With limited budget and a lean staff, trying to get 3,000 people to attend an annual conference can seem overwhelming since traditional marketing plans don’t typically account for variability. Learn how some associations have thrown out the traditional DIY model in favor of an omni-channel strategy (automated marketing) that leverages marketing platforms. Learn how even a marketing staff as small as three can still deliver results and exceed expectations. Create a framework for your own omni-channel conference marketing plan that creatively combines a social media strategy supplemented by digital advertising.

1. Omni-Channel
Marketing Strategies for
Conferences
Date/Time: Monday, March 6, 2017
10:00am – 11:30am
Learning Format: Create
Audience Level: Applied

2. What We’ll Cover Today
• The Digital Marketing Mindset
• Building Data-Rich Profiles
• Multi-channel versus Omni-channel Marketing
• Defining the Buyers Journey
• How to build the Conference Marketing Plan

3. Digital Marketing Signaled a Shift
Digital
Marketing
• Internet Marketing
• Social Media Marketing
• Search Engine Marketing
• Content Marketing
• Content Remarketing
• Email Marketing
• Account Based Marketing
• Inbound Marketing
What’s the name of the category of
software tools to help you manage all
of this?
Marketing automation
* Published by Highroad Solution

4. • The more I know about you, the greater
likelihood I can predict your needs and
deliver what you want
• The more I deliver what you want, the more
trust you have in me
• The more trust you have in me, the greater the
likelihood you will buy from me
The Mindset of Data-Based Marketing
* Published by Highroad Solution

5. Build the most comprehensive profile possible of
a user’s preferences, demographics, and
activities
So How Can I Know You?
Who
• Name
• Address
• Job Title
• Education
What
• Hobbies – listens to Jazz music
• Lifestyle – likes espresso
• Consumer Habits – drives an
SUV
When
• Checks email twice a day
• Checks social networks between
8p to 10p on week days
• Views videos mostly on mobile
STANDARD DATA PREFERENCES BEHAVIORAL

8. Interest areas
• Topics
• Content
Preferences - How do they
consume information?
• Email
• Website
• Social
Devices
• Mobile
• Tablet
Building Data-Rich Profiles
Online behavior
• How do they search for information?
• How do they network?
• How do they conduct research?
• Are purchases conducted through
clicks ‘n mortar or bricks ‘n mortar?
• Do they know about our competitors?
Transactional History
• Where do they shop?
• What have they purchased with us in
the past?
• What was the last item they
purchased?
What data helps drive insights? What kind of data should you collect?

9. How Can You Collect This Data?
Smart Martech Stack
* Published by Highroad Solution

10. • AMS
• Ecommerce
• Email Marketing
• Email Automation
• CMS
• LMS
• Event Systems
• Social Communities
• Other _______________________
Activity: Circle Your Main Data
Sources

11. • Are you tasked with growing conference
numbers or maintaining?
• How do you acquire new registrants?
• How many emails do you send in one day?
• Do you have data / insights about your ideal
conference registrant?
• Where does your time / effort go?
Activity: Fundamental Premise
Exercise
Take 10 minutes to note the following:

12. Fundamental Premise Exercise – ERA
• Are you tasked with growing conference numbers or
maintaining?
• Goal: Grow
• Reality: Maintain
• How do you acquire new registrants?
• Direct mail, email, partners, speakers, BOD,
social, advertising, telemarketing
• How many emails do you send in one day?
• No more than one per segment
• Do you have data / insights about your ideal conference
registrant?
• Marketing Mike
• Where does your time / effort go?
• Plan coordination and organization
• Creation and implementation

13. Take some time to write down what you know about your ideal conf registrant
Who Is Your Ideal Conference
Registrant?

14. Write down what you know about your ideal conference registrant
BACKGROUND:
DEMOGRAPHICS:
IDENTIFIERS:
Activity: Who Is Your Ideal
Conference Registrant?

