An In-person Event–Is This a New Trend?

This was the year of virtual. Without skipping a beat, we moved our lives online. Thinking back, we have to shake our heads at how completely seamless it was. Classes, support groups, fundraisers and even conferences moved online. 

I’m attending an old-fashioned, in-person conference in July

But I just registered for a conference in Monterey. That’s right. An in-person event. There will be speakers, breakout sessions, cocktail hours and schmoozing. After a year of meetings that required no more exertion than parking myself in front of a computer, I’m left wondering about the event format of the future. 

In LinkedIn’s newly released State of Virtual Events report, 75% of event marketers worldwide say they plan to continue running virtual events. Others are developing a hybrid model that mixes virtual and in-person events. 

You don’t have to be an event marketer to know that there are aspects of in-person events that we can’t replicate virtually. The organic, opportunity-generating conversations that come about through face-to-face contact. Listening to interesting speakers that generate great conversations—these are hard to replicate virtually.

We love the advantages of virtual events

One of my colleagues who was late to the Zoom environment told me recently how thrilled she was to be working online. “It’s so efficient! I can’t believe how much I’ve gotten done without even leaving my office.” Well, yes. It’s pretty hard to beat the convenience. And there’s the scalability and accessibility of turning audiences of a few hundred into thousands. 

The bar has been raised on virtual—we expect a higher degree of professionalism 

Virtual events have become video-driven experiences with expert speakers who know how to engage with concise, punchy presentations. There’s a real hunger for innovation. We keep raising expectations, making these events more interactive, responsive and entertaining.

So when will in-person events really stage a comeback? 

I’m going to my event in July, but I really don’t know what to expect. This could be a complete bust. We’re really only just opening up after a year of Covid. Many people are still wearing masks. Still others will choose not to attend at all—just too risky. I talked to my sister-in-law in Florida, and she was shocked that I was even thinking of attending a conference. She’s barely left her home in more than a year. That was a huge reality check–we’re pretty much back to business as usual.

And then there’s the expense . . . 

Just because we miss physical events doesn’t mean they’ll return in a rush. We’re still reeling from a year of Covid. It will be difficult for many companies to justify the expense of conferences—the ROI has always been difficult to quantify. Hybrid events that stream content from a physical event to a wider, virtual audience may be the best way to get the best of both formats. As confidence returns, the landscape may change.

Is it time to update your website? Contact Top of Mind Marketing. We’re writers and digital marketing specialists. 

Is It Time To Include Google Ads in Your Marketing Plan

Google advertising, or paid search, has become a common component of many marketing programs. Google ads are structured as an auction where we bid on keywords. They’re free until someone clicks on our ads—thus, the term “pay-per-click advertising” (PPC). The cost of the keyword determines the cost of the click.

Effective way to drive traffic to your website, increase sales and brand recognition

PPC is fairly complex. I’ve been working with a client for the last year doing YouTube and Google ads, and I continue to learn. A lot of marketers throw their money at this without properly understanding, monitoring and adjusting their campaigns, so it may not be the best use of their marketing dollars. Google rakes in something obscene like $100M/day on digital advertising. Like Las Vegas, the house wins. 

My goal is to drive a slow steady stream of traffic to our website

Our Google ad campaigns have been successful, according to our conservative goals. I’m careful to watch my keywords because the associated costs can change. One week a word can be worth $4, then the price can climb to $8 or more. I’m okay with $4, but not $8+. I watch our billing summary, and if it’s starting to get too expensive, I sometimes pause one of our campaigns to manage overall costs. 

Increased traffic has resulted in more click-throughs and calls

The Google ad activity has translated to new business. We could do more, but ad campaign pricing can quickly start ballooning. Your impressions, clicks and calls may increase, but so do your costs. You decide how much you want to spend.

Here are some guidelines for creating a Google ad campaign

1. Set a clear objective . What are your overall business/ad goals? Are you selling a product or a service? If signing up for your newsletter is your goal, this can be a tough sell.
2. Create your ad infrastructure. The fields for campaign details, including location, are fairly robust. Key are audience demographics–gender, age, interests, industry, etc. Think about how your audience spends their free time, what they’re likely to be interested in. 
3. Keywords. The more words, the more specific the potential response. You’re qualifying your buyers. Fewer clicks, but a greater chance that users will meet your desired client profile. 
4. Identify your budget. How much do you want to spend? The billing for Google ads is confusing, though Google has just rolled out a new program that gives you more control of your spend. 
5. Conversion. If users are purchasing a product, it makes it easy to determine the effectiveness of your campaign. If you’re selling a service, it’s more difficult to quantify. Calls and clicks can be harder to measure. 
6. Landing page. You will need to create and optimize a landing page on your website. A strong call to action drives users to act. 

Are you considering adding digital advertising to your marketing plan? Contact Top of Mind Marketing. We’re writers and digital marketing specialists.