Virtual conferences and events provide new opportunities for you
to showcase your product or service, meet 1:1 with your current
and potential customers, and listen to the needs of the industry. With such a large investment of time, money, and human resources, it’s no surprise that management expects great returns on each event that your company sponsors.
On behalf of the Content Marketing Institute team, we’re all here to help you. We’re ready for exciting experiences, great ROI for sponsors, and new ways for customers to advance the practice of content marketing because of partner relationships built at our events.
Welcome to our annual Enterprise Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends report. Here we present the findings from enterprise marketers (those who work in organizations with 1,000+ employees) who replied to our 11th Annual Content Marketing Survey.
At the time of the survey, content marketers had just made it through the first half of 2020. Most reported that their organization made quick changes when the pandemic hit, most notably by changing their targeting/messaging strategy, adjusting their editorial calendar, and changing their content distribution/promotion strategy. The majority (57%) expected to spend about the same on content marketing during the second half of 2020 as they spent in the first half (17% expected a decrease).
Team size hadn’t changed drastically compared with the previous year (48% said it stayed the same); yet, another 35% reported an increase.
Overall, one-third of the enterprise respondents reported high levels of content marketing success. These top performers said the top two factors contributing to that success in the last 12 months were “the value our content provides” (79%) and “website changes” (62%).
Looking forward, 74% of respondents felt the pandemic would have a major or moderate long- term impact on their organization’s overall content marketing success. It will be interesting to see how enterprise marketers rise to the challenges in 2021.
This was my keynote presentation at this year's ContentTech virtual event. It talks through the layered approach to technology strategy to help de-silo content, marketing and the digital technology teams. It ends with a selection process.
Welcome to the 11th Annual B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends report. You may notice this year’s report feels different than past years and that’s by design. A year like no other required an approach like no other.
As in past years, we fielded the survey during the summer. We asked many of the same questions as last year but added new ones to see how content marketers were faring several months into the pandemic.
Although the data did not reveal drastic reductions in content marketing resources, many respondents shared in the fill-in comments their challenges of having to do more with less. Others shared their concerns about trying to reach audiences in an overcrowded virtual world.
Nevertheless, one thing stood out: Content marketers are resilient. Most have met the challenges of the pandemic head-on: They’re adapting quickly—and they believe in the value their content provides.
Presentation from Joe Pulizzi from the Content Marketing Institute on 10 ways to fix your content and 10 tactical tips to implement within your content marketing strategy.
Don't leave your sales force behind gooding communications groupElizabeth Gooding
Printers are investing in new technology, which is good news for the industry. For printers to gain the most from their new investment they must plan for the impact on sales processes, compensation plan and the need for enhanced marketing support for B2B sales.
Welcome to the Manufacturing Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends with Insights for 2022 report. This report looks back on the last 12 months and includes expectations for 2022.
This year’s research suggested that the pandemic awoke a sleeping giant – content marketing, that is. Without in-person events and face-to-face selling, many who had previously paid little attention to content marketing suddenly became aware of its power. More content marketers got a seat at the table and helped keep many businesses on their audiences’ radar. Some discovered new audiences altogether.
Videos and virtual events/webinars were big over the last 12 months with the manufacturing marketers we surveyed. In addition, 85% expect continued investment in video in 2022, making it the top area of predicted investment.
Yet manufacturing marketers continue to face content marketing challenges within their organizations: 51% said they are challenged with creating valuable content instead of sales-oriented content as well as with overcoming the traditional marketing and sales mindset. Fifty percent said they are challenged with accessing subject matter experts to create content. If manufacturing marketers can overcome these challenges, they’ll improve their odds of achieving greater content marketing success in the coming year.
Welcome to our annual Enterprise Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends report. Here we present the findings from enterprise marketers (those who work in organizations with 1,000+ employees) who replied to our 11th Annual Content Marketing Survey.
At the time of the survey, content marketers had just made it through the first half of 2020. Most reported that their organization made quick changes when the pandemic hit, most notably by changing their targeting/messaging strategy, adjusting their editorial calendar, and changing their content distribution/promotion strategy. The majority (57%) expected to spend about the same on content marketing during the second half of 2020 as they spent in the first half (17% expected a decrease).
Team size hadn’t changed drastically compared with the previous year (48% said it stayed the same); yet, another 35% reported an increase.
Overall, one-third of the enterprise respondents reported high levels of content marketing success. These top performers said the top two factors contributing to that success in the last 12 months were “the value our content provides” (79%) and “website changes” (62%).
Looking forward, 74% of respondents felt the pandemic would have a major or moderate long- term impact on their organization’s overall content marketing success. It will be interesting to see how enterprise marketers rise to the challenges in 2021.
This was my keynote presentation at this year's ContentTech virtual event. It talks through the layered approach to technology strategy to help de-silo content, marketing and the digital technology teams. It ends with a selection process.
Welcome to the 11th Annual B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends report. You may notice this year’s report feels different than past years and that’s by design. A year like no other required an approach like no other.
As in past years, we fielded the survey during the summer. We asked many of the same questions as last year but added new ones to see how content marketers were faring several months into the pandemic.
Although the data did not reveal drastic reductions in content marketing resources, many respondents shared in the fill-in comments their challenges of having to do more with less. Others shared their concerns about trying to reach audiences in an overcrowded virtual world.
Nevertheless, one thing stood out: Content marketers are resilient. Most have met the challenges of the pandemic head-on: They’re adapting quickly—and they believe in the value their content provides.
Presentation from Joe Pulizzi from the Content Marketing Institute on 10 ways to fix your content and 10 tactical tips to implement within your content marketing strategy.
Don't leave your sales force behind gooding communications groupElizabeth Gooding
Printers are investing in new technology, which is good news for the industry. For printers to gain the most from their new investment they must plan for the impact on sales processes, compensation plan and the need for enhanced marketing support for B2B sales.
Welcome to the Manufacturing Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends with Insights for 2022 report. This report looks back on the last 12 months and includes expectations for 2022.
This year’s research suggested that the pandemic awoke a sleeping giant – content marketing, that is. Without in-person events and face-to-face selling, many who had previously paid little attention to content marketing suddenly became aware of its power. More content marketers got a seat at the table and helped keep many businesses on their audiences’ radar. Some discovered new audiences altogether.
Videos and virtual events/webinars were big over the last 12 months with the manufacturing marketers we surveyed. In addition, 85% expect continued investment in video in 2022, making it the top area of predicted investment.
Yet manufacturing marketers continue to face content marketing challenges within their organizations: 51% said they are challenged with creating valuable content instead of sales-oriented content as well as with overcoming the traditional marketing and sales mindset. Fifty percent said they are challenged with accessing subject matter experts to create content. If manufacturing marketers can overcome these challenges, they’ll improve their odds of achieving greater content marketing success in the coming year.
Research shows that marketers from large companies (1,000 employees) use more content marketing tactics and outsource content creation more frequently than their peers do. Learn more about how enterprise marketers approach content marketing.
Overview: The State of B2B Content Marketing IN NORTH AMERI CA
More. If one word could describe content marketing at the end of 2012, that would be it . According to the latest findings from the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs, B2B marketers are spending more, using more tactics, and
distributing their content on more social networks than they have in years past. Unfortunately, there is also more uncertainty. B2B marketers are more uncertain whether they are using various content marketing tactics effectively.
