Picture this: Your business launched an event last year and it was a resounding success, receiving 150 attendees. This year, your target is 200 delegates (about 30% increase), and senior management believe that if you "do some clever marketing" and "throwing some additional money at it" your could easily reach 300. That’s right; the boss has just raised the bar by forecasting a 100% increase in event attendees. Simply because there is a good feeling about it.

It’s likely that in the boss' mind "clever marketing" means send more emails to the database. If it worked before it can work again, but you (the marketer) are aware this is not necessarily the case.

Event marketers as logical/analytical beings know that if we need to double the number of attendees/revenue for an event, sending twice as much emails and working extra harder is not going to cut it simply because you already maxed out the number of emails you send to your database in the first place. So unless you double the database number, the maths do not really work.

Event companies are known for over-promoting to their audiences which can quickly cause them to disengage. This is your chance to do something different, to truly understand and provide what your database of contacts really needs from your conferences.

Of course one of the major limitations event marketers face (particularly with a relatively new conference) is budget. The likelihood is that there isn’t much of it, and certainly not to be allocated to marketing the event. 

However, that doesn’t need to be an obstacle to making a success of your event. There are some simple steps you can take to increase the number of delegates you get to your B2B event without breaking the bank. Here is where the extra effort will give you the rewards your boss seeks:

1. Segmentation is essential

Now that you’re going after a larger audience, you’ll probably start to realise that not every attendee is seeking the same benefits, or comes from the same job role or sector of the market. This means that understanding the segments within your database, and tailoring your marketing materials to each is not just recommended, but a must

2. Call-to-actions (CTAs) can make a huge difference

Growing your conference takes some strategic thinking. First time event success can lull the companies behind them into a false sense of security, but year two is no time to sit back and hope for repeat attendees. You need to direct visitors to your website, and your registration pages with clear CTAs, and they must make sense as the next logical step from the page they are currently on

3. Grow your virtual audience on social media

A strong and consistent presence across relevant social media channels is imperative for growing B2B event companies, but have you thought about taking your messaging a step further? Why not reach out to the owner of a relevant LinkedIn group and ask if they will announce your event to group members? There’s no harm in suggesting it, and it could lend your conference some serious credibility

4. Build valuable relationships through media partners

Media partnerships will allow you to tap into existing companies’ captive audiences, and will set you in good stead for future promotional activity as you won’t have to spend as much time approaching new partners. These relationships are fundamental to B2B conference longevity, and ascertaining what it is a potential partner desires from a contra deal before you make that first phone call will greatly increase your chances of success. Engaging with bloggers will aid your marketing efforts enormously, as they’ll have access to a huge number of relevant contacts who trust in the companies and conferences they endorse

5. If you do have budget, invest in paid advertising

PPC is a great way of raising your profile and being found online while your SEO rankings are still in their infancy. A cleverly targeted advert could significantly increase the number of visitors to your website, and then all you need to do is make sure you convert them

Event marketing doesn’t need to be a huge cost to the business. Marketers need to be savvy about where they do spend their hard won marketing budgets, and should maximise the leverage they can get out of existing, and free, promotional channels. Year two of a conference company is usually far more stressful that the first, but by thinking strategically and adhering to best practices, marketers can knock their scary new targets right out of the park.

Image source