Conferences are a powerful way to forge new connections with potential customers. Are you prepared for a search of your name, business, or industry that will follow those exciting conference conversations?
As a Digital Marketing and PR agency, we understand that your digital presence is what creates credibility and validation for your prospects.
People work with those they know, like, and trust – and after the conference is over, your prospects will be figuring out if they know, like, and trust you via search. Be certain that you’ll be the answer to your prospect’s searches with Customer Journey Mapping, SEO, Paid Search, Digital PR, and more!
What Happens After You Exchange Business Cards?
Think about your typical routine when you meet a new prospect at a conference.
You say hello, have a brief chat about yourselves and your businesses, and exchange physical or digital business cards.
You probably have a plan for that prospect’s business card and contact information. You’re going to enter the details into your CRM and write a follow-up email to begin moving them through your sales funnel.
Now, think about what you do when you are the prospect. You’ve just been the target of a pitch at a conference for an expensive product or service. When you get back home with a business card in hand, do you email the person who pitched you right away to say “sign me up”? Do you head directly to their website to click “BUY NOW”?
That’s not usually the case.
Customer Journey Mapping Reveals Search Habits
Customer Journey Mapping can reveal the path that your audience takes to transform from cold prospect to warm lead to signed customer.
One thing we’ve seen repeatedly in customer journey mapping with our clients is that the first impulse of a new prospect is to seek information – and, they don’t often do that by emailing you or visiting your website.
Instead, prospects are searching for authenticity, trust signals, and social proof. That means that even with a business card in hand, their customer journey will begin on search engines and social networks as a way to validate your expertise.
Over 90 percent of online experiences begin with a search engine. Not only will your potential customers type your business name into a search engine, they’ll type your name plus your industry, your services, and your competitors. And, they’re going to seek reviews and testimonials.
That’s where SEO, Paid Search, and Digital PR can help you build trust between conferences!
Build Trust with SEO, Paid Search, & Digital PR
When a customer searches the name of your business, you want your expertise to be on display at the top of the results.
Here are 5 tactics we’ve used to help our customers achieve that goal – building trust with prospects during and after every conference to generate leads.
- Top SERP Ranking. Before you set foot in a conference, you should be sure your site ranks at the top of relevant Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). You should be the #1 result for your business name, but also your business name in combination with your industry, services, and products. We help our clients super-charge their rankings with SEO Sprint services focused on specific keywords and ranking goals.
- Featured Snippets & Related Questions. “No Click” searches are on the rise, especially with the advent of AI-driven results. Be sure your content is appearing directly on the SERP by including succinct explanations and answering common questions on your service and product pages. We’ve helped companies land multiple pages in Featured Snippets and Related Questions with our Content Marketing services.
- Paid Search for Key Terms. You should walk into a conference with a Paid Search plan already in place. Sponsored Results appear at the top of most commercial searches – you don’t want your prospect’s first search for your company to lead them to your competitors! Be sure that you’re the top result for the products and services you’ll be pitching at the conference with a strategic Paid Search planning for your key terms.
- Geo-Targeting & Remarketing. Using our EVENTMax™ system, you can begin your post-conference marketing AT THE CONFERENCE. Place geo-targeted ads that focus on your prospects while they’re still in the conference, at their hotel, or shopping and dining in the area. Dominate advertising to attendees to help extend the impact of your business cards and conference booth.
- Trust Signals from Reliable Sources. Savvy customers want social signals to confirm the marketing story they hear at a conference or read on your website. Our Digital PR services use traditional PR tactics on digital publications and industry influencers. When potential customers see your business linked on trusted industry sites or discussed by well-known thought leaders, they transfer their trust of those sources to you and your brand.
Build Trust Between Conferences with Digital Marketing & PR
As you prepare for your next conference, don’t rely on your business card to do all the heavy lifting of converting prospects into customers.
We’ve worked with clients across industries like Telecom, Life Sciences & Pharma, Travel & Tourism, and more to ensure they maximize the conversion of their conference leads by building trust during and after every event.
