience All-Year With 365 Campaigns

Experiential marketing trends for 2022 are quickly emerging and one of the critical reminders on this year’s list is to orchestrate a year-round content campaign. We’re constantly consuming data in the modern age, delivered to us through various social media channels, news outlets, or television adverts. Creating an event marketing plan in the post-COVID world should consider and seek to engage your audience 365 days a year.

Some of the most effective ways to stay in touch with your audience include:

• Create a powerful and unique email marketing experience
• Use social media in new and exciting ways to stand out from the crowd
• Research digital marketing tips and tricks to be aware of the latest techniques
• Don’t rely on one channel cover all your bases
• Reconnect with previous customers and reinspire their loyalty

5. Set Benchmarks and Focus on Attendee Marketing

Some of the best event marketing examples that demonstrate success in the post-COVID world set effective benchmarks. These are goals, usually based on stats or figures, driven by comparisons to your competitors. While it may seem counterintuitive to focus on the work of others, measuring your progress against that of your biggest competition can be a great way to quantify your success. By doing so, you can also identify your strengths, focus on your weaknesses and stay ahead of the curve.

When you’re creating your benchmarks, don’t forget about attendee marketing. Getting people to your event may seem like the most important thing, but nurturing them during and after is how you convert them from leads to customers. While traditional methods like business cards may still be effective in some cases, why not try:

• Collecting their data through exciting and experiential event technology
• Greeting, conversing, and nurturing during the event
• Following up with attendees after the event

So, that’s all of our essential tips on creating a successful event marketing plan for the new age. If you can embrace hybrid events, find fresh ways to collect data, and keep engaging with your audience, you’ll be on to a winner for years to come.

Find out more about Stova and our comprehensive event management technology.