19 Ways To Leverage Events For Lead Generation

Running an event is one of the best things a business can do to promote its brand. You may want to get more customers, grow a brand awareness campaign, or promote a product launch. And the truth is, any sized business can run a successful event as part of its overall marketing strategy. A virtual, in-person, and hybrid event can all be used in generating leads. So how exactly does this happen?

How do events help with generating leads?

You should collect valuable event attendee data through the online ticketing and registration process. When collected in the right event planning software, you can then export this data to your integrated customer relationship management (CRM) software; you can use email marketing sequences for demand gen purposes. That said, how valuable your data is will depend on several factors. For example, an in-person event may have less data if the participants only provide information to the event at the time of registration. However, suppose participants also have to reserve the sessions they want to attend using the event app. In that case, the event organizer can glean more information from this data and provide it to marketers, sponsors, and speakers. Lead generation only works appropriately with the proper data collection and analytics. An event management system like Accelevents, which collects attendee data and provides insights in an actionable dashboard, will streamline this process. With Accelevents, you can export all this data you’ve collected with a two-way integration into CRM and email/demand gen tools like HubSpot, Marketo, or Salesforce. However, you can’t expect the platform to do everything for you. You have a plan and set up in place to maximize these capabilities.

Setting up your event management software for lead generation

There are a few steps to take to ensure that you’re collecting as much information as possible from your event. When done right, though, you can reap extensive rewards. Growth Blazers utilized Accelevents for their Growth Innovate Conference and garnered 900+ leads. Their event, put on for thousands of attendees, was a significant success. And the company was able to continue that success long after the event ended through their lead generation tactics. Inspired by Growth Blazers, here are some things to consider for lead generation in your event management software:

• Come into your event with lead generation as a primary goal. You can have multiple goals so long as they don’t compete with each other.
• With lead generation as a primary goal, you will see that choosing the right event management software is extremely important.
• Choose an event management software with in-depth attendee analytics.
• Through Accelevents’ custom registration and ticketing package, you can segment your audience as soon as they register.
• Opt-in for collecting data on just the person purchasing the tickets, each attendee, and each add-on.
• With custom registration, you can customize the attendee experience from registration through to the event experience.
• Create a custom landing page tailored to the event experience.
• Customize everything—registration, the onboarding process, email confirmations, sessions recommendations, reminders, and calendar invites.

Moreover, always host your event with online ticketing and registration, an online event app, and email reminders. This allows you to at least collect some demographic data on those who have registered.

Why You Should Consider Hosting a Hybrid Event for Lead Generation

Lead generation is far easier when your attendees interact with an online format. The online format requires that attendees plug in their information, which can then easily be exported to CRMs and email marketing/demand gen tools. While hosting a hybrid event might seem daunting, you can do a lot with a sophisticated event management platform. Here are some features of hosting a hybrid event that aren’t that hard to do but can make all the difference:

Integrated live streaming:

While some events put out a high production value, live streaming your event can be really easy. With integrated live streaming in the Accelevents platform, you can easily film and upload to your live, online audience for an extra value-add.

Gamification:

Adding gamification features to your hybrid event gives several benefits. First of all, attendees will have an improved event experience. They will also feel more connected with your brand. Gamification increases audience engagement by activating the rewards systems in our brains, increasing the odds that attendees will do the things you want them to do (i.e., visit exhibitors, download important assets, participate in specific talks, etc.)Reward points, unique benefits with your company, and prizes to those that participate.

Session sign-ups:

In the virtual format, you can require your attendees to register for certain sessions. With this session data, you have more insight into what your attendees are interested in. As a result, this data can be used for marketing or provided to your session speakers, booth representatives, or sponsors for unique insights.

How Can I Use My Event For Generating Leads?

Getting leads from your event is not that difficult, you just have to keep that goal top of mind. There are some simple steps to take to use your event for lead generation and retrieval:

1. Develop your strategy long before the event.
2. Keep lead generation top of mind.
3. Attract the right audiences—those that are interested in your product or service.
4. Set up targeted marketing campaigns for each target audience.  
5. Pick an event management tool that facilitates generating leads and collects attendee data.
6. Train your team for a positive customer experience.
7. Be prepared to manage your time the day of the event.
8. Offer valuable, relevant content.
9. Secure expert session speakers and keynote speakers.
10. Set up wise registration forms.
11. Don’t be afraid to modify your strategy if things change.
12. Create tiered pricing.
13. Immediately segment your audience upon registration.
14. Require session sign-ups.
15. Set up follow-up feedback, including email follow-ups.
16. Encourage attendees to attend post-event engagement communities.
17. Keep things simple for attendees.
18. Set benchmarks for success (i.e., target cost per acquisition).
19. Be prepared with post-event nurture campaigns.

Your event will be ripe with opportunities for lead generation, so long as you plan in advance, know what data you want to gather, and take this opportunity to leverage a two-way integration with the most popular lead gen tools out there.

Generating Leads and Increasing ROI With the Accelevents Platform

Through this targeted strategy, you can increase your ROI and find long-term benefits from the event!With the Accelevents software on your side, you will find that collecting these leads and organizing your event (and the data it collects) is super simple. And this is what you want- you want a simple process for both the event organizer and the participant!Whether you are hosting an in-person event, an online event, or a hybrid event, know that you can begin your event lead generation strategy as soon as you start planning. As a result, consider using event planning software, like Accelevents, to automate your event planning process, scale as your event grows, and maximize your ROI opportunities!