How to Combine Offline and Online Marketing

  

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Historically, HubSpot has been pretty adamant about not having traditional booths and such at trade shows because the ROI is typically very low -- and sometimes negative. Last week, however, we experimented by atteding and promoting the company at a major event -- Salesforce's "Dreamforce" conference in San Francisco -- and we'd like to share with you what worked.

We treated the experience as a test of how well we might combine offline and online activities in a way that maximized our investment. We shared our four major lessons from the experience on the main HubSpot blog, but we'll be showcasing even more details from our experiences at HUGS 2011.  [FYI: HUGS 2011 pricing goes up one last time tonight at midnight - so register now.]

For companies doing trade events, it's critical to measure the results, but we also believe that you can get even more value out of your event if you combine all of your tactics into one major campaign.  

Think unique QR codes, URLs, data-based apps, slideshares of all your content, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook accompaniments - all of which strengthen your physical presence but also enable the people you meet to share your content and offers far beyond the walls of the exhibit hall.

One example of a tactic used this past week was simple: We posted all of our content on Slideshare in advance of the events themselves and actively tweeted, shared, and pointed attendees to the content.  

The result?  About 65,000 people viewed the Marketing Fact vs. Fantasy presentation in under 5 days - a record even for us.  The combination of offline sharing and online promotion gave us greater reach - and we expect it to continue to grow even now that Dreamforce is over.

If you want to learn more, be sure to check out HubSpotter Marta Kagan's session at HUGS 2011: Combining Offline and Online Marketing For Amplified Results, where you'll learn how marketers are optimizing their marketing spend by building bridges from costly offline activities to online conversions on your website. Explore how sources, landing pages, and the new HubSpot Enterprise capabilities can help you get more out of every dollar -- using HubSpot's Dreamforce 2011 activities as a case study.

Remember - pricing for HUGS 2011 goes up at midnight tonight!  So be sure to register today and book your hotel before rooms at the low $259 rate sell out. (Please note too that the Sheraton reservation tool works in IE & Firefox only.)