10 Top Ways to Use Offline Events to Generate Leads

• Last updated September 3, 2019
• lead generation

For businesses that exist mostly online, particularly non-local businesses, it can be easy to dismiss the effectiveness that offline activities can have for lead generation. It's often easier to stay within the comfort zone of the online bubble and the myriad of online marketing opportunites that are available.

But live, offline activities can be equally if not more powerful for generating valuable leads and attracting new business and revenue. They can also be far more rewarding on a personal level, providing deeper, richer experiences than the online world can ever provide.

When meeting people in person, looking them in the eyes and speaking with them, a much deeper bond and sense of connection is created. This gives you an opportunity to develop long-lasting relationships with customers and prospects, as well as encouraging referrals and word-of-mouth marketing.

In other words, online marketing should be seen as complimentary to, rather than completely supplanting, more traditional, offline marketing methods.

With that in mind, this post gives you ten different, highly effective ways to take advantage of various different non-virtual, in-person, offline events to attract attention and generate leads for your business.

First though, here's a quick run-down of various types of offline events that exist, either to participate in, create and run yourself, or otherwise take advantage of:

• Regularly scheduled meet-ups - check out meetup.com
• Speaking engagements
• Educational panels
• Workshops
• Hackathons
• Conferences
• In-store events
• Breakfast meeting groups

So once you’re at an offline event, how do you then actually generate interest in your business? Here are...

1. Business Card

Yes, maybe not the most exciting topic, but business cards still work, particularly when you take it up a notch or two.

Let's face it, most business cards are pretty boring. So don’t just give people a bog-standard business card with the usual details. Use it instead to give them an opportunity to maintain the relationship going forward and find out more about you.

For example:

• Have the usual info on the front.
• On the back, include a CTA (call to action). Have something they can take advantage of for free (a Lead Magnet) when they provide you with their own details.

Generally speaking, to do the latter you'll want to provide a URL of a web page they can head to for more information. On this page, they'll be able to enter their details to take advantage.

The easiest way to set this up is to use a Landing Mat — you can have a page up and running within just a few minutes, without needing a developer.

The greater the perceived value of the Lead Magnet to your ideal customer, the more effective this strategy will be.

For example, if you've written a book, try offering a free printed copy of it on the back of your business card that you'll ship to people for free. This can be highly effective because:

• People love books.
• It has a high level of perceived value.
• It builds your authority significantly.
• It builds a deeper, longer term relationship—after all, books tend to be read, and stay on desks and bookshelves for a long time, giving you long-term visibility.

What's more, the actual costs involved are likely to be comparable too, or less than, online lead acquisition.

2. Survey

Let's say you're attending an event which attracts people from within your target market.

Let people you meet know that you're doing some market research, and ask if they would mind answering a few questions.

Design the survey so that it gives you some valuable insights into your market.

Don't just give them a sheet of paper and walk away—or the likelihood of them ever completing the survey is very low.

Instead, ask them the questions directly and write down their answers. In doing so, you'll start to build a relationship.

Once done, offer them something of genuine value to thank them for taking part—and, importantly, to enable you to keep in touch with them.

For example, offer to ship them something for free, requesting their name and address so that you can send it to them, along with their agreement for you to stay in touch.

Give them something physical they can walk away with too to illustrate your integrity. For example, give them a well-designed, professional thank you note that:

• Confirms when they'll receive their free gift.
• Tells them more about your business.
• Provides them with your own contact details.

3. Fishbowl

If hosting a stand at an event such as a tradeshow or conference, have a fishbowl available.

Let people know that by dropping in their business card, you'll send them something special in return and keep in touch so they can get to know what you do better.

For example, you could send them:

• Details about a discount or special offer.
• A valuable resource.
• A free email course that teaches them how to do something. This works well if your business is able to help them do it more easily, or take care of it for them—you can subtlely sell your services while delivering the content.

Or even run a prize draw! See #7 below.

Fishbowls work well where people don't necessarily have a lot of time to stop and chat—or may not want to—but can simply drop in their business card to find out more.

Top tip: an empty fishbowl works as well as an empty restaurant—it keeps people away. Instead, prefill it with some random business cards you've collected in the past to get the ball rolling. Just be sure to mark them in some way so you can discount them later.

4. Signup Forms

Have signup forms available that people can fill in. For example, you may have a special offer people are able to take advantage of by simply being at the event.

Make it as easy as possible for people by having clipboards and attached pens. Once they give the form back in, quickly review it before they leave to:

• Confirm with them that it's correct.
• Give you the opportunity to clarify parts that are less clear or legible.

