The Handshake Doesn't End When They Walk Away
TL;DR
- There is no single audience. Create segments based on Psychographics/Intent as opposed to Demographics. Send each segment to a destination that is designed specifically for that segment.
- Clearly define success prior to collecting a single piece of data.
- The transition from the in-person moment to your digital presence should be respectful of the connection established through the in-person experience.
You spend an entire evening learning about what someone does. You meet with their team. You walk away having felt truly connected. One week goes by and you have no clue whether the experience had any substance or lost momentum once they left your premises.
The Work Begins Prior to Arrival
You arrive, pass out business cards, send a follow-up e-mail, and hopefully receive some feedback or response that will help inform your future interactions. Typically, it doesn’t.
It’s not that follow-up doesn’t work. It’s that there wasn’t a sufficient structure to capture the right type of attribution to allow for meaningful analysis. The data collected didn’t accurately represent the in-person interaction, therefore it led to nowhere significant.
With no effective method to link the in-person experience to the digital experience, the engagement is short-lived. You now possess a list of names but have no ability to determine which individuals may be valuable contacts. Off-line-to-on line is much more about creating consistency throughout the user experience versus utilizing traditional methods of attributing value.
Consider the psychographic characteristics of your target audience. What do they believe? What problems are they attempting to resolve? Who they first encounter when experiencing your company influences where they expect to go next. A segment of your target audience that encounters your company for the first time in person is typically warmer than a segment of potential customers that click on an advertisement. Therefore, the follow-up communication should differ depending upon the initial contact. Develop a system for off-line-to-on line engagement intentionally.
Each segment within your primary audience possesses unique requirements. Consider each subgroup similar to a series of nested dolls. As such, when a member of your target audience follows a QR code on their smartphone from your company’s website, they are entering your site via a specific entry point. Each entry point should be directed towards addressing a very specific requirement. To accomplish this effectively, it would be best to consider using language that reflects exactly what you do, whom you do it for and what you stand for. Not your company slogan. Not your origin story.
Step 1: Create a Bridge
Engaging with an individual in person requires commitment. Commitment takes time. Traveling costs money. There are registration fees associated with many events. And attending an event requires personal energy. The risk involved with being vulnerable enough to engage with others in this manner creates part of the reason why it works. An individual that attends an event and witnesses firsthand how you interact with others provides insight into what you do and who you do it for.
Therefore, the transition between the in-person experience and your digital presence should honor the significance of the relationship developed while together in person. Consequently, whatever is located on the other side of your QR code should accurately represent who you are and what you stand for. Not a perfectly polished pitch. Not a generic landing page featuring your corporate logo.
Regardless of whether your QR code is placed on your table, packaging or check-in sheet, it should direct users to an area that was created solely for their benefit. Demonstrating concern for their experience prior to arriving at the event demonstrates planning for their experience.
Something else important to express directly. Gating content and demanding an email address prior to allowing full access is potentially a high-risk brand strategy unless implemented thoughtfully. Individuals use throw-away emails due to conditioning caused by systems that frequently disregard user preferences. Do not add an email address collected from an individual to your general list and continue to solicit additional information from them. Consistently providing relevant experiences for users results in individuals offering to share their contact information because they desire more.
Step 2: Add Value Behind the Scan
Challenge traditional lead magnets. Digital care guides or behind-the-scenes insights into the development process of products are examples of lead magnets that provide immediate utility and clearly outline their intended purposes. Mission-driven organizations can utilize sign-ups for exclusive updates or direct access to particular pieces of work as means of keeping followers informed without requiring them to make a long-term commitment prior to readiness.
Ask yourself: if an individual scans your QR code and arrives at your webpage, will they sense that you planned for their experience or will they perceive that you completely forgot about them coming?
Step 3: Identify "Worth It" Prior To Collecting Data
Before collecting one piece of data, define what success means. Not approximately. Not vaguely. Specifically. If your landing page receives 40 visitors and 18 register, is that good? That depends entirely on the specific definition you used prior to starting.
Define the win prior to arriving. Create the bridge. Place something worth landing on behind the scan, something that clearly communicates who you are and what you represent and track it over time. Only then will the collected data provide insight into actual progress.
If this article has helped spark a thought process or changed how you see things, please post in the comments section. Some of the best articles we write lead into some of the most interesting (and informative) comments.
And if you're currently trying to navigate a marketing or design issue - That is exactly what I am here for. Do you have questions regarding developing your company's branding? Do you need a Content Plan that reflects your business? Or simply a fresh perspective on something you've been staring at for so long? Let's Talk. No obligation. Just an open conversation about where you are now and where you would like to be.
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Lionel Lowery
Marketing Strategist & Creative Lead
Lionel works with small and mid-size businesses and nonprofits across the Triad, including Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and beyond, to clarify their message, strengthen their brand, and build marketing systems that actually hold up. Through LIONEL.MKTG, he brings together digital marketing, social media strategy, and graphic design for organizations that are done guessing and ready to move forward.
