Cracking the Code: 5 Messaging Questions to Prove the Value of Your Event
Simple steps to transform your event messaging and drive registration
by Annemarie Allain, CEM
The first time my dad looked me in the eye and said, “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it,” I was 9-years old Girl Scout selling cookies door-to-door. It’s a lesson he would repeat over and over for years to come.
The funny thing is my dad was right. (Don’t tell him I said that!) While he was just trying to squash my sass, his advice applies to cheeky children and convincing communication.
Effective messaging starts with their why, not your what
With a trade show operations background, I understand why organizers are proud of their event features. Significant time and energy go into creating perfect networking, session tracks and an ongoing supply of coffee. But, as Event Marketer shares, "The first step in planning an event is deciding why you're having it."
It seems straightforward, but somewhere along the way, we stopped sharing the "why" behind our plans and started touting the "what." And, honestly, most events aren't sharing the wrong message; it's how they're sharing it.
Just look at the consumer brands you interact with daily, including big names like Apple, Slack and Uber. They've mastered addressing pain points above anything else:
Apple reduces frustration with effortless integration across devices.
Slack brings people together with simplified communication.
Uber eliminates traditional transportation services' long wait times and unknown costs.
Unfortunately, event marketing has been slow to follow suit, but its time our industry takes a page out of the consumer playbook.
Features vs. benefits: Is there a difference?
In short, yes, there's absolutely a difference between features and benefits, and understanding them is key to unlocking a new messaging strategy.
For example, if you're planning a manufacturing event with C-suite leaders, engineers and machine operators, each group has a different set of challenges they're facing. What does that look like?
Feature: With 65 sessions highlighting innovative strategies for the entire manufacturing industry, this is a must-attend event!
Benefit: With 10 sessions exclusively for machine operators, you'll find actionable strategies to address skill gaps, workplace safety, technology advancements and more.
To effectively do this, you'll want to segment your audience and develop a messaging framework specific to each subgroup. Forbes recently mentioned, "With customer segmentation, your business can better understand every customer and align relevant strategies and tactics to meet their distinctive needs."
Now, how do you stop talking about yourself and start talking about your attendees?
What’s in it for them?
Ultimately, if attendees cannot find the value of participating in an event they won’t register. Give them the justification they need to show up by asking yourself these 5 questions:
Are we discussing the purpose of this event?
Do we address the pain points or goals of our audience and industry?
How do the event logistics (i.e., sessions, speakers, networking) help attendees improve their skills?
What differentiates us from competitors?
What objections could someone have to attending?
Once you’ve thoroughly answered these questions (and any others that pop up along the way), you’ll have the foundation for drafting new talking points that will boost registration numbers!
Prove your worth
Let’s be clear: attendees still love fun event extras like receptions, live demos and competitions. But if you really want to put butts in seats, make sure you frame these as value-added activities that will help them overcome obstacles. After all, it’s not what you say; it’s how you say it.
About the author:
Annemarie Allain, CEM — a talker and self-proclaimed word nerd — is an events industry veteran. She works with companies of all sizes to create jargon-free content that connects audiences to organizational purpose and delivers on-brand experiences. Annemarie holds a bachelor's degree from Oregon State University and completed the Professional Writing Program at the University of California, Berkeley. When she's not geeking out over em dashes, you'll find her reading, sewing or watching football with family. Annemarie lives in Southern California with her husband, daughter and several furry friends.