The recent years have beckoned a welcoming change in the world of marketing technology. And in this fast-paced world and increasing customer expectations, it is especially important to stay up to date with all the recent trends.
That’s why, in this article, we are going to discuss some of the most important up and coming martech trends that are impacting the events industry in 2019.
But before that, let’s get a solid grasp of what martech exactly is.
What is Martech?
Techopedia defines martech as: a portmanteau combining the terms “marketing” and “technology.” As such, martech represents the intersection of marketing and technology in today’s highly digital business world. Any type of technology that has a bearing on marketing operations can be called “martech” whether it is a part of an analysis platform, a device-facing benchmark tool, or any other type of digital or high-tech resource.
Simply put, Martech refers to the integration of marketing and technology, where technology is used to solve traditional marketing issues and increase the outreach of the companies.
So, embrace all the upcoming martech trends that are impacting the events industry without any further ado.
Here are some important martech trends you need to look out for:
1. Leveraging automated tools
The top priority of every marketer is to capture qualified leads at the events.
And if you want to achieve your set goals as smoothly as possible, then conflating automated tools with your marketing strategy is the way to go about it.
For instance, using something like a badge scanner or plain old tactics of collecting business cards are not only too troublesome but they also lead to wastage of time. On top of that, you always stand a chance to either enter incorrect data in your CRM system or miss out on important contact details altogether.
On the other hand, this can be easily alleviated with the use of modern tools such as business card reading apps, where you just have to click a picture of the business card and all the contact details get imported into your CRM right away, automatically.
Which option seems more credible and dependable? Of course, the latter one.
2. Conflating marketing with data analytics
Data analytics is tricky and not the easiest thing in the world. That said, it is something that you can’t do without anymore, especially when it comes to your events business where being privy to even the minute details is imperative.
Robust data analytics reports allow you to optimize your KPIs, measure your conversion rate, track return on investment (ROI), and track whether your event campaign is on the right track or not.
This results in formulation of clearer goals and strategies, which in turn leads to a streamlined execution of your event marketing plan.
Having a cohesive plan also makes it easier for marketers to keep track of their follow-up strategy as well
3. Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing has been around the block for a while now and is a great way to grab eyeballs for an upcoming event.
You can also increase your outreach using paid ads and promotions and target your potential prospects directly through their social media profiles.
Another field of social media marketing that is in trend these days is influencer marketing where you connect with macro and micro influencers to promote your brand or event and accumulate a wider audience.
These influencers often have thousands or even millions of followers. They are remarkably active and the best part is that their followers are able to relate to them and hence tend to believe them more easily than any A-list Hollywood Start.
However, connecting with these influencers is not as easy as it may seem.
First, you have to find popular influencers in your niche and then decide on what incentives you can offer them in order to get them to promote your event.
Summing Up
Most of the marketers fail to meet their lead generation goals at events. And the main reason behind this is the use of outdated methods to collect leads and lack of a proper lead generation strategy.
Leverage the mentioned Martech trends to scale up your lead generation process at events and generate qualified leads. However, don’t just chase these trends and use them out of an obligation. Instead, create a proper layout how you will go about the whole process and at what point you will incorporate the latest automated tools like the business card reading apps.
While you are at it, don’t shy away from getting in touch with influencers in your niche to get them to promote your upcoming events. It will surely help you boost your attendee count like never before.
So, what martech trend do you think is most relevant to the events industry? Let us know in the comment section below!