Experiential Marketing 2.0

Twitter has about 18 million active users, which is forecast to grow to 26 million active users in 2010. In a recent survey by Champion Exhibition Services, it was found that 54% of association event marketers use Twitter. Of these, 82% used Twitter to create a buzz before an event, and 68% use Twitter to support PR efforts. Only 36% use direct messaging, and even fewer (23%) use #hashtags. This survey points out that even for the simplest Twitter purposes in events, adoption is still quite low. Despite all the buzz, Twitter is still a relatively untapped resource on the social media landscape. As such, we’ve only begun to understand how we can best use it as marketers, and have just scratched the surface of its application as a complement to event and experiential marketing.

One way to advance the conversation around using Twitter for event and experiential marketing is to leverage third-party applications. There are literally hundreds of Twitter applications available. A case could be made for using any and all of them for your event marketing program. I’ve spent some time reviewing some of the more interesting applications which can complement your events beyond creating buzz. In some cases there are alternate tools which perform the same function as those listed below. Feel free to explore. These are some of my favorites.

Twellow: The Twitter yellow pages. This directory searches the profiles (bios) of Twitter users when you enter a keyword. This application can be used to identify potential attendees, speakers, exhibitors, suppliers, etc. Its very simple to use, and ranks search results by number of followers.

Icerocket Twitter Search: There are several Twitter search tools out there. This is one of my favorites. Its a real time search engine and searches for keywords used within tweets. For events, Icerocket can be used to find trending topics, monitor hashtags, or find people of interest based on what they tweet. Bonus: Icerocket also searches blogs.

Tweet Later: This is one of my favorites for event marketers. If you plan ahead of time, you can schedule some of your tweets to coincide with the event schedule. Great for reminding followers of speaking sessions, or promoting your booth and other activities throughout an event. The perfect tool for press releases of new product launches, etc. I’ve used this tool for tweeting key points of my presentation while I was giving it. With rehearsal and timing it can work out pretty well. Keep in mind, while you can schedule some of your tweets ahead of time, its important to stay connected and be a part of the ongoing conversation live.

Tweetdeck: Monitoring the conversation around your event is critical. Tweetdeck makes this simple by allowing you to monitor several keywords, hastags, and people at once. Consider using Tweetdeck to monitor the conversation around your event in realtime. You can also set up Tweetdeck on large format monitors for attendees to see what content is buzzing in the twitterverse while they’re at an event. Bonus: Tweetdeck also integrates with Facebook and MySpace.

Tweetbeep: A very useful tool that monitors keywords and links and sends activity alerts by email every hour. Imagine having trending topics about your event, sessions, speakers, etc. delivered to you as they happen. Deploy Tweetbeep in addition to Tweetdeck to monitor hot topics.

Twtvite: a free event management tool that helps you organize and promote local Tweetups (informal social gatherings of people with like interests). You can use Twtvite to organize tweetups around your event. If you are using Tweetdeck or Tweetbeep to monitor conversations around your event, Twtvite can be the perfect tool to organize adhoc discussions to complement planned event curriculum based on what topics are trending.

Poll Everywhere: Need an audience response system on the cheap? Poll everywhere allows audiences to submit messages or answer multiple choice questions via tweet, SMS or the web. The best part: their feedback is instantly embedded into your live Powerpoint presentation. This tool has some amazing applications for hybrid events. Here you can get feedback from both face-to-face and virtual audiences during a presentation that is also streamed live via the internet.

Twtpoll: Simple polling application that allows you to submit a question to the twitterverse. You can choose form 17 types of questions and set a time limit for answers. This is great for gathering information for presentations before an event, or getting feedback after an event. Bonus: You can share Twtpolls across any social network.

Twitpic: This tool allows you to share pictures via Twitter – complete with geotagging. Share live pictures of your event with the world! Encourage attendees to share their event pictures as well. You might even incorporate a photo scavenger hunt into your event using Twitpic.

Twitvid: Like Twitpic but for video. Super easy to use. Share videos of speakers, entertainment, demonstrations, etc. via Twitter. Encourage attendees to participate. Bonus: autosharing to Facebook, MySpace and Youtube is integrated.

Twitcam: Create a live twebcast! Broadcast your event via this simple, instant streaming video application. This is great for speaking sessions, demonstrations, etc. Integrates with a twitter window so observers can comment / ask questions during the presentation. Its a good idea to have a moderator and a decent webcam / mic hooked up to your computer.

