Planning an online event? Andy Bargery, managing director at Klaxon, describes a six-step process on how to set up your online event campaign for success from the outset
The increasing use of online events in B2B marketing is hardly surprising when you consider some of the key benefits: lower cost than physical events, more easily measured outcomes, the creation of fresh marketing assets message amplification post-event, etc. It’s therefore unsurprising to hear reports that webinars have grown by around 75 per cent since 2008. But how do you know which audiences will engage with which online event formats?
1. Set your objectives
Start off by defining what you want to achieve with your online event campaign. Are you looking to drive new leads into your pipeline, or move leads through the buying cycle? Perhaps your goal is to drive up-sell or cross-sell opportunities?
All of the above and more can be supported through online events, but you need to define this clearly at the outset.
2. Define your audience
The next step is to define the audience segment you want to reach. You will need to employ a different set of online event tactics depending on who your audience is and where they sit in the decision-making unit. This is also a good time to align your online event with other campaigns targeting the same segments.
You should now start to think about the type of online event you need to run and at which stage of the buying cycle your audience is at.
3. Consider the buying cycle
You want to select the best event platform for reaching your target audience at the right time in the sales cycle.
Consider the following when targeting different audiences with online events:
- Persuading the C-suite. Your busy exec is time poor and will want easily digestible content. Consider pre-recorded webcasts or online meetings covering business case and strategy topics, rather than technical detail.
- Influencing management. Mid-level managers will be interested in business case and technical detail. Use a mixture of content formats and platforms as you move through the buying cycle, such as online expos or conferences with multi-format content, or a series of on-going live webinars.
- Educating a technical audience. This segment will be detail-oriented. They are unlikely to be your primary decision makers, but certainly influencers who would find product specs, installation guides and evidence of support and community valuable. Consider product demos or online meetings with pre-sales aligned to the most frequently asked questions your support team receives.
- Reaching entry level executives. Depending on the value of your product, the entry-level manager will have a varying degree of influence. You might take a long-term view and start to foster brand relationships and begin educating this audience about your product range. Pre-recorded content, online conferences or expos are likely to be of value.
4. Establish a content plan
Online events are no different to any other marketing campaign when it comes to content. The greater the value-add offered, the more likely you are to generate customer engagement and ROI.
Set your content strategy as you would a physical event. Pack it with value (think case studies, notable speakers and value-led presentations) that fit in with your platform choice. Don’t forget the need to provide different content for each stage of the buying cycle. Business case, strategy and broad themes at the top of the funnel; more technical detail and cost comparisons nearer to the point-of-sale.
5. Execute and follow-up
When marketing your online event consider a full promotional mix and give yourself enough time to build an audience. This should allow you to create marketing-qualified prospects to give to your sales team.
Depending on the type of online event you choose, you may need to plan for an ongoing process of managing incoming leads, e.g what do you do if someone views your webinar 60 days after the live event? You will also need an effective follow-up strategy for event attendees. This may be another event, or an email or telemarketing campaign with strong calls-to-action.
6. Measure performance
Through a carefully designed set of key performance indicators, you can quickly track and establish whether you have chosen the right tactic mix for your campaign. Ultimately you want to measure the value of your sales pipeline. Online events also have some simple metrics to monitor: registration volumes, attendee rates, length of time spent with your content, depth of engagement and traffic to your landing pages.