Welcome to our annual Technology Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends report, based on our latest annual content marketing survey conducted in July 2020.
The study showed that technology marketers, in the throes of adjusting to business changes presented by a global pandemic, put more emphasis on using content marketing to generate demand and leads than they had the previous year. They also were looking more closely at conversion and marketing qualified lead (MQL) metrics to track the performance of their content.
These insights suggest that tech marketers were increasingly called upon to use content marketing for demand and lead generation. It makes sense, then, that their use of virtual events (83%) increased by nine percentage points over the previous year, as virtual relationship-building and selling took a front seat. In addition, livestreaming video finally took off (one-third of all tech respondents—and 53% of those working in large companies—reported using it).
It’s too soon to tell if these will be lasting shifts. Priorities are likely to change again as restrictions caused by the pandemic ease up. We look forward to exploring these topics in our next round of annual content marketing research.
Interactive content enables you to deliver engaging, educational,differentiated content experiences. Discover what other marketersare learning and start your climb.
Member report: NEWBASE - Marketing Priorities 2017IAB Europe
In a rapidly changing media world, as marketers, we need to keep up with what is going on around us, track consumer behaviour and technology developments, and watch where the advertising dollars are moving. It is also essential that we understand the priorities of brand marketers, agencies and publishers alike, and build our marketing strategies accordingly.
The B2B Content Marketing Report is based on over 600 survey responses from marketing professionals to better understand the current state of content marketing and to identify new trends, and key challenges as well as best practices.
Here are some of the key findings:
- Lead generation is by far the number one goal of content marketing, followed by thought leadership and market education.
- Companies with a documented content strategy are much more likely to be effective than those without a documented strategy.
- The most mentioned content marketing challenge is finding enough time and resources to create content.
- Content marketing ROI remains difficult to measure. Only a minority of respondents consider themselves at least somewhat successful at tracking ROI.
- LinkedIn tops the list of the most effective social media platforms for distributing content and engaging with prospects.
Download the full report PDF for more details: http://www.marketingbuddy.com/download-the-content-marketing-report/
Welcome to our annual B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North America report. We’re excited to present you with the findings from our latest content marketing survey.
Content marketing has changed a lot since we launched this research nearly a decade ago. We marketers are still focused on content creation, but our thinking about the audiences for whom we create that content has evolved. So, too, have the ways we distribute, measure, and improve upon our content marketing. Technology has played a big role, along with the knowledge we’ve gained through our content marketing experiences.
As you’ll see in this report, some organizations are more developed than others with their content marketing. But you’ll also recognize your own practices reflected in many of the findings. Where does your company stand? What do you need to get to where you want to be? If you need help, let us know!
Welcome to B2C Content Marketing 2019—Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. This report presents the results from the B2C marketers who took our ninth annual content marketing survey.
Our research has consistently shown that creating brand awareness is a top goal for B2C content marketing. However, many of this year’s survey respondents also reported strong concern for using content to solidify existing relationships (see page 13).
Content that can be effective at building loyalty takes many shapes and forms today, for example:
- Videos and social media stories that entertain
- In-person events that create a sense of community and belonging
- Podcasts that inspire
- Live or virtual experiences that evoke emotion
- Articles, guides, newsletters, etc., that provide information
Obviously, the list goes on. The point is, that while driving people to content is critical, giving them reasons to keep coming back will grow long-term success!
Welcome to our annual B2C Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends report. Here we present the results from B2C marketers who replied to our 11th Annual Content Marketing Survey. The events of 2020 have certainly reshaped how organizations conduct their marketing. At the time of this survey, content marketers were still reeling from the events that took place during the first half of 2020. As we usher in 2021, we are still facing constant change and uncertainty.
Many B2C marketers reported adjusting quickly when the pandemic hit; perhaps their companies were doubling down on digital, heavily engaging in virtual events, or trying to keep on top of rapidly changing analytics resulting from more people being at home and online. All these scenarios created the need for new content, formats, and strategies.
As we move into 2021 in a world where most gatherings are still limited, direct-to-consumer will continue to drive B2C. Successful B2C marketers will focus on creating content experiences and building relationships in the digital world.
We randomly selected 100 North American control system integrators and assessed their digital marketing effectiveness against 32 separate criteria. These criteria are divided into 5 categories:
Design & Usability: How well does the website welcome visitors and communicate the company’s unique value proposition?
Search Engine Marketing (SEM): Is the website optimized in order to receive organic search traffic and is paid search being leveraged?
Content Marketing: Is there content available on the website to attract visitors and generate links because it offers value to prospective leads?
Social Media: Does the website connect with multiple, active and engaged social media channels?
Marketing Funnel: Are there offers for visitors to enter the marketing funnel at every stage, not simply the bottom, sales stage?
Connected, interactive content experiences deliver more trusted data, and more measurable results. Original research illuminates how marketersare making big, beautiful music.
Defense contractors who use the right online display advertising tactics can boost awareness, improve search advertising efforts, enhance email marketing, and increase leads.
Welcome to the 12th Annual Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends: Insights for 2022 report. What a year it has been.
This edition of our report looks back on the last 12 months and includes expectations for 2022. Throughout, you will see quotes from the many rich, qualitative responses we received to the question, “What did the pandemic change most about your organization’s content marketing strategy/approach?” In all, 75% of respondents took the time to answer this question and we are ever so grateful. What amazing insights it yielded!
The key theme that emerged was this: The pandemic awoke a sleeping giant – content marketing, that is. Without in-person events and face-to-face selling, many who had previously paid little attention to content marketing suddenly became aware of its power. More content marketers got a seat at the table and helped keep many businesses on their audiences’ radar. Some discovered new audiences altogether.
The research also confirmed what many of us already knew: Content marketers are some of the fiercest business pros around. In the most difficult of times, they get the job done – and many come through more creative and stronger than before.
Congratulations, content marketers, for a job well done in the most difficult of times. Our entire team salutes you!
Welcome to our ninth annual B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North America report. We surveyed content marketers worldwide about a range of content marketing topics including strategy, audience development, technology proficiency, and content types. This report presents the data from the B2B content marketers in North America.
Although issues such as changes in SEO and social media algorithms are top-of-mind for B2B content marketers, they are accustomed to rapid changes in technology that often enable them to do their jobs faster, with better results. When the process-related components of the content marketer’s job are efficient, time is freed up to better serve the audience, discovering and developing the types of content they truly want and need.
We hope you find this research helpful as you plan for 2019!
Welcome to the B2C Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends: Insights for 2022 report. This report looks back on the last 12 months and includes expectations for 2022.
Our research suggested that, due to work-from-home requirements, content marketing piqued the interest of many who were previously unaware of its power. With more people than ever spending time online, content marketing presented a prime opportunity for businesses to get and stay in front of audiences. Some B2C marketers discovered new audiences altogether.
Short articles and videos were big over the last 12 months with the B2C marketers we surveyed. In addition, expect a lot of B2C investment in video in 2022: 72% forecast investment in this area. Paid media came in a distant second.
Although most B2C marketers reported success with content marketing in the last 12 months, there are still challenges. Respondents said their top two content marketing challenges were creating content that appeals to multi-level roles within the target audience (42%) and internal communication between teams/silos (41%).
