With the new year comes new goals and objectives for your business. In 2022, those objectives may include safely returning to live events. It’s no secret that the live events industry was one of the most affected by COVID-19, canceling many trade shows and conferences and turning others into virtual experiences that you could attend digitally. Now that restrictions are lifting, live events are happening once again.
Whether your goal is to increase face-time with your customers, attract new clients, increase brand awareness, or a combination of those three, experiential marketing is a simple and effective way of doing so. If you’re looking for some new and exciting ways to incorporate experiential marketing into your business plan for 2022, we’ve got some ideas.
Host a pop-up event. If your brand is mostly e-commerce or you want to tap into a specific geographic location, consider hosting a pop-up shop. When you host a pop-up shop, you’ll rent a venue for a short period of time, typically 1-3 months, and have consumers come directly to you. This way, consumers can interact directly with you and your products or learn more about your services. It’s a super-effective way to cultivate relationships with people who may not know about your company and strengthen your relationships with those already familiar with your brand.
Tap into virtual experiential marketing. In COVID-19 times, many people are opting to stay home and social distance. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to market to your customers digitally. This strategy can be as simple as amplifying your digital imprint by developing more content for your website or social media. You can also up the ante and integrate web-based chat forums to interact in real-time with customers who might have questions about your product or service.
Host an advocacy-based event. Today’s consumers want to work with brands that care. By hosting an advocacy event on behalf of your brand, you’ll appeal to those consumers. Think about what would make sense for your brand to advocate for, then host an event or promotion to raise money, awareness, or both for that cause. Your brand will get exposure, but you’ll be doing some good at the same time. Making sure you hire the right event staff for these events is imperative since you want people who are professional, knowledgeable, and positive.
Give consumers something to interact with. Experiential marketing goes beyond events. Now, businesses are tapping into technology to create their own apps, which is a highly effective way to engage with consumers. If apps don’t align with your product or service, consider other types of experiences that might make more sense to consumers. From digital assets to games to video contests where consumers can share their stories, the possibilities are endless when it comes to virtually interacting with customers. If you don’t want to go the virtual route, there are still plenty of ways you can use experiential marketing to interact with consumers at trade shows and other in-person events. Think demos, sampling, photo-ops, giving out swag, and more.
Create a challenge for consumers. There’s nothing more enticing to consumers than being part of a challenge. They’re a great way to get customers old and new to engage with your brand. Plus, the information gathered from these challenges, including photos and video footage, makes for great social media content and continued engagement.
Experience Experiential Marketing With All Aces
Remember — experiential marketing isn’t solely about putting your product or service out there. It’s about creating memorable experiences consumers can hold on to and recall when it comes time to make a buying decision. Take the stress out of planning your events and experiential marketing campaigns with All Aces Promotional Staffing. We have extensive experience in experiential marketing and event staffing.