Use events to build an email list

Business Benefits

Collect email contact details at events or in person for future marketing communication purposes. 


Set up a method for collecting the data at the event.

Setting up a data capture form on a tablet or computer is best, as you can also include opt-in permissions. Jotform and SurveyMonkey are excellent apps for in person data collection. Ensure your form collects first name, last Name, company name and email address as a minimum.

Tag each contact with where they signed up such as event name, meeting place etc.

This will allow you to personalize your emails in the future to these contacts. You may add a non-editable column with the event name to each contact row. Especially for B2B marketing referencing the event you meet a contact at, is a powerful way to increase engagement.

Create an incentive that is visible and attractive enough to get your audience to sign up.

Examples of good incentives are:

  • Competitions
  • A free valuable piece of content
  • A discount on a product or service.

Use a digital data collection strategy if you intend to use a contact’s details for marketing purposes.

  • Make your data protection/disclaimer visible either on the device or on a printed sign.
  • Make sure you outline how their data will be used somewhere visible. Your onsite or online data capture form’s boilerplate disclaimer can be used here as well.
  • Set up a device (tablet, laptop etc) where a user can manually enter their information.

Personalize your first marketing communication with a reference to the event you collected the data from.

For example, your opening line to contacts met at a small business event might be “Hi ((FIRSTNAME)) - Just following up on our chat at Small Business event 2020.” This will help to engage the user and provide a valid reason for reaching out. Ideally, you should aim to get a first marketing communication out after an event within 10 days. This way your encounter with the prospect is still fresh, and they are more likely to open and respond to marketing communications. A plain-text email works well for post-event follow-ups.

Last edited by @hesh_fekry 2023-11-14T16:20:37Z