Introduction
Events are an essential component of any marketing strategy. They are an opportunity to engage with customers and generate leads that can turn into prospective clients. But why is this one aspect of your marketing plan so valuable when there are so many other avenues to explore? The answer is: real time. In an event you are able to express your thoughts, ideas and values in real time. You are able to create the perfect setting and engage with people in the exact manner that you want to.
With event marketing becoming prominent across all industries, it is incumbent upon marketers to find new ways to entice and attract customers with the hopes of forming new business relationships. Increasing sign ups and conversions by using gifts for online events is a great way to do just that. Using gifts to reward attendees or create a better in-event experience is an excellent strategy whether you are hosting a virtual, in person or hybrid event.
The purpose of this case study is to explore the marketing approach of increasing event sign ups and more leads through gifting. More specifically to discuss the challenges when accomplishing this goal and the possible ways to overcome them. One such method to streamline this process is to use Giftsenda, an international gifting platform, that makes sending gifts to event participants across the globe simple.
Understanding the Challenge of Increasing Event Sign-Ups
85% of marketers who use webinars as a marketing tool say that webinars are crucial for their marketing efforts. Getting people to attend your event is obviously one of the most crucial parts of this strategy, and depending on your topic, it can be more difficult to do so.
Interestingly, consumers reported being most likely to sign up for a webinar that teaches them something about a hobby or passion, and 18% would attend a webinar that taught them something about their career or industry.
Let’s look at some things to keep in mind when planning your event.
1. Competition
Generally, there is always going to be someone out there who is doing what you do, offers what you offer or has the same benefits as you. The solution is setting yourself apart from the competition. To stand out from the rest, you can make sure that your event topics are relevant.
Another awesome idea to separate yourself from the competition is by using gifts for online events to incentivize people to attend. The best type of gifts are those that are valuable to your target audience and leave a lasting impression. For a webinar that is truly unique, think of how you can incorporate activities using gifts that are sent to attendees prior to the event.
2. Busy Schedules
Many people find it difficult to attend an event because of their busy schedules. While you can’t do much to change a person’s schedule, you can promote your event early enough to give yourself the best possible opportunity to attract sign-ups.
3. Attracting Uninterested People to Your Event Page
Looking at the analytics of your event registration page, you can see the type of visitors you are attracting and the promotional channels that are providing you with the best conversion rates. Once you know where your greatest conversion rates emanated from, you can invest in those avenues and attract the right sort of audience to your website.
Create Incentives with Gifts to Improve Attendance
Everyone enjoys getting free things. Don’t be afraid to use gifts to incentivize people. You can do this by stating that they will receive a gift upon signing up and use an automated trigger to send the gift invite link once the form has been completed.
With Giftsenda you can send event gifts to sign-ups if you do not have any delivery details; making it perfect if you aren’t too familiar with the recipient. How? A gift link is sent to the email address of the recipient. This leads them to a curated list of gifts that have been pre-selected by you.
After the recipient has made their selection, they simply fill out their shipping information and the rest is history as they say! And for enhanced security, the process is only complete when approved by you so you know what you’re paying for and who you’re sending a gift to.
What is Giftsenda & How to Make the Most of It For Your Event?
A gifting platform, like Giftsenda, is an easy; cost-efficient way to send event gifts to attendees locally or across the globe. The ease of use and streamlined process are some of the reasons that attract users as the entire operation is simply selecting a gift, choosing a delivery method, adding personalization details and paying. The platform handles all of the logistics.
Among other benefits of using the Giftsenda gifting platform are:
- There is minimal to no risk of entering incorrect delivery information if you use the address collection feature.
- You are able to create specially branded emails and gift invite landing pages.
- You can easily send a gift invite link to various people in different countries, using any method of communication you choose.
- Gift collections can be based on budget ranges or specific gifts.
- You can track your gift campaign results to measure your ROI and use the information to optimize your future campaigns.
- You can send gifts to over 200 countries and choose from over 10 000 items or create custom gifts.
- You can use a gift concierge to help choose gifts for online events or to manage your campaign.
Using the Giftsenda Platform to Improve Results
Sending the right gift will have more of an impact than just sending any gift. When you are using event gifts to incentivize sign ups, keep in mind the interests and preferences of your target audience. Receiving another branded pen won’t necessarily have the impact you’re looking for and your intent is to make an impression that will last, not just last for a few minutes. Our gift collections offer a variety of gifts for online events so that your recipients can choose something they will truly love. Personalized or branded gifts that work well include customized journals, thermal mugs, cocktail kits, passport cases and reusable grocery bags.
You can use the Zapier, HubSpot or Salesforce integrations to create workflows that will trigger gift sends automatically, saving you time and effort. Take some time to think about when you want to trigger your sends: will it be straight after signing up, a few minutes before the event, during the event or afterwards as a “thank you”?
Conclusion
Gifting your event audience can be so much more than just increasing your attendance rates. It creates excitement and a stir pre-event, and also places emphasis on the value of your event. The perfectly chosen gift will help your brand live on and showcase the quality of care your business provides.
With Giftsenda, you will always find an appropriate gift to suit your event. Like if you’re having a robotics event, you can choose from thousands of tech gifts that will not only match your needs, but your budget as well. Or maybe you’re having an event centered around health, you have an array of wellness gifts that will be ideal for your event attendees. Whatever the theme of your occasion, you will always find an incentive to go with it and an efficient way to deliver your gifts for online events with Giftsenda.