Tweetchat: Very cool application that allows users to conduct  live chat over twitter via #hashtags. I participate in the #eventprofs tweetchat as often as I can. You can organize tweetchats during your event on trending topics, or schedule these as part of you planned curriculum. Tweetchats can also take place off hours or for virtual participants.

These twelve Twitter tools will help you advance your event program beyond the profile, #hashtag and promotional tweet. If used appropriately these applications can drive community engagement before, during and after each event to create real relationships with your audiences across your event program. Use one, use some, use them all, its your choice. Understand your audience and objectives first, then pick the best tools to meet your needs. I’ve only scratched the surface here. Again, there are hundreds of third-party Twitter applications out there, and they come and go daily. If you find something that’s worked for you please share!

Imagine an outbreak of Norovirus on a cruise ship during an event, a branded archway collapsing on a crowd at a tradeshow, a bomb threat, or a fire at your hotel during a conference. Anywhere there is a gathering of people there is potential for something to go wrong. Having the right plan in place and acting appropriately can help ensure public safety, as well as ensure your brand survives when events attack.

I recently had the opportunity to attend a panel discussion on “Managing PR in a Crisis” produced by the Boston chapter of the American Marketing Association. The panel included several crisis communications rock stars:

• Thomas Lee, who was the spokesperson during the MWRA Deer Island disaster where two workers suffocated in an undersea tunnel – currently at 451 Marketing
• Donna Morrissey, who managed communications for the Archdiocese of Boston during the Priest scandal – currently at the American Red Cross
• Capt. Vic Beck, who managed Public Affairs during the Iraq War – currently at U.S. Navy

The panel was led by John Kellogg, a PR expert at Commonwealth Creative Associates.

Having been through a few event crisis situations in my career, I found the content to be extremely relevant for event practitioners. Here are 6 tips the panel brought up during the discussion which every event planner should consider as they build out their programs.

1. Have a set communications protocol in place: The worst position you can be in when a crisis occurs is unprepared. Make sure you develop a communication plan which addresses: what gets communicated, who gets communicated to, and what channels will be used for this communication during and after a crisis. Make sure your plan is flexible and revisited before each event to ensure it is ready to go in the event of any crisis. Having a plan and being prepared for a crisis is more important than ever with the immediacy of the social web.

2. Understand every audience is different: Audiences are complex. Different situations require different approaches in crisis communications. Make sure your plan is tailored to each audience and each situation through on-the-scene intelligence. It’s a good idea to discuss the dynamics of event audiences before your event so your plan can be tailored accordingly.

3. Writing matters!: Before one word is uttered about the crisis, take the time to think through and write down your messages. Practice reading it aloud. This will help you unsure the communication is complete, consistent and accurate. Always strive for simplicity and clarity.

4. Accuracy is critical: Get the facts straight before building your message. Be truthful and honest at all times with all audiences. If informational inaccuracies do occur due to different perspectives and the like, correct them, acknowledge them and communicate them as quickly as possible.

5. Speed is important: Ensure public safety first, then ensure your communication plan is executed as quickly as possible during and after the crisis. Remember accuracy trumps speed. Make sure you have correct information before communicating your messages to anyone.

6. Credibility is paramount: Crisis communicators have long been perceived as dishonest spin doctors. Always do the right thing. Humanity and authenticity goes a long way when engaging your audiences. Ethics matter. Be transparent to the situation. Anything less than “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth” should never even be considered during a crisis situation at an event. This above all else will drive trust and brand affinity well beyond the crisis.

There was once a time when PR practioners believed if they controlled the media, they controlled the message. Social media has made crisis communications far more challenging, and crisis communicators need to move more quickly than ever to ensure accurate, trustworthy information is communicated to audiences of all types. Sources matter, therefore the social web cannot be 100% trusted despite the speed at which citizen journalists are reporting their perceptions of crisis situations. It’s critical event planners are prepared with the right plan, the correct approach and the appropriate response to any crisis situation. Be accurate, be fast, and above all, be honest and your audiences and brand will recover when events attack.

Blogs. Technorati has indexed 133 milion of them since 2002. 77% of active internet users read blogs – that’s 356 million according to Comscore. Not to mention there are more than 90,000 blog articles posted each and every day. Blogs have been around since the early to mid 1990s.

There are blogs on just about everything. If you spend a few minutes searching blog directories, you can find just about anything you might be interested in reading. There are blogs about marketing, blogs about events, and even blogs about blogging.

