Successful events don’t just happen. They are the culmination of careful planning, strategic execution, and a clear understanding of what you hope to achieve.
Central to all of this are your marketing goals. These are the event objectives you aim to achieve in order to get the best reach. You will need to know what your goals are, how to set them, and how to measure them.
Understanding event marketing goals
What are event marketing goals
Event marketing goals are the specific, measurable outcomes that an organisation aims to achieve through hosting or participating in events. They are event planning goals that help guide the execution, and evaluation of events, ensuring that every effort aligns with your overall business objectives.
Effective event marketing goals help to focus resources, efforts, and strategies on what truly matters.
Types of goals
- Short-Term Goals: These are immediate event objectives that can be measured within a specific timeframe. For example, you are aiming to increase attendance by 20% for the upcoming event.
- Long-Term Goals: These broader objectives focus on building brand reputation, customer loyalty, or market share over a longer period.
- Primary Goals: These are the core event objectives that drive the purpose, such as generating leads or launching a new product.
- Secondary Goals: These support the primary goals, such as enhancing brand awareness or building relationships with key stakeholders.
Setting SMART goals
What are SMART goals
To ensure event marketing goals are effective, they should stick to the SMART criteria:
- Specific: Goals should be clear and specific, detailing exactly what you want to achieve. A specific goal answers the questions of who, what, where, when, and why.
- Measurable: Goals must be quantifiable to track progress and determine success. This involves setting concrete criteria for measuring outcomes.
- Achievable: Goals should be realistic and attainable, taking into account what resources you have available and what constraints you might face.
- Relevant: Goals need to align with broader business objectives and be relevant to the event's purpose and audience.
- Time-bound: Goals should have a defined timeline, creating a sense of urgency and helping to prioritise tasks.
Examples of SMART goals
- Increase event attendance by 20% compared to the previous year by targeting local businesses through a dedicated email marketing campaign.
- Generate 50 qualified leads from the event, measured by follow-up meetings scheduled within two weeks post-event.
- Achieve a social media reach of 50,000 impressions within one week of the event.
- Boost product sales by 15% during the event through exclusive offers and promotions.
- Improve brand awareness by securing 10 media mentions in industry publications within a month of the event.
Common event marketing goals
Increasing attendance
One of the most common event marketing goals is to increase attendance. High attendance not only shows the event's popularity but also grows opportunities for networking, lead generation, and sales.
Event strategies to boost attendance include targeted marketing campaigns, partnerships with influencers, and offering incentives such as early-bird discounts.
Enhancing brand awareness
Events provide a unique platform for showcasing your brand to a wider audience. Developing brand awareness involves creating memorable experiences that leave a lasting impression on attendees. This can be achieved through consistent branding, engaging content, and interactive activities that reflect your brand's values and messaging.
Generating leads
Lead generation is an important goal for many events, particularly for events in the B2B sector. Events offer a prime opportunity to connect with potential clients and gather contact information for follow-up.
Effective lead generation event strategy includes interactive booths, interesting presentations, and post-event follow-up campaigns.
Driving sales
Driving sales is often a key objective for events, especially trade shows and product launches. This applies for both B2B and B2C spaces.
Events allow for direct interaction with potential customers, providing opportunities to demonstrate products, answer questions, and close deals.
Offering exclusive event-only promotions and discounts can also boost sales.
Building community and engagement
Events are excellent for building a sense of community and encouraging engagement among attendees. This goal involves creating an environment where participants feel connected to each other and to your brand.
Event strategy includes interactive sessions, networking opportunities, and engaging content that encourages participation and discussion.
Gathering feedback and insights
Events offer a valuable opportunity to gather feedback and insights from attendees. This goal involves collecting data on attendee experiences, preferences, and suggestions for improvement.
Techniques include surveys, feedback forms, and direct conversations with participants. This information can be used to improve future events and your overall business strategies.
Measuring success: Key performance indicators (KPIs)
What KPIs are and why do they matter?
KPIs are quantifiable metrics used to measure progress towards event marketing goals. They provide valuable insights into event performance and help identify areas for improvement. They are crucial for assessing the effectiveness of event strategy and making informed decisions for future events.
Relevant KPIs for event marketing goals
Different goals require different KPIs for measurement:
- Attendance Numbers: Tracking the number of attendees helps gauge the event's reach and popularity.
- Engagement Rates: Measuring interactions, such as social media mentions, likes, shares, and comments, indicates the level of audience engagement.
- Lead Generation Metrics: Tracking the number of leads generated, follow-up meetings scheduled, and conversion rates measures the event's impact on sales and business development.
- Sales Figures: Analysing on-site and post-event sales provides insight into the event's direct financial impact.
- Brand Awareness Indicators: Measuring media mentions, website traffic, and brand recall surveys can help assess changes in brand awareness.
Aligning goals with event type and audience
Customising goals
Different types of events and audience segments require tailored goals:
- Trade Shows: Focus on generating leads, building brand awareness, and networking with industry professionals.
- Conferences: Prioritise knowledge sharing, thought leadership, and community building.
- Product Launches: Aim to drive sales, create buzz, and gather media coverage.
- Workshops and Seminars: Emphasise education, skills development, and participant engagement.
In order to customise your goals, it is important you also understand your audience. Try to tailor goals to the needs, interests, and behaviours of your target audience. This will make sure your goals are relevant to them and that your event will achieve the most impact possible.
Developing an action plan
Steps to create an action plan
Creating a comprehensive action plan is essential for achieving your event marketing goals.
- Setting Goals: Define clear, SMART goals that align with your event's purpose and broader business objectives.
- Assigning Responsibilities: Allocate tasks and responsibilities to team members based on their skills and expertise.
- Creating a Timeline: Develop a detailed timeline that outlines key milestones, deadlines, and dependencies.
- Budgeting: Prepare a budget that accounts for all expenses, including marketing, logistics, and contingencies.
Tools and resources
Use tools and platforms to manage and track goals effectively:
- Project Management Software: Tools like Asana, Trello, and Monday.com can help organise tasks, timelines, and team collaboration.
- Event Management Platforms: Platforms offer features for registration, attendee management, and engagement tracking.
- Marketing Automation Tools: Tools like HubSpot, Mailchimp, and Buffer can streamline email campaigns, social media marketing, and lead tracking.
Reviewing and adjusting goals
Continuous Improvement
Continuous improvement is crucial for the long-term success of your event marketing strategy. Regularly review outcomes against goals and make necessary adjustments. This involves analysing what worked well, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing changes for future events.
This means both in the lead-up to your event, if you see certain things are working better than others, as well as post-event.
Post-event analysis
Conducting a thorough post-event analysis is essential for understanding the event's success and areas for improvement. Techniques for post-event analysis can include:
- Surveys and Feedback Forms: Collect feedback from attendees, sponsors, and team members to gain insights into their experiences.
- Data Analysis: Review KPIs and other metrics to assess the event's performance against set goals.
- Team Debriefing: Hold a debriefing session with your team to discuss what worked, what didn’t, and ideas for future improvements.
Final thoughts
Whether you're planning a trade show, conference, product launch, or workshop, setting and achieving well-defined event marketing goals will ensure your events contribute positively to your organisation's overall objectives and growth.
Setting clear and measurable event marketing goals is fundamental to achieving event success. By understanding the different types of goals, utilising the SMART framework, and tracking key performance indicators, you can create impactful events that deliver tangible results.
Remember to align goals with the event type and audience, develop a comprehensive action plan, and continuously evaluate and refine your approach.
Plan your event marketing strategy
Partner with Boost to find success for your events. Let our digital marketing experts help you achieve your goals. Contact us today to get started.
