7 Trade Show Marketing Tips To Help Boost Traffic
According to Skyline Trade Show Tips, 99% of marketers found unique value from trade shows that they did not get from other channels. Exhibiting at a trade show is an excellent way to generate leads, build brand awareness and foster relationships with potential customers and other businesses. It can also be exorbitantly expensive; B2B exhibitors spent on average 39.2% of their annual budget on trade shows. Here are a few tips to help you get the most value for your money at your next show.
Know Who You’re Targeting
Trade shows can attract a large variety of people including executives, managers, marketing personnel and those interested in your particular industry. Knowing who you’re targeting will help your sales team identify and interact with the top prospects. If you are targeting multiple audiences make sure that you vary your pitch and information depending on their needs.
Promote Before The Big Show
Let your prospective clients know that you’ll be attending the show via company social media channels. Announcing a special promo or giveaway can help to generate interest well before you even set up your booth. Do you have anyone in particular you would like to meet? Engage with them through social media and build a rapport beforehand. This will make it easier to build a meaningful relationship once you connect in person.
Choose Your Booth Space Wisely
The location of your booth can make a significant impact on traffic. You can discover the foot traffic patterns by attending the same trade show before you exhibit and observing how visitors walk from booth to booth. Do you want visitors to see your booth first when they walk in or once they’ve sampled all the other offerings? Setting up next to a popular vendor can garner extra traffic.
Create A Showstopping Booth
Get more attention to your booth by doing something unique. Some companies have their employees wear costumers while others use props. Brand ambassadors can be hired to help engage customers and draw attention to your section. People will naturally gravitate towards booths that look busy and have a crowd.
Offer Giveaways
Free giveaways or “swag” with your company’s name and contact info can be used to create goodwill and spread awareness of your brand. The right giveaways will help generate sales and help attendees remember your company after the show has ended. Attendees are expecting more high quality giveaways and basic pens and notepads aren’t cutting it anymore. Popular recent giveaways include smartphone wallets, totes, water bottles, lip balm and product samples.
Capture Leads
One of the main reasons why companies attend trade shows is to collect leads. Apps like QuickTapSurvey can help you create forms and collect leads even if there isn’t any wi-fi service. Since the apps work on any Ipad, you can also leave these at self-service kiosks. Leads can be exported to your e-mail marketing platform of choice for an instant follow-up.
Follow Up & Assess
It’s key to follow up with your leads as soon as possible once the show is over. Trade show attendees meet a lot of exhibitors and people and the longer you wait the more likely they are to forget you.