15. Information Distribution Channels
Website
• Microsites
• Ecommerce
• Blogs
Social
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• YouTube
Webinars
Events
Email
• Automation
• Promotion vs Retention
Advertising
• Organic
• Paid
Print
• Direct Mail
• Advertising

16. Website Other:
Social
Webinars
Events
Email
Advertising
Print
Activity: What Are Your Current
Channels?

17. • Print
• Digital
• Partner Network
• Telemarketing
ERA’s Channels

18. Conference Website

19. Organizational Website

20. Emails - Promotional

21. • Facebook
• Regular updates
• Paid advertising
• LinkedIn
• Regular posts
• Paid advertising
• Twitter
• Regular updates
• YouTube
• Highlights video
• Video interviews
Social

22. Scott to input
Direct Mail

23. Blog Posts

24. Advertising - Print

25. Advertising - Digital

26. • Exhibitors
• Exhibitor Invites
• “I’m Going” digital button
• Speakers
• “I’m Going” digital button
• Social media
• Video interviews
• Board and Committee Members
• “I’m Going” digital button
• Talking points
• External Partners
• Print ads
• Postcard drop
• Enewsletter advertising
Partner Channels – Board / Speakers
/ Exhibitors

27. Telemarketing
• External partner
• Segmented and targeted
• Members vs. Non-members
• Past attendees vs. Never attended
• Geography
• Timing based off key deadlines
• Early bird
• Hotel

28. Used interchangeably - but not the same!
Multi-Channel Marketing: Organizational or Brand-driven view
of touchpoints used to engage with a customer or prospect
• “Inside-Out” View
• “Outbound”
• Viewed as tactical / operational
Omni-Channel Marketing: Orchestrating the customer
experience across all channels so that it is seamless, integrated
and consistent
• “Outside-In” View
• “Inbound”
• Viewed as strategic
Multi-Channel Marketing vs Omni-
Channel Marketing

29. Multi-channel vs Omni-channel
Multi-channel perspective Omni-channel perspective

30. Remember we are looking to build an in-depth,
comprehensive, data-rich profile of our ideal conference
registrant
• Optimizing the user experience as the user moves
from channel to channel maximizes our reach
• Helps in predicting who are our ideal targets
• Ensures right message gets to the right audience
• Helps us collect additional data with each interaction
Why Does Knowing the Difference
Matter?

31. Now Think About the Buyer’s Journey
+5
+5
+5
+10
Total Score:
20
* Published by Highroad Solution

32. Activity: What Is Your Buyer’s
Journey?

33. ERA Buyer’s Journey - Print
* Published by Highroad Solution

34. ERA Buyer’s Journey - Telemarketing
* Published by Highroad Solution

35. ERA Buyer’s Journey - Digital
* Published by Highroad Solution

36. In Action for ERA - Automation
Housing Info Reminder Workflow:
List of
Confirmed
Registrants
30 days before
8/17 deadline
(7/18)
Send Email
Reminder #1
9 days before
deadline (8/8)
Send Email
Reminder #2
2 days before
deadline (8/15)
Send Final
Email
Reminder

37. Email #1 Reminder
Email #2 Reminder
Final Email Reminder

38. Automation - Online Behavior

39. Define Your Goals & Objectives (go back to your Fundamental Premise Worksheet)
• Grow or maintain numbers?
• Specific group to target?
• Promote additional programs?
Identify Your Ideal Conference Attendee
• Consider: New to the Conference OR New to the Association
• Demographics
• Behavior
• Persona – know who they are - what problems will attending the conference
solve?
Map Out the Buyer’s Journey (go back to your Buyer Journey Worksheet)
Now Identify the Key Channels to Optimize / Use
• Social
• Direct Mail
• Email
Omni-Channel Marketing Plan – What
You Need

40. Assess Where Your Org Is
Multi-Channel? Omni Channel?
http://pages.highroadsolution.com/sdma2017_survey

41. Thank You!
Maneesha Manges
HighRoad Solution
Phone: 703-272-4125
Email: mmanges@highroadsolution.com
Twitter: @maneeshamanges
Scott Oser
Scott Oser Associates
Phone: 301-279-0468
Email: scott@scottoserassociates.com
Twitter: @scottoser