Unless you need the specific information that a form asks people to provide, they may be able to simply leave you their business card. Or you could just take a picture of their card with your phone.

You could also have one or more iPads or laptops available so people can enter in their details via a suitable web page.

Ideally, if using this option, have the thank you page automatically redirect back to the form page after a few seconds. This means you don't have to constantly think about resetting the page each time, instead allowing you to give interested parties your full attention.

5. QR Codes

Have a QR code prominently available, along with some clear and simple instructions, so people can scan it in via their phone while they wait, and enter their details.

This helps avoid the issue where you end up too busy to speak to everyone at your stand, and potential leads are lost. Instead they can take action themselves before walking away.

Also, by making the QR code fairly large on your exhibition stand, people pointing their phones and scanning it will attract attention, encouraging others to join the throng and do the same.

6. Brochures

Have printed marketing materials available for people to walk away with, including:

• Brochures
• Pamphlets
• Menus
• Business cards
• Promotional gifts such as pens, keyrings, and so on. See #8 below.

However, wherever possible, ensure that each contains a prominent call to action of some kind with an offer that encourages the prospect to give you their contact details.

Even better, have a clear deadline on the offer to give it a sense of urgency, so that people provide their information quickly.

7. Prize

Consider giving away a prize to create some buzz and attract new leads.

Let's say you sell a service or product for $1,000. To allow for a profit margin, your actual costs are of course lower, sometimes substantially. So the 'costs' of providing that as a prize are always going to be less than the perceived value.

In doing so:

• You can generate many leads you wouldn't have otherwise attracted.
• Help to differentiate your business from competitors.
• Create a buzz around your stand that in itself attracts others.

8. Merchandise

Give away merchandise for free to encourage people to come to your website afterwards, find out more, and sign up for more information.

Preferably use merchandise that has a higher perceived value, that they're likely to actually use and have around for a while. By using it, it helps to also draw the attention of others to your business and build your brand.

Mugs, pens, t-shirts and other items of clothing like caps can work well.

Things like bookmarks and key rings are easier to lose, throw in a drawer, or simply throw away after the event.

9. Create an Experience

If someone's at your stand at a tradeshow or conference, what could you do to keep them there, create some buzz, and build a sense of relationship with them?

Here are just a few ideas:

• Free food and drink.
• Fun games like you might find at a carnival (even with token prizes!).
• A free massage.

All these ideas can help generate a throng around your business's stand, attracting others to find out what's happening (including away from competitor's stands).

While there, perhaps waiting to take part themselves, they have longer to absorb your marketing messages, and you have longer to speak with them while they’re waiting and build a relationship.

Creating a pleasurable experience also helps generate the 'warm fuzzies' about your business, encouraging sales and long-term customer relationships.

Run a bricks-and-mortar type business? Do the same, with regular in-store events where you offer free food and drink, entertainment and products to attract new customers in.

Offer say a discount card in exchange for an email address, or an opportunity to fill in a survey (requesting their name and email) in exchange for a goody bag.

10. Be Different

If at a trade show, or running a stand at a conference event or similar, try doing something really different, fun and out of the ordinary to attract attention.

Some of this we've already touched on, such as in creating an experience above, but brainstorm what else you could do.

For example, what if your team wore attention-grabbing costumes to clearly mark you out and create conversation about your business?

Think that's a crazy idea? Richard Branson did too—and it worked. Here are just a few of the costumes Branson has worn at live events to generate publicity:

• Wore a wedding dress and makeup to publicize the Virgin Brides retail store. He shaved his beard too.
• Dressed as a Zulu warrior and posed with locals when Virgin Atlantic launched routes to South Africa in the 1980s. (Note this was only done after proper consultation with a relevant cultural center).
• Donned a spacesuit for a press conference about Virgin Galactic in 2004.

So brainstorm some ideas your business could pursue to be different, attract attention and generate leads.

To Conclude

As you can see, there are multiple ways in which you can use live, offline events to generate leads for your business.

Many of the ideas above can of course be used together. They are far from mutually exclusive.

One thing to remember though. When capturing lead details at live events, people are of course doing it in within the buzz and enthusiasm such events generate.

To avoid the lead cooling off and forgetting about you, it's vital to have follow-up communications starting to go to them as soon as possible to take advantage of their enthusiasm, build on the relationship, and begin to generate revenue from their interest in your business.

steve shaw

Steve Shaw is the CEO of optinopoli™, next-generation lead capture and sales conversion technology—click here for more info.