Connecting people and building campaigns. Professional storytelling. Creating (or changing) perceptions and behaviors.
These are a few of the reasons why I went into marketing — and why I continue to stay here. After all, these are the fun parts of marketing, right
Numbers and data, on the other hand … I’m convinced I’ll never find that part of marketing fun. But regardless, I know it’s important. Without data, I’d never know if those campaigns or stories were actually working.
And throughout the years, I’ve realized how uncomplicated (yes, uncomplicated) marketing data can actually be. This goes for event marketing data, too.
In this article, I’m breaking down the two angles I use to measure event KPIs: event metrics based on event goals and universal event metrics that I collect no matter what my goals are.
Learn more about measuring event results and making the most of your event budget →
Matching Event Goals to Event KPIs
Goals aren’t necessarily the most fun things to define or track. But like every other marketing program, your events need them.
And your event KPIs should always be based on those event goals. To make this even easier for you, let’s go through five of the most common event goals and the must-measure metrics that go along with each.
If your goal is to increase thought leadership, look for...
- Increased website traffic post-event
- A spike in social media traffic, engagement, and followers
- Actions attendees took post-event, like content downloads, demo requests, newsletter sign-ups, blog subscriptions, etc.
- Increased external website referrals, or backlinks
- Mentions in media publications or partner blogs
If your goal is to build brand awareness, look for...
- Actions attendees took post-event, like content downloads, demo requests, newsletter sign-ups, blog subscriptions, etc.
- Increased website traffic post-event
- More search volume for your company name or company name plus event topic
- A spike in social media traffic, engagement, and followers
If your goal is to generate new demand, look for...
- More net-new leads entering your sales funnel
- More net-new leads entering your sales funnel who are qualified
- How much money you’re spending to obtain each new lead
- How much opportunity you’re generating with leads
If your goal is to impact revenue goals, look for...
- How much revenue you made from the event itself
- Increased conversions to customer status post-event
- How much recurring revenue you generated post-event
- Increased average sales deal size post-event
If your goal is to improve customer retention, look for...
- A higher Net Promoter Score post-event
- More customers renewing their business post-event
- How much recurring revenue you generated post-event
- Increased engagement levels and health scores
- Number of referrals coming in from customers who attend your events
Event KPIs to Measure for All Events
Goal-specific KPIs, like the ones mentioned above, are so important for understanding how your event programs are performing. But universal event metrics are also important.
These are the numbers you should review for all of your event programs, no matter what your goals are. These KPIs may look more like vanity metrics, but they can help guide you to better decisions for your events.
For example, knowing your email invitation open rates doesn’t necessarily translate to new business directly. But it can help you better understand if you need to work on creating more compelling subject lines or messages that drive action.
- Number of registrations
- What sources are generating the most registrations
- How much money you’re making from ticket sales
- What sources are generating the most ticket sales
- Email performance, including open, click-to-open, and unsubscribe rates
- Attendance rate
- Percentage of new versus returning attendees
- How much your attendees enjoyed the event through survey feedback
- Engagement with event-related content, like blog posts, videos, etc.
Learn more about measuring event results and making the most of your event budget.
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