If B2C marketers can overcome these challenges, they’ll improve their odds of achieving greater content marketing success in 2022.
Welcome to Technology Content Marketing 2020: Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. This report is based on the findings from our 10th annual content marketing survey. Technology marketers continue to make progress with content marketing. Approximately one-third rate their organization’s overall content marketing as extremely or very successful, and 76% report they are much more or somewhat more successful compared with one year ago. What makes them successful? When we look at the top performers, we see they treat content marketing as a strategic business function, craft content thoughtfully, experiment with distribution, and measure their results. They use content marketing not only to create brand awareness and generate leads, but also to build loyalty and subscribed audiences.
Your company has committed to sponsor and exhibit at an industry event (namely, hopefully, Content Marketing World and Intelligent Content Conference). Congratulations! Event teams are committed to bringing you exactly what you signed up for: qualified leads, great conversations, sales and much more. In order to do that, exhibitors must also put their best foot forward to make the most of the investment. Simply showing up won't cut it. If you really truly "show up", maximize your time at an event, build relationships and respect your customers, the return on your investment will be that much greater. The CMI team has put together a checklist for you to examine once you commit. Good luck, and let us know how we can help you!
Research shows that marketers from large companies (1,000 employees) use more content marketing tactics and outsource content creation more frequently than their peers do. Learn more about how enterprise marketers approach content marketing.
Overview: The State of B2B Content Marketing IN NORTH AMERI CA
More. If one word could describe content marketing at the end of 2012, that would be it . According to the latest findings from the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs, B2B marketers are spending more, using more tactics, and
distributing their content on more social networks than they have in years past. Unfortunately, there is also more uncertainty. B2B marketers are more uncertain whether they are using various content marketing tactics effectively.
Welcome to our annual Technology Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends report, based on our latest annual content marketing survey conducted in July 2020.
The study showed that technology marketers, in the throes of adjusting to business changes presented by a global pandemic, put more emphasis on using content marketing to generate demand and leads than they had the previous year. They also were looking more closely at conversion and marketing qualified lead (MQL) metrics to track the performance of their content.
These insights suggest that tech marketers were increasingly called upon to use content marketing for demand and lead generation. It makes sense, then, that their use of virtual events (83%) increased by nine percentage points over the previous year, as virtual relationship-building and selling took a front seat. In addition, livestreaming video finally took off (one-third of all tech respondents—and 53% of those working in large companies—reported using it).
It’s too soon to tell if these will be lasting shifts. Priorities are likely to change again as restrictions caused by the pandemic ease up. We look forward to exploring these topics in our next round of annual content marketing research.
Interactive content enables you to deliver engaging, educational,differentiated content experiences. Discover what other marketersare learning and start your climb.
Member report: NEWBASE - Marketing Priorities 2017IAB Europe
In a rapidly changing media world, as marketers, we need to keep up with what is going on around us, track consumer behaviour and technology developments, and watch where the advertising dollars are moving. It is also essential that we understand the priorities of brand marketers, agencies and publishers alike, and build our marketing strategies accordingly.
The B2B Content Marketing Report is based on over 600 survey responses from marketing professionals to better understand the current state of content marketing and to identify new trends, and key challenges as well as best practices.
Here are some of the key findings:
- Lead generation is by far the number one goal of content marketing, followed by thought leadership and market education.
- Companies with a documented content strategy are much more likely to be effective than those without a documented strategy.
- The most mentioned content marketing challenge is finding enough time and resources to create content.
- Content marketing ROI remains difficult to measure. Only a minority of respondents consider themselves at least somewhat successful at tracking ROI.
- LinkedIn tops the list of the most effective social media platforms for distributing content and engaging with prospects.
Download the full report PDF for more details: http://www.marketingbuddy.com/download-the-content-marketing-report/
Welcome to our annual B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North America report. We’re excited to present you with the findings from our latest content marketing survey.
Content marketing has changed a lot since we launched this research nearly a decade ago. We marketers are still focused on content creation, but our thinking about the audiences for whom we create that content has evolved. So, too, have the ways we distribute, measure, and improve upon our content marketing. Technology has played a big role, along with the knowledge we’ve gained through our content marketing experiences.
As you’ll see in this report, some organizations are more developed than others with their content marketing. But you’ll also recognize your own practices reflected in many of the findings. Where does your company stand? What do you need to get to where you want to be? If you need help, let us know!
Welcome to B2C Content Marketing 2019—Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. This report presents the results from the B2C marketers who took our ninth annual content marketing survey.
Our research has consistently shown that creating brand awareness is a top goal for B2C content marketing. However, many of this year’s survey respondents also reported strong concern for using content to solidify existing relationships (see page 13).
Content that can be effective at building loyalty takes many shapes and forms today, for example:
- Videos and social media stories that entertain
- In-person events that create a sense of community and belonging
- Podcasts that inspire
- Live or virtual experiences that evoke emotion
- Articles, guides, newsletters, etc., that provide information
Obviously, the list goes on. The point is, that while driving people to content is critical, giving them reasons to keep coming back will grow long-term success!
Welcome to our annual B2C Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends report. Here we present the results from B2C marketers who replied to our 11th Annual Content Marketing Survey. The events of 2020 have certainly reshaped how organizations conduct their marketing. At the time of this survey, content marketers were still reeling from the events that took place during the first half of 2020. As we usher in 2021, we are still facing constant change and uncertainty.
Many B2C marketers reported adjusting quickly when the pandemic hit; perhaps their companies were doubling down on digital, heavily engaging in virtual events, or trying to keep on top of rapidly changing analytics resulting from more people being at home and online. All these scenarios created the need for new content, formats, and strategies.
As we move into 2021 in a world where most gatherings are still limited, direct-to-consumer will continue to drive B2C. Successful B2C marketers will focus on creating content experiences and building relationships in the digital world.
We randomly selected 100 North American control system integrators and assessed their digital marketing effectiveness against 32 separate criteria. These criteria are divided into 5 categories:
Design & Usability: How well does the website welcome visitors and communicate the company’s unique value proposition?
Search Engine Marketing (SEM): Is the website optimized in order to receive organic search traffic and is paid search being leveraged?
Content Marketing: Is there content available on the website to attract visitors and generate links because it offers value to prospective leads?
Social Media: Does the website connect with multiple, active and engaged social media channels?
Marketing Funnel: Are there offers for visitors to enter the marketing funnel at every stage, not simply the bottom, sales stage?
Connected, interactive content experiences deliver more trusted data, and more measurable results. Original research illuminates how marketersare making big, beautiful music.
Defense contractors who use the right online display advertising tactics can boost awareness, improve search advertising efforts, enhance email marketing, and increase leads.
Welcome to the 12th Annual Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends: Insights for 2022 report. What a year it has been.
This edition of our report looks back on the last 12 months and includes expectations for 2022. Throughout, you will see quotes from the many rich, qualitative responses we received to the question, “What did the pandemic change most about your organization’s content marketing strategy/approach?” In all, 75% of respondents took the time to answer this question and we are ever so grateful. What amazing insights it yielded!
The key theme that emerged was this: The pandemic awoke a sleeping giant – content marketing, that is. Without in-person events and face-to-face selling, many who had previously paid little attention to content marketing suddenly became aware of its power. More content marketers got a seat at the table and helped keep many businesses on their audiences’ radar. Some discovered new audiences altogether.
