4 Ways To Add Inperson Events Back To Your Marketing Mix
For the past two and a half years, marketers have focused exclusively on digital communications. But now that pandemic-related restrictions are lifted, personalized events and experiences are making a comeback into the marketing mix. Have you created this hub? How are you revising your strategies to adapt to changes in the market and the broader business environment?
In-person events are so important to me that we here at Sitecore are planning our first in-person symposium in two years. Here are my main takeaways from our process
1. Begin by fully acknowledging how much you have changed.
The past two and a half years have been marked not only by the pandemic, but also by social unrest and significant changes in business, technology and society. Much of the way we live and work has been taken apart and redesigned, and in the process we have learned a lot about ourselves and our priorities.
From a marketing perspective, one of the most important evolutionary changes is the acceleration of digital communications. Consumers are now accustomed to connecting seamlessly with brands between digital and physical experiences and have new preferences and expectations. This means brands need the ability to identify, activate and optimize engagement across all channels.
2. Using digital learning to enhance the personal experience.
Marketers are social by nature, and most, if not all, have been wanting to get back to in-person events for some time now. However, it would be a mistake to let this excitement overshadow everything we have learned by going 100% digital.
After all, we now know that digital strategies can be very effective. We also know a lot about how to combine the digital with the physical to create meaningful interactions. Ultimately, it is these hybrid strategies that are most successful because they allow customers to choose which type of interaction suits them best.
We have chosen this approach for Sitecore Symposium 2022. Some aspects of the conference will be attendee-only, but we will be streaming keynotes so that other segments of the audience can truly participate.
3. Focus on creating a new course.
Adding personalized activities to the marketing mix and doing so in a way that meets the expectations of new customers requires the manipulation of several, sometimes competing factors. It will definitely be a challenge, but the only thing that will keep you on the right path is concentration.
Today more than ever, you need to be clear about your team's short and long term goals. Then focus your efforts on the goals set for each target audience. Remember that all buyers are on a personal journey and each journey is characterized by its own variables.
Therefore, when choosing the theme of this year's symposium, we chose "Knowing Every Moment". This is our way of emphasizing that to be successful in a post-pandemic world, brands must deliver an authentic experience at every touchpoint, whether those touchpoints are digital, physical, or hybrid.
4. Make peace with constant confidence.
All of us marketers and customers are still trying to make sense of everything that has happened in the last two and a half years, the marketing environment is dynamic and can change constantly for some time. About the digital and the physical This is changing, and we have to admit that we're not sure where it all is.
In the short term, I expect in-person event attendance to increase due to demand and digital fatigue. But will this increase be sustainable? We must wait and see. As always, the key is to keep finding what works for your audience. Then dip your sock into the water, being open to new information as it comes in.
Adding a personalized experience to the marketing mix requires a fresh look, as well as new levels of customization that let you connect every time. This is because, despite powerful digital approaches, the past few years have taught us that we as humans crave personal connections.
We understand that these relationships are critical to driving purchases and can combine them with operational and contextual customer data, analytics and business intelligence. In today's complex client ecosystem, this is the only way to truly understand and demonstrate your relevance to your audience, both online and in person.
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