Why the Marketing Funnel is Key to Event Success

A marketing funnel is a strategic framework that your business can use to guide your potential customers through a series of steps, from initial awareness to eventual conversion. The funnel will help your businesses effectively nurture and convert leads into paying customers. 

The funnel metaphor represents the gradual narrowing down of the target audience as they progress through the stages of the buying process. At the top of the funnel, you will have a large pool of individuals who are aware of your brand but may not have a strong intent to purchase. As they move down the funnel, the number of prospects decreases, but their level of interest and intent to purchase increases. 

The typical stages of a marketing funnel are: 

Awareness

This is the broadest part of the funnel, where you will attract the attention of potential customers and make them aware of your brand, product, or service. Typically, your prospects will find you through social media, search engine, content marketing, email marketing, influencer marketing, or other means.  

Interest and Consideration 

In this stage, your prospects have shown some interest in your offerings and are actively considering whether they should make a purchase. They seek more information, compare alternatives, read reviews, and evaluate how your product or service can address their needs. 

Decision and Conversion 

At this point, your prospects have made the decision to purchase and become customers. They take the desired action, such as making a purchase, subscribing to a service, or signing up for a newsletter. This stage often involves the use of persuasive techniques, compelling offers, and a seamless user experience to encourage conversions. 

Loyalty and Advocacy 

The funnel doesn’t end with the conversion. Happy customers can become loyal supporters of your brand, providing repeat business and referring others. This stage focuses on nurturing the relationship, delivering exceptional customer experiences, and encouraging customers to become brand advocates. 

The Connection Between Marketing Funnel and Events 

Events play a crucial role in the marketing funnel by bridging the gap between potential customers and the various stages of the funnel. A report by Event Marketer reveals that 84% of brands integrate events into their marketing campaigns, and 85% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand after participating in their events or experiences. 

Why Should Event Marketing Managers Adopt the Event Marketing Funnel? 

A Merit expert says, “Event managers should consider the marketing funnel to create more targeted events and experiences. By aligning event experiences with attendees’ specific needs and interests at each stage, managers can ensure more engaging and personalised experiences.” 

Increasing Brand Awareness  

This approach keeps attendees interested and involved throughout the event journey. Moreover, by focusing on moving attendees through the funnel, event managers can design experiences that not only build brand awareness and consideration but also drive sales and conversions. Taking the marketing funnel into account allows event managers to optimise their strategies, deliver value, and achieve desired outcomes for both attendees and the organisation. 

Firstly, events are a powerful tool for generating awareness. By hosting or participating in industry conferences, trade shows, or community events, your business can showcase your brand, products, or services to a targeted audience, thereby creating brand exposure and capturing the attention of potential customers.  

Iron Pier’s Building of Brand Awareness 

For example, Iron Pier is a UK-based brewery known for its unique and high-quality craft beers. This year, the brand will be exhibiting its beverage at the Great British Beer Festival, one of the largest beer festivals in the UK, organised by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). By setting up a booth at the festival, Iron Pier can attract a diverse audience of beer enthusiasts and create awareness about their unique and flavorful craft beers. 

Brand Engagement: BrewDog’s AGM  

BrewDog is another craft beer company, which has participated in the Great British Beer Festival in the past, and today, organises its own events and conferences to foster brand awareness. One notable example is their annual event called “BrewDog AGM” (Annual General Mayhem).  

This event brings together their community of fans and shareholders for a day of beer tastings, live music, and interactive experiences. It not only generates buzz and excitement around the brand but also provides an opportunity for attendees to learn more about BrewDog’s brewing process, brand values, and upcoming products. 

Maintain Engagement with an existing audience 

Secondly, events can contribute to the interest and consideration stage by providing a platform for educating and engaging your prospects. Through seminars, workshops, or webinars, your business can offer in-depth knowledge, valuable insights, and interactive experiences that pique your attendees’ interest, address their concerns, and position the brand as a trusted authority. 

Dyson’s Education campaign  

For example, the UK-based home appliances company, Dyson, often organises events, particularly in their Dyson Demo Stores, to provide a hands-on experience and educate potential customers about the unique features and benefits of their products. These events create an opportunity for individuals to interact directly with the products, ask questions, and receive demonstrations from knowledgeable staff members. 

Fostering Brand Loyalty 

Lastly, events can facilitate conversions by providing opportunities for face-to-face interactions, product demonstrations, or exclusive offers. These experiences can create a personal connection with your potential customers and increase the likelihood of conversion. By leveraging events strategically throughout the marketing funnel, your business can effectively guide prospects towards becoming loyal customers. 

Merit’s Expertise in Marketing Data Intelligence 

Using our proprietary technology, we source, filter and qualify marketing data from thousands of online sources. We further enrich the data with expert research to deliver accurate contact lists that yield maximum conversion rates. Merit’s marketing data has proven to: 

• Multiply your event RoI with the best target data possible  
• Drive attendance at niche events and conferences 
• Be accurate, up-to-date and tailored for your exact audience  
• Be fully compliant (GDPR in particular), transparent and audit-friendly  

We are more than just a list broker; with a proven 10-year track record in building and validating over 100 million global contacts a year, our clients can rely on us to target relevant and engaging audience groups. 

To know more about Merit’s marketing expertise, visit https://www.meritdata-tech.com/service/data/marketing-data/