The research also confirmed what many of us already knew: Content marketers are some of the fiercest business pros around. In the most difficult of times, they get the job done – and many come through more creative and stronger than before.
Congratulations, content marketers, for a job well done in the most difficult of times. Our entire team salutes you!
Welcome to our ninth annual B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North America report. We surveyed content marketers worldwide about a range of content marketing topics including strategy, audience development, technology proficiency, and content types. This report presents the data from the B2B content marketers in North America.
Although issues such as changes in SEO and social media algorithms are top-of-mind for B2B content marketers, they are accustomed to rapid changes in technology that often enable them to do their jobs faster, with better results. When the process-related components of the content marketer’s job are efficient, time is freed up to better serve the audience, discovering and developing the types of content they truly want and need.
We hope you find this research helpful as you plan for 2019!
Welcome to the B2C Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends: Insights for 2022 report. This report looks back on the last 12 months and includes expectations for 2022.
Our research suggested that, due to work-from-home requirements, content marketing piqued the interest of many who were previously unaware of its power. With more people than ever spending time online, content marketing presented a prime opportunity for businesses to get and stay in front of audiences. Some B2C marketers discovered new audiences altogether.
Short articles and videos were big over the last 12 months with the B2C marketers we surveyed. In addition, expect a lot of B2C investment in video in 2022: 72% forecast investment in this area. Paid media came in a distant second.
Although most B2C marketers reported success with content marketing in the last 12 months, there are still challenges. Respondents said their top two content marketing challenges were creating content that appeals to multi-level roles within the target audience (42%) and internal communication between teams/silos (41%).
If B2C marketers can overcome these challenges, they’ll improve their odds of achieving greater content marketing success in 2022.
Welcome to Technology Content Marketing 2020: Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. This report is based on the findings from our 10th annual content marketing survey. Technology marketers continue to make progress with content marketing. Approximately one-third rate their organization’s overall content marketing as extremely or very successful, and 76% report they are much more or somewhat more successful compared with one year ago. What makes them successful? When we look at the top performers, we see they treat content marketing as a strategic business function, craft content thoughtfully, experiment with distribution, and measure their results. They use content marketing not only to create brand awareness and generate leads, but also to build loyalty and subscribed audiences.
Your company has committed to sponsor and exhibit at an industry event (namely, hopefully, Content Marketing World and Intelligent Content Conference). Congratulations! Event teams are committed to bringing you exactly what you signed up for: qualified leads, great conversations, sales and much more. In order to do that, exhibitors must also put their best foot forward to make the most of the investment. Simply showing up won't cut it. If you really truly "show up", maximize your time at an event, build relationships and respect your customers, the return on your investment will be that much greater. The CMI team has put together a checklist for you to examine once you commit. Good luck, and let us know how we can help you!
In this presentation, Adam Pembrey is going to walk us through the do's and don'ts of event marketing. With his 12 years of event marketing experience, Adam will share what it takes to get the highest ROI from every event your company goes to.
Tips for hosting the most engaging, professional, and successful virtual eventsJohn Peterson
The present-day virtual events must be engaging, professional, and have high success rates to meet their demands. Here are a few tips for hosting impactful events. Read more https://bit.ly/3IcTuju
An Unexpected Way to Grow Your Brand's AwarenessUniverse
We're in the age of events being driven by memorable experiences. No longer are organizers limited to selecting from sponsorship packages to capture the attention of their audience. Discover how brands are using after parties to grow awareness, and leave a lasting impression on attendees.
More leads, more exposure for our company’s thought leaders, and more chances to share our message is all that we want from delivering a webcast. But what about the people who attend those webcasts? On the bottom line, our webcasts are only successful when everyone gets what they need and giving your attendees what they really want means understanding why your attendees is attending, and ensuring that you cater to their content needs.
How do you achieve that? Easy! Just follow these guidelines for giving your attendees what they really want:
This presentation is for marketers, association executives and event organizers that want to succeed at attendee engagement.
In this presentation you will:
(1) Discover several examples of audience engagement for events.
(2) Learn a process for analyzing your audience and aligning your key messages with your objectives.
(3) Learn how to think about the people, process and technology that are necessary for a successful audience engagement experience.
How to Build Marketing Presentations for Webinarstodd.lewis
Marketing webinars can build awareness of your company, help advance prospects along the sales cycle and establish you as a thought leader in your field. Or they can frustrate and annoy your audience so that they never want to hear from you again!
Join Ken Molay, president of Webinar Success and a former director of product marketing, as he presents practical guidelines for creating webinar presentations that engage your audience and create sales interest.
In this one-hour, interactive webinar you'll:
* Find out how to hook an audience quickly and make them want to pay attention.
* Learn the commonly used presentation technique that actually works against you in a webinar.
* Get examples of proper structure and flow for a marketing webinar.
* Hear much more practical advice on building engaging webinar presos.
5 Steps Guide to Building a Customer Centric CompanyCustomericare
Many companies claim to be customer centric nowadays but very few really are. Here's a simple guide to help you be one of the few truly customer-centric companies out there.
Bonus: checklists to download, print and share (no email needed, just grab them in the slides)
Similar to Virtual Events - Sponsor and Exhibitor Checklist (20)
There’s one question on every marketer’s mind: “How do I connect?”
We’ve all been seeking connection since the pandemic struck. Stuck at home, working from kitchen tables and converted closets, marketers have been fighting to create and maintain connections with their audiences.
Despite all the upheaval, content remains a tried-and-true way to generate demand. After all, it’s content-driven experiences that build those precious connections, no matter what’s going on in the world outside.
Connection is more important than ever. And as you’ll find out in this report, successful marketers are beginning to make it easier for prospects to purchase at any stage of the buyer’s journey — messages are shifting from why to buy to how to buy.
This has been another tough year. One negative headline after another has drained audiences’ emotional reserves. They need an escape. Marketing content can offer that empathetic, emotionally stirring olive branch they’re searching for.
As you read on, you’ll discover that blogs, podcasts, and videos are the content types that are most effective at the early stages of the buyer’s journey, where brands are fighting to establish customer awareness and audience interest.
The reason is simple: These content types foster connection. They tell a story, they evoke emotion, and they present a face that the audience can relate to. And the strength of the connections that these content types create helps carry buyers through the rest of their journey on a wave of engagement and investment.
In conclusion: Connection lies in content. The last Content Marketing for Demand Generation survey report (2020) talked about creating desire and holding attention. This year, we talk about making it easier for customers to purchase across all stages of the buyer’s journey.
By providing audiences with earnest and engaging content, you can build lasting connections in 2022 and beyond that drive demand to new heights.
Welcome to the Technology Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends: Insights for 2022 report. This report looks back on the last 12 months and includes expectations for 2022.
The research suggested that due to lockdowns and work-from-home mandates, content marketing piqued the interest of many who were previously unaware of its power. With more people than ever spending time online, content marketing presented a prime opportunity to get and stay in front of audiences.
