Why You Should Attend In Person Email Marketing Conferences

In a digitally-reliant world – even more so in the wake of the pandemic – it might seem like all marketing events have moved online, but that’s not the case. There’s parity between virtual, hybrid, and in-person marketing events as each account for around a third of total events.

Not only do offline marketing conferences cease to lose ground, but many of them – for example, events offered at MailCon – are gradually attracting more participants despite pandemic-related restrictions.

Why does this happen? Why do marketing professionals still prefer in-person meetings while accessing tons of podcasts, webinars, blogs, and videos? What benefits can online marketing conferences offer you that you cannot get from the comfort of your home?

With no further ado, let’s dig into the unique offerings of in-person email marketing conferences.

Socializing and Acquiring Social Proof

Whether you are a marketer, copywriter, or insurer, no one likes to feel alone. Facing your problems and pains with no external help may be depressing and emotionally exhaustive, leading to burnout. On the other hand, meeting like-minded people who have already lived through similar circumstances can offer relief.

The connections and camaraderie formed at marketing conferences are what people seek when they buy their tickets. Meeting someone who can offer solutions to your problems is invaluable for business success and peace of mind.

But there’s also a scientific side to this. Consider these facts:

• 92% of people trust recommendations from peers.
• 82% of customers seek personal recommendations before they make a purchase.
• 92% of people trust non-paid recommendations.

Does this apply to marketers? Of course, it does! Regardless of occupation and proficiency, all people seek social proof and affirmation. Even for the best in the niche, it’s always a pleasure to hear others agree with your vision, techniques, and tools.

Meeting Highly Motivated Peers

As good as free blogs and podcasts can be, there’s only so much time and energy a world-beating marketer can – and is willing to – put into it. Less qualified apprentices often do research, competitor analysis, and other data-related routines, with the content going live as if created solely by the renowned marketer. Although detailed and well-researched, such free content may not live up to expectations.

On the other hand, when on stage at a conference, speakers – always motivated to represent themselves or their company in the best light – have around 30 minutes for basic ideas and up to a couple of hours for in-depth analysis if the topic requires it. You will never meet strangers there, and the lion’s share of what you hear will be top-notch, unique, and conducive.

Conquering the Plateau

Fatigue, boredom, lack of motivation, or a need for additional skills that you don’t possess may slow down, if not stop, your progress. But you can conquer the plateau by changing your activities, immersing yourself in an environment of like-minders, focusing on psychology, and consulting with the best. All these perks come on a silver platter at email marketing conferences!

Among many other things, attending a conference means taking a break from the ordinary, which you may need to get out of the plateau. Around half of the top marketers agree that in-person events help to achieve key business objectives. Recharged and refreshed, you will likely see an increase in productivity across all KPIs.

You can go even further and get recordings of the sessions so you can dissect them in the comfort of your home, which will allow you to extract maximum value from the conference and ensure you get your money’s worth.

Broadening Your Horizons

In-person email marketing conferences are known for new topics and perspectives on usual techniques, strategies, tools, and new technologies.

Take, for example, interactive emails. There’s some theoretical information about this cutting-edge technology on the web, but how much can you find about the performance of real campaigns, including big players? Not too much, if anything at all. Email marketing conferences can show how effective innovations are in practice, not just on paper.

Likewise, email marketing conferences can show how top-tier performers segment their subscriber list, design emails, write content, and manage their staff to create specific email campaigns. At conferences like MailCon, you can meet email marketing professionals from across the globe, each with their unique approach to different aspects of email outreach.

Onboarding Influencers, Making Partnerships, and Promoting

You can leverage networking opportunities as well. Abundant with celebrities, influencers, and young talents, email marketing conferences can be a great promotional platform.

• At the very least, attendees will write reviews and recaps of the conference and may mention your brand.
• At best, you can agree to cross-promote or develop a long-lasting business or personal relationship.

How To Choose the Best Email Marketing Conference for You?

As valuable as email marketing conferences can be, there’s no guarantee that a particular event will meet your current needs and wants.

Before buying tickets, make sure the value is there.

Check the following:

• Speakers. Speakers frame offline events. Besides the magnitude of names, ensure the speakers are relevant to your case and are successful in the niche they represent. Know-it-alls may not be what you need.
• Networking. You may also want to make new acquaintances, partnerships, and cross-promote as much as you are there to learn. Make sure the conference bears high networking potential – in other words, the people you’re interested in meeting are also attending.
• Competition. Choose the optimal level of competition depending on your goals – to learn, network, promote, sell, etc. High-profile events led by world-beating salespeople won’t allow you to sell as much as niche conferences hosted for your target audience.

Final Thoughts

Most renowned email marketers wouldn’t ascend if they only absorbed digital sources of information. In-person conferences are a great way to refresh your mind, broaden your knowledge, find new friends, or – no less important – reaffirm the validity of your strategies and approaches.