Finario is a cloud-based enterprise capital allocation solution that is utilised by leading companies worldwide to optimize the return on invested capital. Its application has remained second to none in helping companies with meaningful Capex budgets to replace ineffective manual processes and outdated generic solutions. Finario boosts productivity, ensures forecast and reporting accuracy, generates valuable project & portfolio insights, and accelerates effective allocation decisions.
Before Finario chose InEvent as its event technology provider, it evaluated several (12) brands that provided similar capabilities for expanding video presence and event management proficiency for B2B companies. Each of these solutions had features and benefits that met their needs, but none of them had the complete package they were seeking; they needed to go beyond. That's why they chose InEvent.
In conversation with Rich Feldman, head of marketing at Finario, we delved deeper into the pain points they experienced before leveraging InEvent. In his words, 'Our prior platform didn't do anything poorly; it just didn't have the flexibility we wanted. Changing admin settings was a royal pain. There were limits on how many people could attend the event under the agreed license. And there was little ability to customize the experience.'
Finario, like many companies, has embraced content marketing as one of the major pillars of its go-to-market strategy. They acknowledge the impact of leveraging video solutions to deliver their content, and that's why they're expanding their strategies with InEvent.
As most will acknowledge, the competition to attract and retain the attention of guests remains high. As a result, the need to enhance the production value of their streams is more important than ever. 'When you host an event, it better be good,' says Rich. 'The competition for the time, focus and interest of our target market is intense; if our content isn't great they won't come back'
Video content is an essential component in bringing new prospects to the 'top of the funnel.' It starts, of course, with identifying a unique take on a topic that people want to learn more about. And one or more speakers who people trust have something important to say about that topic. If they ultimately choose to engage that content, you have but a few minutes to convince them that they made a good choice – so much so that they stay 'tuned in' throughout the event. That is why, at the heart of Finario's video marketing strategy, is the broadcast experience – which sets InEvent apart from its competitors.
Combined with InEvent automated lead generation on Salesforce native app, the InEvent solution provided a detailed high-level lead scoring on Salesforce using the InEvent <> AppExchange Salesforce integration. Leads were synced automatically once registering for the webinar, and session lead scoring could be used to differentiate the different user journeys on the event experience.
InEvent is helping Finario build and maintain a pipeline of potential clients that is ever growing. The ability to integrate their CRM has created a two-way funnel that automatically sends new registered attendees from their Webinars directly to their Salesforce as new leads. Also, the contacts already in their pipeline are added to their event campaigns to receive invitations and information about upcoming events, and progress on their funnel.
InEvent has been key to make sure that the content is top notch. Finario uses our Webinar package to host and stream live videos with the capability of creating real-time TV experiences that engage and elevate the production value of the event. They also use InEvent to provide on-demand content to extend the availability of their productions and guarantee more conversions.
Another powerful tool Finario was able to get from InEvent is a boost in data analytics. One of the most important metrics the company tracks is how many people who've attended a Finario webinar register for a subsequent event. 'If they come back, it means we've earned their trust and are providing value,' says Rich. 'In that regard, we're doing very well. I'd venture to guess, in fact, that we're outpacing our peers.'
As a result, the company has increased the frequency of its webinars, built a content calendar for the next 12 months, and plans to add some entirely new formats to help 'mix it up,' as Rich says. Having events integrated with their marketing and sales efforts has helped Finario achieve their revenue goals and grow their business.
In the near future, Finario is planning to host in-person events. 'We're planning on doing live events, maybe in 2023 and certainly 2024. At that point we will start to think about that whole hybrid equation. But for now, it's virtual.'
There appears to be a general expectation that with Zoom, you can just have people appear on screen, throw up some PowerPoint slides, and that'll be all good. But it doesn't have to be that way. And I think that's what ultimately attracted us to InEvent, because it had this nice blend of quality video, sound, and a pretty decent user interface. When it added those studio features, that's what really tipped our choice in their favor. Rich Feldman, Head of Marketing @ Finario