As in the previous year, nearly one in three technology marketers said their organization was extremely or very successful with content marketing. These marketers, our “top performers,” have certain characteristics that set them apart from their peers (see page 4). Some of the biggest things they do differently than their peers:
◾ Document their content marketing strategy
◾ Do an excellent/very good job demonstrating the ROI of their content marketing initiatives
◾ Prioritize their audience’s informational needs over their organization’s sales message
◾ Differentiate their content from the competition
◾ Nurture subscribers/audiences/leads
No matter how successful they are at content marketing, most respondents plan to invest in video in 2022: 72% of all technology respondents forecast investment in this area followed by investment in events (69%), paid media (65%), and owned-media assets (63%).
And, yes, challenges remain. The top challenges are:
◾ Creating content that appeals to multi-level roles within the target audience
◾ Accessing subject matter experts to create content
◾ Internal communication among teams/silos
These internal challenges point to a greater need for technology marketers to formalize content operations within their organizations.
Welcome to the Enterprise Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends: Insights for 2022 report. This report looks back on the last 12 months and includes expectations for 2022.
The research suggested that, due to lockdowns and work-from-home mandates, content marketing piqued the interest of many who were previously unaware of its power. With more people than ever spending time online, content marketing presented a prime opportunity to get and stay in front of audiences.
As in the previous year, nearly one in three enterprise marketers said their organization was extremely or very successful with content marketing. These marketers, our “top performers,” have certain characteristics that set them apart from their peers (see page 4). A few of the biggest things they do are to differentiate their content and use content collaboration/calendaring/workflow tools.
No matter how successful they are at content marketing, most respondents plan to invest in video in 2022: 72% of all enterprise respondents forecast investment in this area followed by investment in events (62%), paid media (59%), and owned-media assets (55%).
And, yes, challenges remain. The top challenge, which is the same as it was two years ago, is internal communication between teams/silos (57%). It indicates a pressing need to formalize content operations in enterprises that have not yet done so.
Welcome to Content Marketing Institute’s first Video & Visual Storytelling Survey. In this report, you’ll learn how content marketers are using videos, how they’re getting them produced, where they’re seeing results, and more.
Are you using video strategically? Are you paying as much attention to your video distribution plan as you are to video creation? Are you measuring results to see what works? All are important to overall video marketing success. Here’s to yours!
By day, you’re in the office, cooking up content. By night, you’re in the kitchen, preparing a satisfying meal. But what if we combined the two?
Developing a content marketing strategy is like creating a dinner menu. You start with the basic ingredients and build upon them. You perfect your technique, exercising balance while adding a dash of flavor. And don’t forget, presentation is key. You must distribute and plate your meal beautifully.
So, what are people making and how are they making it? We asked the Content Marketing Institute team to share their favorite content-inspired dishes. Whether you are a first-time cook or a seasoned chef, these recipes will give you new perspective on processes, measurement and ROI, technology, and more. They are definitely ones you want in your repertoire.
We’ve put together the ultimate cookbook for content marketers, filled with tasty (and mildly entertaining) recipes. We hope you enjoy it. Bon appétit!
The 2021 Content Management & Strategy survey gives a snapshot of how marketers use tech to help create, manage, deliver, and scale enterprise content and marketing.
What makes CMWorld special? The people. Our speakers, attendees, and sponsors are smart, witty, and fun to be around. Networking is something we all are wanting right now, and CMWorld Bingo gives you a way to have those conversations that make CMWorld great.
When Content Marketing Institute (CMI) first reported on manufacturing in 2014, we noted that manufacturers were later to adopt content marketing than other industries we studied. They’ve certainly come a long way since then.
As you’ll see in this report—based on the results of our 10th annual content marketing survey—manufacturing marketers have become more strategic with their content marketing and are feeling less challenged with communicating complex content. Many are reporting success with their overall approach to content marketing. The ability to craft content for different audiences across various stages of the buyer’s journey—and distribute that content with precision—will be important to continued success in 2020.
Unpredictable algorithm shifts. Falling reach and lower engagement rates. Growing consumer mistrust from fake news and data breaches.
Despite woes like these, people still use social media platforms – and marketers are still drawn to their relationship-building powers. In fact, in 2019 research from Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs, 61% of B2B marketers and 69% of B2C marketers say they’ve increased their use of social media for content marketing compared with one year ago.
However, navigating the social media landscape is like entering a dark forest without a map. If you aren’t familiar with the terrain and don’t have a solid plan, you can’t expect to reach your destination, let alone make it out of the woods unscathed.
This guide is full of tools that will help you find the best path to success, from planning your social media explorations, to growing legions of brand fans, to engaging them in meaningful ways.
We’ll cover the top content marketing opportunities in the social sphere, including:
- Landmark locations like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn
- Video viewing-centric channels like YouTube and Twitch
- Streaming media sites like Snapchat Stories and Instagram Stories
- Emerging social platforms like Vero True Social and WeGather Online
What are some of the changes content marketers are likely to encounter over the next 12 months and beyond? Find out what dozens of experts see on the horizon in Content Marketing Institute's 11th annual e-book of content marketing predictions.
It's back! Content Marketing World's annual conference ebook featuring a large number of our incredible speakers offering their insights on content marketing, how to level up and advance, how best to amplify your message and so much more. Check out what your favorite content marketers have to say on these topics and also meet some new faces to CMWorld. CMWorld 2018 is going to be epic - be sure to join us there! Game On!
Greetings Technology Marketers,
Welcome to our annual Technology Content Marketing: Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North America report.
I’m pleased to announce the percentage of technology marketers that reported high levels of overall content marketing
success increased from 24% last year to 31% this year—another 50% reported moderate success. Like last year, nearly 70%
said their organization is much/somewhat more successful with content marketing compared with one year ago.
For a glimpse into how the top-performing content marketers operate, see the chart on page 4. You’ll note that these
marketers report high levels of commitment; document their content marketing strategy; are focused on building audiences;
and are given ample time to produce content marketing results, among other distinguishing factors.
Technology is rapidly changing the processes around content marketing. We look forward to watching how things progress
and reporting back to you again next year.
Greetings Marketers,
Welcome to B2C Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North America. This is the companion report to the B2B research we released in September 2017. The data presented in both reports was generated from our eighth annual content marketing survey. One of our key observations this year is that while B2C marketers reported slightly higher levels of overall content marketing success compared with last year, there was a decrease among those who agreed their organization has realistic expectations about what content marketing can achieve. A documented content marketing strategy can help, as it sets expectations for what teams should prioritize; yet, only 38% of B2C marketers reported having one.
Our annual research has consistently shown that those who document their content marketing strategy get better results than those who don’t. Another important key to success is an efficient workflow process (page 4 shows how top-performing B2C marketers rate their project management flow and other distinguishing characteristics that set them apart from their peers). We hope these research findings will be helpful as you consider which content marketing priorities to focus on in the year ahead.
In this e-book, you'll see over dozens of predictions from thought leaders who share their views on brand strategy, organizational structure, emerging technology and platforms, and other big developments that may be on the horizon for content marketing.
Top 3 Ways to Align Sales and Marketing Teams for Rapid GrowthDemandbase
In this session, Demandbase’s Stephanie Quinn, Sr. Director of Integrated and Digital Marketing, Devin Rosenberg, Director of Sales, and Kevin Rooney, Senior Director of Sales Development will share how sales and marketing shapes their day-to-day and what key areas are needed for true alignment.
The digital marketing industry is changing faster than ever and those who don’t adapt with the times are losing market share. Where should marketers be focusing their efforts? What strategies are the experts seeing get the best results? Get up-to-speed with the latest industry insights, trends and predictions for the future in this panel discussion with some leading digital marketing experts.
