A revolution is sweeping the world of marketing and it’s sure to have an impact on the way conferences are organized and promoted. Sarah Mitchell explains why content marketing is the new way to build a loyal following for your events. Your number one job as a conference organiser is to get bums on seats, right? While good attendance numbers make everyone happy, great attendance numbers lead to bigger projects, better clients and more compensation. If you’re taking a traditional approach to marketing your event, chances are you’ll never break into that top tier.

1. Pulling them in:
Content Marketing for
Conference Organisers
Sarah Mitchell
Editor, Chief Content Officer Magazine

2. Goals for Today
 Explain the shift in consumer
spending habits
 Define Content Marketing and describe
it’s components
 Provide recommendations for using
content marketing for conferences

3. Definition
Content Marketing:
The art of understanding exactly
what your customers need to know
and delivering it to them in a relevant
and compelling way.
CONTENT MARKETING = EDUCATION

4. Traditional vs.
Content Marketing
Push – Outbound activity
 Traditional Marketing = broadcast
 Lead generation
Pull – Inbound activity
 Content Marketing =
information/education
 Lead nurturing

5. TIP: Consumers are Doing
Their Own Research
Online Publishers – Internet Activity Index
Monthly “Time Spent” in Internet Activity Table

6. TIP: Low Cost Option

7. 3(ish) Components
of Content Marketing
 Search Engine
Optimisation (SEO)
 Content
 Social Media

8. Panda likes Content
TIP:
Original content is leading
influence on Google
TRAP:
Your web designer may
not have a content focus

9. Content
People are seeking
their own information.
TRAP:
The days of
self-serving,
self-promoting
“blah, blah, blah” are over

10. TIP:
Marketing =
Publishing

11. Social Media
 Best Tools for Business
 It‟s about relationships

12. “ Conversation
without content
is mere networking.
Content
without conversation
is just dead content. ”

13. Tips for Developing
Original Content
 Forget features
– make it benefit oriented
 The drill vs. The hole
 It‟s about THEM
 eMail vs. meMail

14. “ Think about
what a user is
going to type ”
Matt Cutts, Google

15. Tips for Developing
Original Content
 Think like a publisher
1. Support each product/service you offer
2. Target each customer segment
3. Consider vertical markets
4. Use multiple content types

16. Generating
Great Content
 Hire writers
 Try and find a web journalist
 Invest in graphic design
 Good writing + Good Design = GREAT content
 Great content is a business asset!

17. What are
popular
content
types?
Social media
Blogs eNewsletters eBooks
White papers In-person events Podcasts
Case studies Traditional media Digital magazines
Online video Webinars Mobile apps

18. Timeline:
1 Year Before Conference
1
YEAR
 Plan your website

19. Timeline:
9 Months Before Conference
9
Email Marketing MONTHS
 Call for papers
 Call for speakers
 Save the date notices

20. Timeline:
6 Months Before Conference
 Start your
6
MONTHS
Twitter activity
 Launch your website
 Get a blog going
 Start an email newsletter

21. Timeline:
4 Months Before Conference
 Put together a
4
MONTHS
Facebook page
 Post your event to Facebook
 Start promoting
„Early Bird‟ discounts

22. Timeline:
3 Months Before Conference
 Start a LinkedIn 3
MONTHS
Discussion Group
 Post your event on LinkedIn
 Start posting event notices
on relevant LinkedIn
Discussion Groups

23. Timeline:
2 Months Before Conference
 Start publishing
2
MONTHS
weekly email
newsletters
 Increase blogging frequency
(use speakers as guest bloggers)
 Publish final conference line-up

24. Timeline:
1 Month Before Conference
1
 “Full-tilt boogie” MONTHS
on all social
media channels
 Issue tickets online

25. Content Ideas:
Promoting the Event
MONTHS

26. Content Ideas:
During the Event
 Live Blogging
 Live Tweeting (pick a hash tag symbol)
 Email updates
 Podcasts
 Videos
 Slideshare

27. Content Ideas:
After the Event

28. Content Ideas:
After the Event

29. TRAP:
“Post and Hope”

30. Benefits of
Content Marketing
 Tailored to your event
 Targets key prospects
 Contributes to lead nurturing
 Positions you for
increased registrations
 Marketing expenses
convert to assets
 Cost effective

31. Don‟t Pay
For Attention
BUY attention: Advertising
BEG for attention: Public Relations
BUG people: Sales

32. “EARN attention online by
creating great information
that your buyers want to
consume such as
YouTube
videos, blogs, Twitter
feeds, photographs, charts, gr
aphs and ebooks
– and it is all free.”