Case Study: How a Targeted Marketing Strategy Drove Success for Dental CoNexus' Virtual Conference
Dental CoNexus is a membership-based organization that connects dental professionals across the country with the latest trends, innovations, and networking opportunities in the dental space. The organization is committed to fostering a community where dental professionals can benchmark their practices, share insights, and access cutting-edge solutions.
One of Dental CoNexus’ flagship initiatives is its annual virtual conference, which brings together thought leaders, industry experts, and professionals from all corners of the dental world to discuss the latest trends, tools, and techniques shaping the future of dentistry.
The Challenge: Driving Awareness and Registrations
As with any large-scale event, the goal of the conference is not only to deliver high-quality content but also to ensure that the right people – the dental professionals who will benefit the most from the event – are aware of it and motivated to attend. With this in mind, Dental CoNexus partnered with CLM to create a strategic marketing campaign that would increase event awareness, drive registrations, and ultimately build a stronger community of engaged dental professionals.
CLM's Approach: A Comprehensive Conference Promotion Strategy
CLM had been managing Dental CoNexus’ social media and email strategy for a year prior to this collaboration. However, in 2024, we took on the exciting challenge of creating a more targeted, multifaceted approach for promoting the conference. Here’s how we worked together to make it happen:
Understanding the Attendee Experience
Before diving into the marketing efforts, we took the time to understand what we wanted attendees to get out of the conference. The key was to emphasize the high value of the conference in providing actionable insights, exclusive networking opportunities, and expert-led sessions on the latest innovations in dentistry. We focused on communicating the tangible benefits attendees could gain by participating – such as improving practice management, staying up-to-date with emerging dental technologies, and learning best practices directly from industry leaders.
Platform Selection and Technical Setup
One of the first tasks was to help Dental CoNexus find the right platform to host the virtual conference. We recommended a user-friendly, feature-rich platform that would allow seamless integration of live sessions, Q&A, breakout rooms, and networking spaces. This choice ensured that the experience was as interactive and engaging as possible for attendees.
Content Creation and Design
The next step was to develop a content strategy that aligned with the conference’s core goals. We worked closely with Dental CoNexus to craft compelling email content, design eye-catching graphics, and create promotional materials that would resonate with the target audience. From email subject lines to event banners, every piece of content was tailored to highlight the value and uniqueness of the conference.
Email Campaign
The email campaign ran from September to November, targeting a list of over 1,000 dental professionals who had been invited to the conference. CLM designed a series of engaging, informative emails to keep potential attendees informed and excited. These emails included conference highlights, speaker bios, and key session topics, all designed to drive interest and urgency.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that Allowed Us to Measure Email Success:
Open Rates: Our campaign achieved an impressive 32.5% average open rate, well above industry benchmarks for the dental sector.
Engagement: Click-through rates exceeded expectations, demonstrating that the content resonated with the audience and motivated recipients to register for the event.
Personalized Outreach: We implemented a targeted follow-up strategy, with a named sender personally reaching out to individuals who clicked but did not register. This personal touch significantly boosted conversion rates.
Conversion Success: The personalized outreach led to a noticeable increase in registrations, underscoring the effectiveness of one-on-one communication in turning interest into action.
Social Media Strategy: Organic and Paid Promotion
In addition to email marketing, CLM continued to manage the organic social media presence for Dental CoNexus across Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. We posted engaging content, speaker previews, and interactive polls to generate excitement and keep the event top of mind.
But to maximize reach and target specific dental professionals, we also launched paid ads that ran for 3 months leading up to the event. These ads were strategically placed to reach dentists, dental hygienists, office managers, and other relevant professionals, ensuring that the right audience was targeted.
Speaker Engagement and Social Media Best Practices
CLM was also invited to be one of the featured speakers at the event, where we shared insights on social media best practices for dental practices. This was an excellent opportunity to showcase our expertise while also enhancing Dental CoNexus’ credibility as a thought leader in the industry.
Live Posting and Evergreen Content
On the day of the conference, our team was active on social media, live posting key takeaways, quotes, and images from the event to keep attendees engaged and create a sense of real-time excitement. These posts were shared across all platforms, amplifying the conference’s reach and engaging both attendees and those who had yet to register.
Even after the event, the content from the conference continues to generate interest. We have repurposed the event footage and presentations into evergreen content that will continue to be shared on social media throughout the year. This allows Dental CoNexus to maintain visibility and position itself as an ongoing thought leader in the dental space.
The Result: A Successful Conference and Lasting Impact
The result of our comprehensive marketing efforts? A successful virtual conference that attracted 26 engaged attendees—a great turnout for a specialized event, especially in a competitive digital space. As Steven Cakmes, founder of Dental CoNexus, said:
“We couldn’t be happier with the outcome of this year’s event. CLM’s expertise in digital marketing was instrumental in driving registrations, and their creative approach helped us reach new audiences and keep attendees engaged. We’re already looking forward to next year, and we know we can count on CLM to take it even further.”
Looking Ahead: Building Momentum for Next Year
Thanks to CLM’s strategic marketing tactics, Dental CoNexus not only hosted a successful conference but also built a solid foundation for continued growth. Moving forward, we plan to:
Expand our paid ad efforts to target an even broader audience of dental professionals.
Continue repurposing content from this year’s conference to keep the momentum going and increase brand awareness.
Build on the email and social media success by incorporating more interactive content, such as live Q&A sessions and teaser videos, to drive even higher engagement for next year.
We’re excited to continue our partnership with Dental CoNexus and help make next year’s conference even bigger and more impactful.
Conclusion
By working together, CLM and Dental CoNexus were able to leverage targeted marketing strategies, creative content, and innovative digital tools to successfully promote the 2024 virtual conference. This collaboration serves as a powerful example of how strategic marketing can elevate an event, build brand recognition, and foster long-term engagement with a community of professionals. The success of this year’s event is just the beginning, and we look forward to continuing to help Dental CoNexus thrive and grow in the years to come.