Short video marketing has sweeped the nation and is the fastest way to build an online brand on social media in 2024. In this session you will learn:- What is short video marketing- Which platforms work best for your business- Content strategies that are on brand for your business- How to sell organically without paying for ads.
10 Video Ideas Any Business Can Make RIGHT NOW!
You'll never draw a blank again on what kind of video to make for your business. Go beyond the basic categories and truly reimagine a brand new advanced way to brainstorm video content creation. During this masterclass you'll be challenged to think creatively and outside of the box and view your videos through lenses you may have never thought of previously. It's guaranteed that you'll leave with more than 10 video ideas, but I like to under-promise and over-deliver. Don't miss this session.
Key Takeaways:
How to use the Video Matrix
How to use additional "Lenses"
Where to source original video ideas
Mastering Local SEO for Service Businesses in the AI Era is tailored specifically for local service providers like plumbers, dentists, and others seeking to dominate their local search landscape. This session delves into leveraging AI advancements to enhance your online visibility and search rankings through the Content Factory model, designed for creating high-impact, SEO-driven content. Discover the Dollar-a-Day advertising strategy, a cost-effective approach to boost your local SEO efforts and attract more customers with minimal investment. Gain practical insights on optimizing your online presence to meet the specific needs of local service seekers, ensuring your business not only appears but stands out in local searches. This concise, action-oriented workshop is your roadmap to navigating the complexities of digital marketing in the AI age, driving more leads, conversions, and ultimately, success for your local service business.
Key Takeaways:
Embrace AI for Local SEO: Learn to harness the power of AI technologies to optimize your website and content for local search. Understand the pivotal role AI plays in analyzing search trends and consumer behavior, enabling you to tailor your SEO strategies to meet the specific demands of your target local audience. Leverage the Content Factory Model: Discover the step-by-step process of creating SEO-optimized content at scale. This approach ensures a steady stream of high-quality content that engages local customers and boosts your search rankings. Get an action guide on implementing this model, complete with templates and scheduling strategies to maintain a consistent online presence. Maximize ROI with Dollar-a-Day Advertising: Dive into the cost-effective Dollar-a-Day advertising strategy that amplifies your visibility in local searches without breaking the bank. Learn how to strategically allocate your budget across platforms to target potential local customers effectively. The session includes an action guide on setting up, monitoring, and optimizing your ad campaigns to ensure maximum impact with minimal investment.
Financial curveballs sent many American families reeling in 2023. Household budgets were squeezed by rising interest rates, surging prices on everyday goods, and a stagnating housing market. Consumers were feeling strapped. That sentiment, however, appears to be waning. The question is, to what extent?
To take the pulse of consumers’ feelings about their financial well-being ahead of a highly anticipated election, ThinkNow conducted a nationally representative quantitative survey. The survey highlights consumers’ hopes and anxieties as we move into 2024. Let's unpack the key findings to gain insights about where we stand.
SMM Cheap - No. 1 SMM panel in the worldsmmpanel567
Boost your social media marketing with our SMM Panel services offering SMM Cheap services! Get cost-effective services for your business and increase followers, likes, and engagement across all social media platforms. Get affordable services perfect for businesses and influencers looking to increase their social proof. See how cheap SMM strategies can help improve your social media presence and be a pro at the social media game.
SEO as the Backbone of Digital MarketingFelipe Bazon
In this talk Felipe Bazon will share how him and his team at Hedgehog Digital share our journey of making C-Levels alike, specially CMOS realize that SEO is the backbone of digital marketing by showing how SEO can contribute to brand awareness, reputation and authority and above all how to use SEO to create more robust global marketing strategies.
Digital marketing is the art and science of promoting products or services using digital channels to reach and engage with potential customers. It encompasses a wide range of online tactics and strategies aimed at increasing brand visibility, driving website traffic, generating leads, and ultimately, converting those leads into customers.
https://nidmindia.com/
Most small businesses struggle to see marketing results. In this session, we will eliminate any confusion about what to do next, solving your marketing problems so your business can thrive. You’ll learn how to create a foundational marketing OS (operating system) based on neuroscience and backed by real-world results. You’ll be taught how to develop deep customer connections, and how to have your CRM dynamically segment and sell at any stage in the customer’s journey. By the end of the session, you’ll remove confusion and chaos and replace it with clarity and confidence for long-term marketing success.
Key Takeaways:
• Uncover the power of a foundational marketing system that dynamically communicates with prospects and customers on autopilot.
• Harness neuroscience and Tribal Alignment to transform your communication strategies, turning potential clients into fans and those fans into loyal customers.
• Discover the art of automated segmentation, pinpointing your most lucrative customers and identifying the optimal moments for successful conversions.
• Streamline your business with a content production plan that eliminates guesswork, wasted time, and money.
The digital marketing industry is changing faster than ever and those who don’t adapt with the times are losing market share. Where should marketers be focusing their efforts? What strategies are the experts seeing get the best results? Get up-to-speed with the latest industry insights, trends and predictions for the future in this panel discussion with some leading digital marketing experts.
When most people in the industry talk about online or digital reputation management, what they're really saying is Google search and PPC. And it's usually reactive, left dealing with the aftermath of negative information published somewhere online. That's outdated. It leaves executives, organizations and other high-profile individuals at a high risk of a digital reputation attack that spans channels and tactics. But the tools needed to safeguard against an attack are more cybersecurity-oriented than most marketing and communications professionals can manage. Business leaders Leaders grasp the importance; 83% of executives place reputation in their top five areas of risk, yet only 23% are confident in their ability to address it. To succeed in 2024 and beyond, you need to turn online reputation on its axis and think like an attacker.
Key Takeaways:
- New framework for examining and safeguarding an online reputation
- Tools and techniques to keep you a step ahead
- Practical examples that demonstrate when to act, how to act and how to recover
Mastering Local SEO for Service Businesses in the AI Era is tailored specifically for local service providers like plumbers, dentists, and others seeking to dominate their local search landscape. This session delves into leveraging AI advancements to enhance your online visibility and search rankings through the Content Factory model, designed for creating high-impact, SEO-driven content. Discover the Dollar-a-Day advertising strategy, a cost-effective approach to boost your local SEO efforts and attract more customers with minimal investment. Gain practical insights on optimizing your online presence to meet the specific needs of local service seekers, ensuring your business not only appears but stands out in local searches. This concise, action-oriented workshop is your roadmap to navigating the complexities of digital marketing in the AI age, driving more leads, conversions, and ultimately, success for your local service business.
Key Takeaways:
Embrace AI for Local SEO: Learn to harness the power of AI technologies to optimize your website and content for local search. Understand the pivotal role AI plays in analyzing search trends and consumer behavior, enabling you to tailor your SEO strategies to meet the specific demands of your target local audience. Leverage the Content Factory Model: Discover the step-by-step process of creating SEO-optimized content at scale. This approach ensures a steady stream of high-quality content that engages local customers and boosts your search rankings. Get an action guide on implementing this model, complete with templates and scheduling strategies to maintain a consistent online presence. Maximize ROI with Dollar-a-Day Advertising: Dive into the cost-effective Dollar-a-Day advertising strategy that amplifies your visibility in local searches without breaking the bank. Learn how to strategically allocate your budget across platforms to target potential local customers effectively. The session includes an action guide on setting up, monitoring, and optimizing your ad campaigns to ensure maximum impact with minimal investment.
