76 List Building and List Management Ideas Compiled from the Attendee Acquisition Roundtables 40/40/20 Rule The success of any direct mail and/or email promotion is determined as follows: The strength of the list is responsible for 40% of the success; The validity of the offer is responsible for 40% of the success; The package (copy and graphics) is responsible for 20% of the success. Created by Ed Mayer, a direct mail expert, in the 1960s; it reminds us that a strong list is essential to a successful offer. List Selection 1. Mine all available data from previous campaigns to identify patterns and areas of growth 2. Choose a list broker that has relationships with your industry s publications 3. Use a bonded list broker who will protect sensitive data 4. Align list selections with desired attendee demographic and psychographic profile 5. Identify special audience segments and acquire applicable lists 6. Use an outside list company to merge/purge and update your list with correct addresses Third Party Lists 7. Barter, rent or purchase: Publication lists National, regional and local organizations/ affiliates Exhibitors lists 8. Have overseas associations mail your promotion to their members 9. Apply for the Department of Commerce s International Buyer Program 10. Broadlook and Hoovers are frequently mentioned resources Page 1
11. Invite user groups to co-locate and market to their lists 12. Acquire lists from the local Convention Bureau Ask Bureau to make calls to your and/or their lists Ask Bureau to send a Visit Our City direct mail campaign to prospects within 200 miles of the venue 13. Acquire lists from governing and certification agencies Name Acquisition 14. Add applicable names from newsletter and magazine subscriptions 15. Attend/exhibit at other shows, meetings and conventions to collect prospects data 16. Registration process: Before registration is open, have an I m interested add me to your mailing list option Include Invite a friend or Forward to a friend in your registration process Send all incomplete registrations an email, Thanks for your interest. You started but did not complete your registration. Click here to continue. Refer a colleague contest those who entice a coworker to register are entered into a contest Encourage exhibitors to install a registration widget on their home page 17. Install point-of-purchase signs promoting the show stocked with registration forms 18. Send personalized letters or automated call from industry rock star 19. Ask speakers and media to invite their colleagues, customers and readers 20. Ask exhibitors for names of the customers/prospects they want to see Online Name Acquisition 6 Tips 21. Offer online incentives to increase traffic and capture new prospects 22. Offer online teasers must give email to access valuable content 23. Create webinars to attract new prospects 24. Create a strategic affiliates program that includes LinkedIn Group leaders 25. Add me to your mailing list link on home page 26. Use QR codes with special content and/or links to landing pages to collect names and data Page 2
Response Boosters 27. Pay partners for every registration or verified attendee they provide 28. Incentivize key industry leaders to use their contacts list to invite colleagues 29. Create an alumni/vip loyalty program 30. Offer group benefits/discounts 31. Highlight limited seating/availability 32. Require complete registration before they are able to obtain housing 33. Tier early-bird registration fees and telemarket to remind alumni that the end of early bird registration rate is near 34. Have 24-hour flash sales 35. Offer guest/spouse events 36. Use personalization: Deploy personalized URL (purl) campaigns Send personalized emails Send links to pre-populated online registration forms Send pre-populated fax registration forms just sign and return Use personal visits to key attendee prospects and multipliers 37. Segment messaging based on behavioral attributes 38. Marketing automation companies help marketers manage and automate converting prospects to attendees; plus the data captured in the process will improve your marketing s effectiveness. Leading vendors include: www.eloqua.com www.marketo.com www.pardot.com www.silverpop.com 39. Leverage exhibitor marketing: Send co-branded emails with exhibitors Provide exhibitors, their dealers and distributors, with marketing tools to promote your event Provide exhibitors with an easy-to-use email invitation program Page 3
40. Test different email ideas: Quirky email subject lines increase open rate Use plain text emails to be read by those on mobile platforms Send emails that work well on every reader s platform, including mobile Send holiday emails; on Valentine s Day send a We love our attendees message Add video testimonials to emails Incentives 11 More Ideas 41. Registration incentives offered to individuals work better than corporate incentives 42. White paper/book 43. Assigned priority seating in sessions 44. Housing discounts and/or upgrades 45. Pre-conference workshop for free or discounted rate 46. Special grip and grin or executive session with keynote speaker 47. Contests, giveaways, and drawings for gifts from the show organizer or exhibitors 48. Free parking and/or taxi vouchers 49. In-person visits to key attendee prospects and multipliers 50. Reward members, exhibitors, and pre-registrants for referrals 51. Also, provide organizations with a complimentary meeting room package (room, catering, a/v, internet) if they bring XX attendees Response Measurement 52. Track registrants to see who is registering from which marketing piece/ad/email blast 53. Include source codes in all offers 54. Ask How did you hear about us wherever possible 55. Use Google Analytics to determine where viewers abandon your web site and improve these areas 56. Use marketing automation/data mining to reveal which lists responded to which marketing pieces 57. Track conversion rates (how long it takes prospects to actually register) Page 4
List Management 58. Keep lists clean remove dupes, update data, remove dead addresses 59. Have clear opt-out procedures to stay off black lists 60. Don t mail/email to names more than three years old 61. Send postcard with key code to remove people and to add their replacement s contact information 62. Telemarketing script should confirm person on list is still with company or request name of replacement 63. Pay close attention to list maintenance 64. Comply with Canadian Anti-Spam Law (CASL) 65. Dedicate full-time staff or outside company to manage and clean lists; as well as gather more data such as: Who is the attendee? Who is the attendee s boss? Who is the attendee s boss boss? Identifying New Prospects and Markets 66. Look at untapped internal lists to utilize in new ways and repurpose other rented lists 67. Advertising in trade journals and other allied groups 68. Refreshing the list selection criteria to hone in on key targets 69. Partnering with allied organizations 70. Target messaging, language and vocabulary to audiences 71. Look for growth in secondary/non-traditional audiences 72. Clarify and promote unique value proposition for various targets 73. Create and implement different marcom plans for each target group 74. Speak to the next generation and provide them with side events 75. Target programming/experiences for various segments 76. Elevate diversity and inclusion in your marketing and communication Last updated on February 22, 2015 Page 5