Well, this seems a bit awkward – talking about engaging experiences during a time of social distancing. Many people are wondering if it’s still important.
The answer is yes – it’s even more important than before.
Experiential marketing is all about bringing people together for a memorable experience, but that concept has gotten quite tricky with our current environmental restrictions.
There are so many ways to engage through an experience: a holiday shopping extravaganza, golf shoe or sunglass fittings at a golf tournament, a meet-n-greet, social happy hour, or a puppy adoption event, to name a few. Right now, the experience is individualized rather than group social. That means we’ve got to get more creative, but it can still be impactful. Emotions are running high in our communities: some are scared, some are frustrated, many are exhausted. This is an opportunity to really view your business from a personal perspective, and re-align everything to make it more personal.
The first step – as always in marketing initiatives – is to determine the desired outcome.
What do you want to accomplish?
How will you reach your target market?
How can you engage them where they are?
Next, show them how it feels to actively engage with your business – regardless of whether it’s in the real world or the virtual world. They need to know how you can help them, and they need to experience it for themselves in a way that no words can accomplish. It’s got to be as close to a physical experience as possible.
Here are a few ways to accomplish this is our current “virtual world”:
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- Video Conferencing
- Social Media (IGTV, YouTube, Tik Tok, Instagram/Facebook stories, LinkedIn, etc)
- Remote Product Demonstrations
- Production Videos
- Live Q&A Sessions
- Behind-the-scenes Videos
The challenge is learning how to convert in-person experiences into online-exclusive experiences that still make attendees feel connected to the brand.
It’s time to reinvent the wheel.
Look at the “experience” from a different angle.
Get creative with online storytelling – and put a personal spin on it.
Dive into the latest in technology – 3D holographic demos, augmented reality, interactive social media, etc.
Now is the time to start planning ahead for our new digital future.