Search Engine Marketing - Competitor and Keyword researchETMARK ACADEMY
Over 2 Trillion searches are made per day in Google search, which means there are more than 2 Trillion visits happening across the websites of the world wide web.
People search various questions, phrases or words. But some words and phrases are searched
more often than others.
For example, the words, ‘running shoes’ are searched more often than ‘best road running
shoes for men’
These words or phrases which people use to search on Google are called Keywords.
Some keywords are searched more often than others. Number of times a keyword is searched
for in a month is called keyword volume.
Some keywords have more relevant results than others. For the phrase “running shoes” we
get more than 80M relevant results, whereas for “best road running shoes for men” we get
only 8.
The former keyword ‘running shoes’ has way more competition from popular websites to
new and small blogs, whereas the latter keyword doesn’t have that much competition. This
search competition for a keyword is called search difficulty of a keyword or keyword
difficulty.
In other words, if the keyword difficulty is ‘low’ or ‘easy’, there won’t be any competition
and if you target such keywords on your site, you can easily rank on the front page of Google.
Some keywords are searched for, just to know or to learn some information about something,
that’s their search intention. For example, “What shoe size should I choose?” or “How to pick
the right shoe size?”
These keywords which are searched just to know about stuff are called informational
keywords. Typically people who are searching this type of keywords are top of a Conversion
funnel.
Conversion funnel is the journey that search visitors go through on their way to an email
subscription or a premium subscription to the services you offer or a purchase of products
you sell or recommend using your referral link.
For some buyers, research is the most important part when they have to buy a product.
Depending on that, their journey either widens or narrows down. These types of buyers are
Researchers and they spend more time with informational keywords.
Conversion is the action you want from your search visitors. Number of conversions that you
get for every 100 search visitors is called Conversion rate.
People who are at different stages of a conversion funnel use different types of keywords.
Search Engine Marketing - Competitor and Keyword research
Virtual Events - Sponsor and Exhibitor Checklist
1. VIRTUAL EVENTS
SPONSOR & EXHIBITOR CHECKLIST
MAKING THE MOST
OF YOUR INVESTMENT
BY NURTURING
HAPPY CUSTOMERS
2. Virtual conferences and events provide new opportunities for you to
showcase your product or service, meet 1:1 with your current and
potential customers, and listen to the needs of the industry. With such a
large investment of time, money, and human resources, it’s no surprise
that management expects great returns on each event that your company
sponsors.
Based on attendee feedback on our sponsors’ post-show follow-up
tactics, along with the uptick of virtual events, we’ve put together a
few tips to help you shine while avoiding the dreaded “report as spam”/
unsubscribe conundrum or responding to public complaints on social
media. Remember: You are marketing to marketers – your peers – so
you’ll need to be savvy and on-point to capture and keep their attention.
On behalf of the Content Marketing Institute team, we’re all here to help
you. We’re ready for exciting experiences, great ROI for sponsors, and new
ways for customers to advance the practice of content marketing because
of partner relationships built at our events.
SPONSOR AND EXHIBITOR CHECKLIST
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR INVESTMENT BY NURTURING HAPPY CUSTOMERS
Cathy
McPhillips
VP of Marketing
Peter
Loibl
Head of Sales
Karen
Schopp
Strategic Account
Manager
Drew
James
Strategic Account
Manager
4. PRE-EVENT
COMMIT TO YOUR SPONSORSHIP EARLY – If you know you’re going to commit to sponsoring
an event, keep pushing your team to get the event contract signed and returned quickly. This
will enable you to secure the ideal sponsorship package for your goals and needs – whether it’s
sponsoring part of the virtual event with a high number of qualified leads, or securing a speaking
spot to showcase your thought leadership and expertise.
COMPLEMENT THE EVENT THEME –Find out if there is a theme to the event. For example,
Content Marketing World 2019's theme was “Amaze Your Audience.” Rather than set up your
virtual booth with the same assets you use every time, work with your creative team to have a
space more-closely tied to the theme. Make your brand an extension of the conference.
THINK LIKE AN ATTENDEE – When attendees come to events, they’re generally coming for two
main reasons: to network and to learn. And when they’re at a virtual event, it’s important to get
and keep attention. How can you appeal to these folks? Are there sponsorable elements that are
outside of speaking and logo placement? Is there a networking break or virtual cocktail hour that
is sponsorable? Bring levity, humor and some excitement to the event just when attendees need
it most. Use your best *virtual* talent who will connect with people and get them to visit and take
interest in your product or service. (Hint: your in-person booth staff may not be the best for a virtual
environment. Take that time to be sure.)
5. PRE-EVENT
GET SOCIAL – See if the conference will give you pre-written or suggested social media
ideas – but don’t just cut/paste. Customize them to your audience, use the official conference
hashtag, and differentiate yourself. Find out if your brand can get a unique discount code so
you can offer personalized value to your followers.
PLAN FOR THE RIGHT TEAM – Who are the attendees? What are the job titles? Who from your
team is best suited to engage with and understand this audience? Who can handle the audience
online? Have team members online who are the most energetic and passionate about the event and
the attendees, and who understand their particular pain points.
SCHEDULE MEETINGS AHEAD OF TIME – If
you know a client or prospect will be at the
conference, send them an invite for a meet &
greet. Twitter or LinkedIn would be the best
way to do this. Need to set up a large number
of meetings in advance? Be sure that your
booth is still staffed by other team members
to accommodate any walk-in traffic (to Zoom
rooms, that is) you receive.
6. PRE-EVENT
LEARN THE LAY OF THE LAND – If you’re exhibiting on a
platform you’ve used before, or the event hosts have given
you a test drive of the virtual environment, why not prepare a
blog post or some social media content that helps attendees
make the most of it? Or, if the technology is new to you as well,
take time to learn about it ahead of time. Remember what Mr.
Rogers says: “Look for the helpers.” What an opportunity for
you to be that helper to attendees.
BECOME FRIENDS WITH THE EVENT PRODUCERS – They're the ones making sure your virtual
environment is set up properly, and that your technology, video and audio are all performing
swimmingly. They can help you with lighting suggestions, details on attendee profiles, and will sit
through dry runs with you. They want you to be successful.
THINK GREEN – In this virtual world, let attendees know what your company is doing during
this time from a sustainability or charitable standpoint. Rather than focus on the negatives, focus
on the opportunities, the personal stories and more. It’s a great way to connect, and you never
know who you might meet who also loves the same hobbies you do. Sales often start from instant,
genuine connections such as this.
8. DURING THE EVENT
START EARLY – The early bird gets access to the most help from the support staff. Additionally,
being one of the first in the virtual expo hall gives you extra time to rectify those inevitable little
hiccups well before the show begins…because no matter how much we plan, stuff happens.
GET OUT OF YOUR BOOTH – We’ve been there. We’re in a virtual environment, and it’s
someone’s job to wait for someone to enter a virtual booth. Find out what event producers
have planned for networking opportunities. Is there a dedicated Slack channel during the
event for conversations? You could meet folks that way, and also be an accessible thought
leader should questions about a particular topic come up. Many events also have Twitter lists
of conference attendees where you can connect with attendees beforehand…do some digging
and homework. And follow that event hashtag before, during and after the event! (Ours are
#ContentTECH and #CMWorld).
