Hand-in-Hand: Leveraging Tech and In-person Strategies for Success

Section 1: Introduction

In-person communication is face-to-face interaction between people. In a digital-first world, face-to-face communication remains powerful and relevant. Nonverbal behavior includes body language, facial expressions, and tone. A UCLA study indicates nonverbal behavior determines up to 93 percent of communication effectiveness. Emails and text messages serve specific purposes in the right situations. The introduction argues for a blended approach where digital tools and live interaction reinforce each other. This whitepaper outlines best practices for marketers to leverage technology at events to impress prospects and increase customer loyalty. The goal is to enhance communication effectiveness by combining digital tools with in-person engagement. Digital tools can extend reach and efficiency, while in-person interactions provide vital nonverbal context. Together, digital and in-person approaches create more effective customer experiences and stronger relationships.

Section 2: Hand-in-Hand: Leveraging Tech and In-person Strategies for Success

Hand-in-Hand is a guide to blending technology with in-person strategies for success. In-person events refer to gatherings such as conferences, field events, trainings, and internal offsites. The section highlights four capabilities that boost event impact. First, initiate hyper-personalized follow-up by sending tailored communications or offers based on attendees’ session engagement. Second, enable quick and seamless digital registration by guiding attendees to sessions and activities aligned with their preferences. Third, create unique branded event websites and schedule communications ahead of the event, such as reminders and session details. Fourth, maximize attendee insights by tracking sessions attended and using live polling for real-time feedback. Industry data shows events are increasingly important for brand awareness, demand generation, pipeline acceleration, and customer engagement. Many marketers planned to increase their event budgets, indicating rising investment and importance. To succeed, marketers need the right mix of digital and in-person tools to drive initiatives. Coupling face time with digital technology enhances the attendee experience by delivering insights that strengthen follow-up and trust, leading to lasting relationships and better outcomes for prospects and customers.

Section 3: Bridging the Gap: Utilizing Data for Effective Follow-up

Bridging the Gap defines the role of data in improving post-event follow-up. Data capture is the process of collecting attendee information during events. Event automation tracks which sessions and booths an attendee visited, and survey data can be leveraged to collect real-time feedback and refine understanding of individual preferences. Attendee data tells a business not only who to target, but how to target them, enabling more precise outreach. These insights can be used to keep in touch with potential new customers and retain existing ones after an event. Companies can share personalized offers and creative content based on a attendee’s engagement at the event. Instead of a generic email blast, highly personalized content and next steps can be shared to maximize post-event engagement. Turning insight into strategic action means translating data into concrete follow-up steps and campaigns after the event. The combination of data capture and in-person interactions strengthens relationships and improves the effectiveness of post-event communications.

Section 4: Sales and Marketing Working in Step

Sales and Marketing Working in Step discusses aligning teams to prove event ROI. In-person communications remain essential for sales and marketing professionals. Often, marketing and sales teams operate in silos, hindering cohesion. Without standards to measure event success, such as registrants, leads, or follow-up meetings, marketers struggle to understand the overall impact. Standard metrics help reveal ROI and guide strategy across marketing, sales, and events platforms. Event automation software provides data collection and insights to speed up the sales process and improve decision-making. These capabilities help unify marketing and sales toward shared goals and improve follow-up effectiveness. Certain delivers the leading enterprise Event Automation platform that integrates with marketing automation and CRM systems, enabling personalized, data-driven engagement. Interested readers are invited to learn more through a webinar and to visit Certain’s website for more information.

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