By positioning yourself where your customers already are, you can build the relationships that future transactions can be built upon. Think through the events and gatherings that your target customer will be at, then find a role that resonates with your business.

A few ideas and examples to help get you started:

• Host a booth at a trade show: Many vendors will rent booths at trade shows, where they can engage with customers and distribute "freebies" that help build awareness of the brand.

• Give a presentation: for example, at a technical conference relevant to your sector. While you often must apply for these talks far in advance, they can be less expensive than hosting a both, and can help position your offering as a valuable expert - creating a pull in demand. Make sure to speak to guests attending your talk afterwards, and to join other networking events at these conferences to build connections.

• Attend meetups and local groups: there are many professional-oriented meetup groups around a variety of topics (especially in the technology and data space). Attending these local groups, hosting an event at your facility, and giving guest presentations is a great way to build rapport with your customers.

• Host your own event (with a partner): You don't need to attend an existing event. You can also create your own - although we recommend co-hosting with a partner when you don't have a strong engaged user base just yet.

Remember, effective marketing should have an impact on your bottom line. As you explore in-person events, think ahead of how you will evaluate the effectiveness of those tactics.