I attended Dreamforce 11 last week for the second year running, this time as an exhibitor. Optify had a modest booth, an entry-level package we were offered for being a first time exhibitor. I joined our sales team on the floor between sessions, coffee breaks and networking opportunities. As a marketing professional, I was thoroughly impressed by the flawless organization and attention to detail at this four-day extravaganza that took over San Francisco’s financial district and the Moscone Center. However, what impressed me the most was the obvious care paid to lessons learned from last year’s few, but notable problems. The Internet connection was much better, the food was in ample supply and even the weather was significantly nicer (I’m not attributing the good weather to Salesforce, just the date selection – Sept. vs. Dec. in SF).
Five Best Practices for Marketing at an Event Like Dreamforce
Now, not all of us work for a big company like Salesforce, but even those of us at small companies can apply many useful marketing practices learned from this event. With this goal in mind, I walked the Cloud Expo floor, visited tens of booths, and surveyed the various methods companies used to extract the best value from their Dreamforce investment. I grouped my observations into Five best practices for marketing at an event like Dreamforce.
- Be clear on your goals and build a plan to achieve them
I spoke to a lot of marketing and sales professional at Dreamforce and this basic, somewhat obvious best practice seemed to get lost in the noise and hassle of preparing for a show of this size. Is your goal to acquire leads, build brand awareness, establish an experience, conduct market research, continue your education or evaluate solutions? Whatever it is, make sure you build a plan to achieve your goals. - Do Not (!) hurt your brand
This is a marketing best practice not just for shows and events, but for all of your marketing endeavors. On the Cloud Expo floor, I witnessed a number of companies that forgot this best practice. There’s a false sense of containment during a show; it feels closed, compartmentalized, somewhat unrelated to the outside world. As a result, some companies tend to take more risks with their brands – stretching out with ‘creative antics’ that may have seemed like brilliant ideas in the planning room. But people do remember, and your actions on the floor will leave an impression on your brand that is not easy to change later on, for good or bad. - Create a theme; align it with your brand
It’s not easy to create a theme that ties everything together and also aligns with your brand, but the compounded effect of finding the right theme is huge. People will remember you if your theme is good. Employees can rally behind and evangelize a well thought-out theme, Your brand will gain positive exposure and momentum. Plus, follow-up then becomes easier and more effective. - Be innovative with your resources; bigger isn’t always better.
You can’t always compete with the “big guys” on share of voice, awareness and position. If you’re a small company, or if you’ve just decided to limit your investment in this particular show, you need to find smart ways to use your resources – money, time and people – to meet your goals. Start by building a schedule for the show. See where you have room for innovation. Explore the resources the organizer makes available to you and make the most out of them. Scope the floor plan, study the agenda and the show schedule, and find places where your audience will be and where you can fit. Try to collaborate with other exhibitors. Think outside the box to draw attention to your company. That said, be aware of the show rules and remember best practice #2 – Do Not Hurt Your Brand. - Plan your follow up and follow through on promises
Usually in marketing, success is measured in revenue (or pipeline value), so acquiring leads from the show is just the first step towards proving success. Hopefully, by the time you return to the office you will have a healthy bounty of leads to follow up with; plan this follow up ahead of the show; write the emails, schedule the campaign, brief your sales team. If you made any promises during the show, like a free gift, product discount, even a follow up phone call, make sure you follow through on your promises. You might be following up with hundreds, or even thousands of leads, but keeping promises can make the difference between a positive ROI and a negative one.
These are just a few of the lessons and best practices I took away from Dreamforce. What were some of yours?