Blogs have several benefits for experiential marketers. Blogs can serve as a destination for your communities. Blogs humanize your event by giving it a voice and a personality. Blogs give you an opportunity to participate in conversations ranging from communicating event logistics, to exploring the depth and breadth of content as part of your experience.

Several brands and show producers have been using blogs for some time as part of their event program, but few have done so effectively. Here are some ideas on how you can effectively integrate blogging into your experiential marketing program.

1. If you don’t have a blog, start one. Blogs are simple to set up. Free blogging software is commonplace and theme templates are widely available. If you like, you can create your own template, or integrate a blog into your existing website or social network. The most popular stand-alone software platforms are Wordpress, Typepad, and Blogger. Social network platforms like Ning, KickApps and Crowdvine allow you to create social networks which include blogs as part of their infrastructure. The most difficult part of blogging is ensuring you plan enough time and support for creating content. Assign the right level of resources to ensure your blog is well-managed. Many seasoned bloggers create an editorial calendar to plan content ahead of time and adjust as the environment dictates.

2. Establish the right tone. The way you communicate says a lot about your brand and your experiential marketing program. Determine the brand intent and personality of your blog and event. Remember, its not about selling, but engaging with your community. Set the precedent and your community will follow.

3. Start early. Establish your blog as soon as you’ve decided to create an event experience. The earlier the better. This will allow the blog to carve out a niche in your subject-matter universe. It will also help the blog become a more powerful awareness, thought leadership and audience generation tool.

4. Keep going. Just as the blog should be started as early as possible before your event, it should grow in interest and relevance both during and after the event. This will build a community around the subject matter of your experience, as well as extend the life of your investment by reaching a larger and increasingly higher qualified audience. This is an easy way to contribute to improved ROI.

5. Keep content fresh, vibrant and alive. While event logistics and schedules are interesting and all, nothing will attract and retain an audience more effectively that relevant, interesting content they cannot get anywhere else. Balance logistics with value-added content. Your blog can bring your face-to-face experience alive for attendees and online observers alike. Use photos, videos, sound files as well as text to tell your story. Keep it fresh, mix it up and establish a personality for your blog. What can you provide to your community on a consistent basis that will keep them excited about the subject matter as well as your experience? Identify, prioritize and deliver this to drive long-term success.

6. The blog becomes THE destination. Sure, we want attendees to come to the event, and they will. However a blog will foster community before, during and after the experience to drive long-term relationships. By using the blog as a platform for ongoing face-to-face and digital tactics, you create deeper, richer experiences for your community. This contributes to audience retention, expansion, brand loyalty and advocacy over the long run.

7. Use guest bloggers to generate content and interest. Invite speakers, exhibitors, subject-matter experts, analysts, and even the press and media to participate in your blog. Recognize guest participation and “best” content through a community rating system. Not only will this improve the quantity and quality of content for your experience, but it will also attract more readers, drive participation and build community. Your focus here becomes balanced between facilitation and content development, freeing you up to focus more on the rest of the experience.

8. Bring Your Own Audience (BYOA). If you build it, the might come. Conduct social media searches on Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, etc. to identify audiences who may be interested in your content, your blog and your event (in that order). Contact them and invite them to visit the blog. Research, read, comment or ask to be a guest blogger on related blogs. This will attract audiences who are interested in learning more to follow you. Link to relevant content as often as possible. You can also use blog directories, blogrolls (your own as well as listings on other blogs) to help drive audiences as well. The key here is to establish and maintain a presence in the blogosphere.

9. Encourage readership and participation. Throughout your communication plan, make sure you promote the blog, the authors, and the content. Reward the community for participation where possible and appropriate. To drive long-term community relevance, its a good idea to promote the blog as prominently as you promote the event itself. An event is a point in time, a blog lives on well beyond the experience.

BONUS THOUGHTS:

10. Impose a time limit. Sometimes, you don’t want to establish or build a long-term community, and that’s OK. Consider setting up and promoting a blog that has a limited lifespan before, during and after the event. Promote it as such and encourage the community to interact as often as possible during this limited time opportunity.

11. Pull content from other blogs. Similar to linking to outside content in the BYOA section above, consider pulling content from other sources (with permission of course). Speakers, exhibitors, subject matter experts,  analysts, and press and media may have blogs that they would love to share and promote on your site or as part of your experiential marketing program.

Blogs are a powerful tool. They give your experiential marketing program an anchor, and your audiences a long-term destination. With the right focus, content discipline, resource allocation and community integration, event blogs can help turn a single event into a vibrant community around your subject matter.

If you have other ideas on how to use blogs for events or experiential marketing programs, please share!