BE EASILY RECOGNIZABLE – Anyone looking for video production solutions at Content
Marketing World 2019 quickly found a member of the Shootsta team by looking for the ubiquitous
logo emblazoned on their bright blue shirts. Granted, that was at our in-person event, but the
same idea applies. Consider matching, branded shirts for your team, and/or branded backgrounds.
You’ll definitely stand out. But most importantly, make sure attendees visiting your booth know
immediately what your company does and what value you bring to the market.
9. DURING THE EVENT
BE CREATIVE – Find creative ways to interact…which is a fun
challenge for virtual events. Could you invite a speaker to your booth
for an AMA (Ask Me Anything)? Could you do digital book giveaways or
offer electronic coffee gift cards to booth visitors?
TAKE GOOD NOTES – Think about the next step – the post-event
outreach you'll be doing – and find ways to customize your messages to
your booth visitors. Jot down notes and swap email addresses, connect
on LinkedIn, and more. Use whatever tools you need to remember each
person's name, face, and pain point. You’ll thank us later.
PLAY NICE – No solution is absolutely perfect. If you talk to an
attendee online and you really can’t serve their immediate needs – for
example, you’re focused on enterprise and they’re small business, or
you don’t integrate with their marketing automation tool or their CRM
– let them know that. And suggest another solution also exhibiting at
the show. You never know how another solution might reciprocate and
send a lead your way.
10. DURING THE EVENT
UPGRADE YOUR PASS – If you’re
sitting in a virtual expo hall all
day, consider upgrading to an all-
access pass. This way, you can learn
something for your own job, but
you can also hear what’s resonating
with your customers, and what their
biggest needs are. Don’t forget, these
are also sessions you could watch on
demand for months to come. This is
invaluable information to take back
to your R&D teams.
12. POST-EVENT
PLAN YOUR OUTREACH – You’re back in the office and your hands are full of hot leads you
gathered from the event. This list, this prized possession, is what you’ve been waiting for! But, think
of it from the attendee’s point of view. They JUST spent four days online, got back to the groove of
being back to work, and they’re catching up while also trying to wrap their heads around 3-4 days
of sessions. Is the Monday after the event the best time to be emailing them? Probably not.
ANSWER THE “WHY” – It all starts with an email; but how amazing would it be if you
segmented your emails based on what each attendee needed, their fiscal year, their job
function/level, or their company size, and could then transform your canned messages into
meaningful messages that are personalized to each particular attendee? Sure, that’s a lot more
work, but it will likely be much more fruitful. And, rather than asking for a phone conversation
or meeting right away, consider enticing them with a valuable piece of content to show you
understand their needs, challenges, and the industry on the whole. Think about how you’d like
to be approached by a new vendor and try to replicate that by finding ways to gain their trust
and create a meaningful customer experience through your initial outreach.
13. POST-EVENT
MAKE YOUR REACH-OUT UNIQUE – Rather than talk about yourself, consider starting with
a survey. What do they need? Why did they come to the event? The good news about a virtual
event is that if you’re chatting via text vs. video, you can keep those digital conversations or
take good notes without needing the eye contact.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK – Before you (or a sales representative) email them to ask if they’d like
to be customer, make sure their company is a good fit for your product or solution, and isn’t
already a customer. Show you understand their business before reaching out. It’s the first step
in gaining trust and developing rapport.
RESPECT PHONE NUMBERS – As part of many
event registrations, phone numbers are given
to exhibitors. That said, our cell phones have
practically become an extension of our bodies, so
customers might feel very protective of them. Be
courteous and start your outreach by contacting
them on their office phone or email.
14. LEARN WHEN TO STOP – Have you emailed three
times and heard nothing? Perhaps move them to an
unengaged list. If you return to that same event the
following year, consider sending a “we hope to pick
up where we left off last year” email to remind and
reengage them.
MAKE YOUR UNSUBSCRIBE OPTION CLEAR
– You're following all of the current privacy
regulations, correct? Get informed about how
to protect your brand by being transparent and
forthcoming in all your email communications –
including emails sent by your sales representatives.
And be respectful of unsubscribes. That said, you
should also look for ways to make your unsubscribe
confirmation pages so enticing, they'll change their
mind about letting go.
POST-EVENT
16. SUSTAINABILITY
BE MINDFUL OF YOUR EMPLOYEES' WELLNESS
▶ Ensure your virtual booth staffing schedule includes breaks: coffee breaks, bathroom
breaks – even a walk outside for some fresh air. Give your team time to get away from
their computer for a little bit to refresh & recharge.
▶ Reduce stressful situations by creating a backup plan in the event that one of your team
member’s WiFi drops, a camera stops working, or any other tech difficulties arise. Swap
staff cell phone numbers so someone can jump in to make sure the virtual booth is
always being staffed.
▶ Staffing a virtual booth and talking to a computer screen all day is physically and
mentally exhausting. Thank your staff with a small subscription to the Calm app, the
Headspace app or a similar resource as a way for them to disconnect and recharge in
order for them to be their best selves for the virtual conference.
17. SUSTAINABILITY
UPLOADING RESOURCES
▶ Make sure your uploaded resources are mobile-friendly, viewable online and easily
shareable so no printing will be needed by attendees.
▶ Keep your files small for quick and easy downloading, lower streaming bandwidth
and less electricity.
▶ Upload podcasts or audio instead of brochures, encouraging your attendees to put in
their headphones and go for a walk outside while learning more about your product.
ADDITIONAL IDEAS
▶ Share all you are doing from a sustainability standpoint with attendees. They really care!
▶ Power down your computer when you’re taking a break to reduce energy usage.
▶ When sending “thank you” gifts to attendees who scheduled a meeting with you or
visited your booth, send a virtual gift, such as an such as an e-card or digital subscription
to save shipping and money.
▶ If you decide to host a demo or a class, consider including something about nutrition,
fitness or mental health.
18. WE LOOK FORWARD TO PARTNERING WITH
YOU TODAY TO MAKE IT YOUR BEST YEAR YET.
Looking for marketing ideas for Content Marketing World or ContentTECH Summit?
Contact Cathy McPhillips – cathy.mcphillips@informa.com
Interested in CMI sponsorship opportunities?
Contact Peter Loibl – peter.loibl@informa.com, Karen Schopp – karen.schopp@informa.com
or Drew James – drew.james@informa.com
About Content Marketing Institute
Content Marketing Institute is the leading global content marketing education and training organization,
teaching enterprise brands how to attract and retain customers through compelling, multichannel
storytelling. CMI’s Content Marketing World event is the largest content marketing-focused event, and
ContentTECH Summit reaches content strategists from all over the world. CMI publishes Chief Content Officer
for executives and provides strategic consulting and content marketing research for some of the best-known
brands in the world. Watch this video to learn more about CMI. Content Marketing Institute is organized by
Informa Connect.
About Informa Connect
Informa Connect is a specialist in content-driven events and digital communities that allow professionals to
meet, connect, learn and share knowledge. We operate major branded events in Marketing, Global Finance,
Life Sciences and Pharma, Construction & Real Estate, and in a number of other specialist markets and
connect communities online year-round.