The importance of events to your B2B marketing strategy

Creating a holistic and efficient B2B marketing strategy is becoming a more complex task by the day. That’s not to say that this complexity is always a bad thing. 

For instance, big data mining, combined with some predictive analytics and with the help of various data visualisation tools could give you insights about your audience and competitors that would blow your mind. Of course, if you approach this task without the proper knowledge, infrastructure and plan, you’re more likely to get lost in the confusion than to glean even a single relevant piece of info.

Then there is the other part of the spectrum. On one hand we have the shiny new methodologies - like big data mining, and diametrically opposite to them we have the good old tactics which still haven’t lost any of their luster or utility, despite being as old as marketing itself.

Trade shows, conferences and other similar corporate events are at the hub of one such tactic. While they do have some appeal even if you’re closer to a B2C model, these events are infinitely more lucrative and impactful in the B2B world. Here are just some of the things they can help you with.

Build your brand’s narrative

You’ve probably heard about omni-channel marketing, and even if you didn’t, everything you need to know is pretty much in its name. The fact that most serious brands are making sure that they are present on every major media channel is not only caused by their desire to reach different audiences. 

Sure, different people hang out in different places, and as a marketer, it is your duty to go out and find them wherever they might be hiding. However, it’s not just about who you’ll reach, but also about what you intend to say. 

Whether you like it or not, certain stories can only be told in certain formats. That’s not to say that a blog post you’ve written cannot presented in form of a video or infographic, but it would need serious structural remodeling before it can successfully cross this boundary. 

So what’s that special appeal of events in terms of their storytelling and promotional potential? Well, one of the examples is just below.

Networking and lead generation

While social media channels, for instance, give you a chance to reach huge audiences, these relationships are usually not nearly as meaningful or lucrative as those you build in person.

The same would be true if you were in B2C retail, however, in that case, the benefits of direct contact would probably be overshadowed by the low volume of people reached.

In B2B on the other hand, where every individual purchase is much more worth your time, and where your peers need to actually assess your competence before they accept you, this face-to-face conversation is indispensable.

By organizing, or even just participating in industry events of this kind, you get into the immediate orbit of your colleagues and competitors, and perhaps get a chance to turn them into friends and partners.

This doesn’t mean that you should only get the contact information of people directly in your industry. One of the ways to leverage the indirect potential of such events is to get to know the people that might know the people who you really want to get to know. Using an event app further helps to filter using smart match-making powered by both interests you and other attendees provide. Events apps are a great companion for both in-person & hybrid events.

So, if you are, for instance, focused on the Australian market, getting in good with some of the more popular businesses focused on projector hire in Sydney, or catering, or any other ancillary service, could give you a nice insight into what’s happening on the scene.

It goes without saying that these events, aside from helping you find your peers, also have the potential to help you collect an inordinate amount of leads or even allow you to make a couple of direct sales, then and there.