The importance of having an online presence got drilled into every company in 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic emerged and practically banned physical contact among humans. Physical shops closed, and many transitioned their business online. Those who have been on the internet for quite a while plotted even more creative ways to get their customers’ attention with the increasing competition.
One of the emerging techniques for businesses to stay engaging and relevant throughout the health crisis was offering webinars. These online events have been around for some time, but demand for the platform increased during the pandemic. Data shows that the number of brands offering webinars increased by 36% from February to March 2020 alone.
You have probably noticed your favorite brands market their online workshops on their LinkedIn and Facebook pages as well. In the B2B industry, live events for networking and knowledge sharing are incredibly crucial; that’s why this behavior is no surprise.
The truth is, COVID-19 is still around—and no one is really sure when it or if it will go away. That said, it’s about time for people to start adapting and living with the virus present. Engaging in activities in the “new normal” is one way of doing so.
Should I Host a Webinar?
If you’re a B2B company that wants to grow and use other channels for marketing their business, then creating webinars could be useful for your brand image too. Here are some reasons why:
- You can engage and connect with possible customers in a more casual way
- You can deliver value to your market and establish yourself as a thought leader in the industry
- You can use this as part of your sales strategy
- You can craft your webinar marketing strategy and see better results each time
- You can expand your reach and go for a global audience
- You can also grow the number of leads you have (lead generation strategies)
- You can save cost since webinars are more affordable than live events
- You can set up an easy registration process
- There is no limit to the number of people who can attend your webinar
- It’s the safe way to continue knowledge sharing during a pandemic—and it shows that you care
By now, you probably understand what makes webinars so unique. If you are looking to learn new information from industry colleagues, or you want to see examples of webinars done right, then you better stay tuned for some of the best digital marketing events in 2021.
If you want to increase your ecommerce strategy in this hypercompetitive digital age, you have to bookmark CommerceNext’s marketing event. The company will host a three-day virtual event on January 20th, 27th, and February 3rd for marketing professionals and enthusiasts alike. Some notable speakers who have graced their past events are executives from Glossier, Walmart, Macy’s, and more.
Ecommerce has become the go-to marketplace during the pandemic, and it will likely evolve to serve the needs of the people better. You might want to get tips from these B2C tech giants so you can take inspiration in setting up the same for your business.
Yet another thing that skyrocketed during the pandemic is mobile usage. The annual Mobile Growth Association is a two-day expo where developers, publishers, and marketers connect with and learn from mobile app experts and online marketing professionals.
It is usually held in different months throughout the year, depending on your region, so stay tuned for updates on the event’s dates next year.
This self-branded “anti-conference” will push through with their third series of this virtual marketing and martech knowledge sharing. In the internet edition of their event, attendees can expect access to 30 speakers across 30 days, live and on-demand. This will run from March 15th to April 12th.
In the event, participants can even gain rewards points for access to future events, plus access to career advice if you need it. One thing’s for sure: these guys have made conferences fun, and you wouldn’t want to miss this.
Next up on your calendar is the Social Media Strategies Summit. Here, you will learn everything you need to know to create better social media strategies, engagement, content, ads, and campaigns for your online channels. People are always online, and social media is one of the first places they hop onto for news and product discovery—so if you haven’t yet optimized your presence there, then you could be losing out!
The SMSS has an early run from February 2-3, but if you have your calendar full of previous webinars, it has a second one slated for Fall 2021.
With a domain called “bestmarketingconference.com,” one would be curious about what the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference has to offer. It has been going on successfully for the past eight years, and in 2021, it’s going digital.
The MDMC is one of the most popular digital marketing conferences in the Midwest, hosted by the University of Missouri St. Louis School of Business. Stay tuned for their dates in 2021!
Any well-rounded digital marketer would probably need to brush up on their video production skills for the new decade, too. Thankfully, VidCon is working on putting together a virtual event that will set this straight for many marketers. There will be three tracks: Industry, Creator, and Community. To find out which ones you should be attending, stay updated through their website.
Another established event joins the race. The Digital Marketing World Forum has been holding conferences in the last 12 years and has done so at many key locations worldwide. That’s why the next DMWF event in June 2021 is an exciting thing to look forward to! If you are tied to specific markets, you might want to consider joining their conferences for Europe, Asia, and North America.
Do you want to learn new insights about developing ad campaigns? AdWorld is the largest online advertising event for B2B and B2C companies, no matter where you are on the corporate ladder. Some of the few topics you can expect to stumble upon are digital marketing, influencer marketing, conversion optimization, SEO, design, and ad tech. The AdWorld Conference commences on May 3-5, 2021.
If you’re a marketer from the retail industry, don’t think this list has forgotten you. The exclusive eTail Connect event is happening on February 24-25 and will gather ecommerce and digital strategy executives from the UK to voice the future trends in 2021. If this seems like something up your alley, you might have to check out their conference schedule.
Finally, we have the yearly Inbound conference from the experts at HubSpot. Every year, these guys invite speakers that bring a whole new perspective to running digital marketing strategies, and their event in September 2021 won’t be any different. This event will take place in Boston, but participants have the choice to attend online. A win-win, especially if you live elsewhere.
Final Words
Learning from your peers in the industry is always a good idea. It allows you to discover innovative strategies that can do wonders for your business. Plus, knowing new marketing trends and best practices is one way to stay ahead of the competition. So, are you excited for next year’s digital marketing events? Which ones are you going to attend?