Marketing isn’t just digital! Field marketing is a unique way that companies get their products out in the world while building relationships. In this guide we’ll cover what exactly field marketing is and the best strategies to go about your own field marketing!

What is Field Marketing?

Field marketing is a method of marketing that has been around for a while that contributes directly to sales. It is another way for brands to get their products in front of customers that isn’t digital, but rather in-person by representatives of the company. There are many interpretations of field marketing- some view it as a more event planner role, while others consider it a sales role. However you view field marketing, there are many different types, such as product demonstrations, direct selling, retail audits, and guerilla marketing to name a few.

What Does a Field Marketer Do?

A field marketer is a person who is heavily involved with not only marketing, but also sales. Since field marketing is primarily an in-person role, field marketers focus on building relationships with the people they meet as they sell a product or service. Generating leads for their sales team is the main goal of field marketers, which plays a big role in bringing in revenue for their company.

Field Marketing vs. Event Marketing

While similar, field marketing and event marketing have a few differences. Event marketing is a full-time job on its own, but is just one piece of field marketing. Compared to event marketing that focuses on just the planning and execution of a singular event, field marketing takes a more strategic route that directly deals with sales. Field marketing deals with the planning and tracking of in-person, virtual, and hybrid events, defines goals, monitors event metrics, manages the budget, and brings revenue driven ideas to the company.

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Field Marketing vs. Demand Generation

Along with event marketing, field marketing deals with a lot of demand generation tasks. A demand gen role focuses primarily on brand awareness and generating leads, but a field marketer can include demand gen tasks into their full role. Field marketers can combine demand gen methods by working closely to develop and execute marketing strategies to gain leads, managing campaigns, and creating content for multiple channels that engages new leads.

Field Marketing vs. Account - Based Marketing

Field marketers can make their strategies even more effective by incorporating account based marketing strategies into their role. This includes things like qualifying and managing leads, setting up programs to track results like HubSpot, monitoring account engagement and campaign metrics, and supporting account based programs and strategies.

Why Do Sales and Marketing Teams Love Field Marketing?

Sales and marketing teams love field marketing because it combines both sectors to achieve business goals. Field marketing helps both areas to better understand their customers, align goals within both departments, hit customer and revenue goals with the sales team, boost the marketing team’s strategy with in-person events, and help gain product insights.

7 Benefits of Field Marketing

<span class="mid-size-title">1. Boosts Brand Perception</span>

The more eyes you have on your brand, the better! Field marketing is a great addition to any digital marketing strategy because it gets your product and brand directly out in front of your customers.

<span class="mid-size-title">2. Improves Customer Experience</span>

Field marketing allows you to interact with your customers face to face, making it a great way to build real relationships. Customers can also see your product in real time and give you feedback to make your products better.

<span class="mid-size-title">3. Supports the Sales Team</span>

One of the most important steps in the sales process is gaining customers, and field marketing does just that! Field marketing supports the sales team by bringing in warm leads and helps contribute to the sales team’s goals.

<span class="mid-size-title">4. Collect Accurate Market Data</span>

What better way to collect accurate data than to speak with your customers face to face? By incorporating field marketing into your overall sales and marketing strategy, you can collect real time information from customers that will help you better target your efforts.

<span class="mid-size-title">5. Track ROI Accurately </span>

When you hold a field marketing event in-person, you have the opportunity to collect and log information from customers that can later be tracked in your CRM. This allows you to get a picture of how your field marketing efforts are working based on the number of people who enter your CRM system from your events.

<span class="mid-size-title">6. Reduce Promotional Costs</span>

Field marketing events are easily scalable depending on how big or small each one is, which allows you to reduce promotional costs if needed.

<span class="mid-size-title">7. Build Relationships with Customers</span>

With the ability to interact in-person with customers, you’re able to build stronger relationships through field marketing events. The impressions you make on potential customers will stick with them and leave them more inclined to do business with you.

Top 9 Field Marketing Ideas to Consider forYour Next Event

1. Product Demonstrations

Product demonstrations are a classic type of field marketing - and with good reason! It gives potential customers a chance to learn about your products or services first hand. Product demonstrations are typically considered part of the awareness phase and can be done in high traffic areas like shopping malls or at trade shows or conferences.

2. In-Person Events

In-person events are ideal field marketing strategies. Marketers can get customers familiar with the products, services, and company at places like conferences and trade shows. Meeting with customers in-person allows for long lasting relationships to begin and increases the chances of collecting customer information.

