Drive cold contacts to events with hyper-targeted ads

Vector

Posting on LinkedIn won’t cut it. Cold contacts aren’t going to show up to your webinar, dinner, or field event just because they saw a post or got an email.

This playbook shows you how to use Vector to build signal-based audiences and reach the right people with exclusive, event-specific ads, so your best-fit buyers are warmed up well before the invite ever hits their inbox.

The Vector way

Traditional event promotion relies on broad email blasts or last-minute outreach.

Vector flips that.

With Vector, you can:

Build audiences from buyer activity (e.g., researching competitors, topics).
Layer in CRM filters like ICP, region, or persona.
Run stage-fit ads that promote the event as a must-attend moment.
Track named engagers and retarget post-event.

When to use this play

Use when you want to:

Drive attendance from cold-but-qualified ICP contacts
Promote webinars, dinners, or field events with targeted pre-event ads
Warm up unengaged contacts before sending invites or outreach
Seed engagement that your sales team can advance post-event

Goal

Increase registrations and attendance from ICP contacts by reaching them with targeted, event-specific ads before they’re even thinking about signing up.

Objectives

Warm up cold contacts using buyer-activity signals + CRM filters
Drive registrations directly from contact-level audiences
Boost post-event conversion with retargeting loops
Reduce dependence on low-conversion channels like cold email

Use case

You’re hosting a field event or virtual session on a trending industry challenge. Your target contacts aren’t showing intent yet, but they’re in your ICP. With Vector, you build a signal-based segment, run ads that feel like exclusive invitations, and drive attendance from the people who matter most.

Play type: Top-of-funnel | Event activation | Contact-based ads Estimated time to execute: 1–2 hours setup + 2–4 week run-up

How it works:

Step 1: Define your target audience

Inputs: event theme, ICP filters (role, region, company fit), buyer activity signals (competitor/topic research).
Build a segment in Vector with these contacts.

Step 2: Upload + tag for tracking

Upload contacts or sync CRM segments into Vector.
Tag as “Event Promo – [Event Name].”

Step 3: Launch pre-event ads
Choose channels based on event type + budget:

Flagship events → LinkedIn (precision targeting), premium display.
Webinars/virtual sessions → Google Display, YouTube pre-roll, Reddit, Programmatic, Meta.

Creative tips:

Make ads feel like an exclusive invitation.
Call out top takeaways, trending themes, or well-known speakers.
Example copy:
- “Exclusive roundtable: How [industry] leaders are adapting now.”
- “Join [Speaker Name] live: 3 strategies to fix [problem].”
- “Your seat is waiting: Free session for [persona] leaders.”

Step 4: Track + measure in Vector

Registrations from contact-level audiences
Named engagers revealed in Ad Reveal
Early clicks → site visits → stage progression

Step 5: Retarget post-event

Move attendees + engagers into mid-funnel plays (e.g., nurture sequences, tailored ads, SDR outreach).
Retarget event no-shows with content or recap offers.

Best practices

✅ Use signal-based targeting to avoid wasting spend on generic lists
✅ Make ads feel like VIP invitations, not mass promotions
✅ Call out takeaways, themes, or speakers to boost CTR
✅ Refresh creative weekly during run-up to keep it timely

Wrap up: ads-first event promotion

With Vector, events don’t rely on broad blasts or last-minute pushes. You build audiences from real buyer activity, reach them with exclusive ads, and walk into your event knowing the right people are already engaged.