3. Guerilla Marketing

A great guerrilla marketing strategy is meant to create buzz and increase word of mouth amongst potential customers. While it can be hard to track guerilla marketing efforts as they’re typically short stunts to gain attention, if done right it can get your product and business immense exposure!

4. Face to Face Customer Meetings

Work with your sales and marketing team to create a plan for meeting customers in-person. Meeting customers in person will allow you to find out their pain points and what they’d like to see out of certain products or services, making it easier as you work on your marketing and business strategies.

5. Roadshows

Roadshows are perfect field marketing opportunities! Having your own booth with plenty of branded materials at these shows is great for both lead generation and brand promotion. The people who pass by can sample your products or learn more about your business and can last from an hour to a whole day.

6. Webinars

Including webinars in your field marketing strategy is a great way to reach customers you wouldn’t normally reach in-person. They’re also a great opportunity to demonstrate how a product works while invited experts can weigh in and give their feedback. Webinars allow marketers to reach a niche audience that would be more inclined to buy your product.

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7. Events & Conferences

Events and conferences are great spaces for anyone to market their business and products. They’re the best places to network with potential leads and gain feedback on important information. At an event or conference, field marketers can pull people aside to tell them about products or show a demonstration.

8. Roundtables 

Roundtable discussions are insightful for field marketers to get a better idea of how to best advertise their products. Roundtables usually involve a group of experts discussing a specific topic chosen by a host that reaches an audience of 30-50 members. With roundtables, marketers should utilize the chance to collect information from potential leads as with other field marketing ideas. 

9. FireSide Chats 

Shorter in length, fireside chats are perfect for getting a message across a larger audience to spark interest in a product or service. Field marketers can invite subject experts to speak on their industry or interview them with questions related to their product or service.

11 Field Marketing Strategies

1. Host Virtual Events for Your Audience 

While field marketing events have been traditionally in-person, the world of marketing is quickly becoming virtual. With a virtual event, you have the advantage of reaching a larger audience than you would with in-person events. With platforms like Hubilo, you can put together events big or small that support your field marketing efforts. You can even speak or sponsor other virtual events that have to do with your industry to increase your brand reach! 

2. Experiential Marketing 

The exciting part of field marketing is the ideas and events that marketers come up with, but it can be difficult to recreate that excitement for virtual or hybrid events. With platforms like Hubilo, a hybrid or virtual event can be made more fun with engagement features and gamification. 

3. Create Customized Content Experiences

One of the most important ways to keep your customers interested is to create customized content for each stage of the customer journey. Utilize the different marketing channels your company has and tailor content for each customer journey stage on each individual channel.  

4. Build and Nurture a “Street Team” 

There’s no one better to represent your brand outside of company events than a dedicated street team! These are groups of people who will promote your brand no matter where they are; spread the word about it through online channels and offer discounts for your street team members!

5. Increase Your Reach Through Partner Marketing 

Partner marketing is a great idea for those who want some extra support to reach a larger audience in their marketing efforts. Research some companies that you think would qualify as great partners and reach out to them to discuss a potential partnership!

6. Take Sampling Online 

The internet is a great place to get exposure for your business or product. You can promote your product with discount codes and free trials via social media, ads, and email to spread the word. Ads are a great way to market your product, as you can continue to retarget and analyze what audiences like your product over others. 

7. Combine Account-Based Marketing with Intent-Based Marketing 

Using the strategies of ABM and intent based marketing will give your overall field marketing strategy a huge boost! You can combine the data you receive from your campaigns to further improve your field marketing strategies. 

8. Networking Opportunities

No matter what kind of marketing you work with, networking is always beneficial! You can host online networking events where you can tell other professionals about your products and services to spread the word. You may even meet new potential partners that could sponsor your events! 

9. Virtual Photo Booths

Increase engagement and brand awareness at your field marketing events with a virtual photo booth. You can customize these photo booths to represent your brand or product, and guests can share their photos to social media!

10. Gamification 

Gamification is another great way to increase engagement at your field marketing event! Platforms like Hubilo have leaderboards to encourage audience interaction and drive attendees to desired areas of your event. 

11. Speakers & Entertainment 

Add some fun to your event with all kinds of entertainment! This can include a live band or industry experts giving their latest insights to share with your audience. 

<span class="mid-size-title">Conclusion</span>

With the help of a quality field marketing strategy, you can give your products and services the exposure they deserve! At the same time, you can build great relationships with potential customers, which lead to sales! If you need extra assistance putting together a field marketing event, our event experts at Hubilo can help!