Marketing Before, During and After the Tradeshow
Let’s face it: while trade shows are fun and exciting, they’re actually all about marketing. Some vendors use them as a chance to generate more profits, but that’s not their primary reason for existing. They let customers know you’re there, they announce and maintain your presence, and poise you as a vital part of the industry.
Of course, getting the most out of your trade show presence requires the right marketing, and that means pre-show marketing, getting your message out during the show, and following up after. Check out these ideas, tips and strategies for trade show marketing, whether it’s before, during, or after the show, to get the most out of your appearance.
Trade Show Marketing
Too many businesses focus their trade show marketing efforts solely on the “before” period. That is, they want their existing customers to know they’ll be there and invite them by the booth to see what’s new. While that can be effective, it ignores the purpose of getting new customers. It’s important to follow the three stages in your trade show advertising and marketing: before, during, and after.
Pre-Show Marketing
Your pre-show advertising should blanket everywhere you can in the industry. You want to let not just your existing customers know where you are and that you’ll be around, but you also want to engage new people as much as possible. There are thousands of approaches you could take to this, from viral campaigns to social media blitzes. Enlisting the help of SEO companies that can assist with data-driven rankings will also be a good idea, not only with the pre-show marketing but also throughout the other brand-building stages.
In the end, you want a theme-a consistent message that you spread across the board. The more consistent and direct your message is, the more it will stick in people’s minds, and the more likely they’ll be to come check you out.
Your Show Presence
Your presence at the show is all about marketing. You want the best booth design and layout you can think of. You need an attractive design that’s easily seen, even across the crowded exhibit hall. Hanging banners are the best, as they can reach high above everyone else. Your logo and graphics have to be clear, easy to read, and concise. Your company message should be easily identifiable. Additionally, according to this SheerID article, incorporating personalized marketing tactics could also help businesses to connect with customers on a one-to-one basis, which could then convert those trade show interactions into actual customers.
Above all else, the more unique you can make your booth, the more people you will pique to come check it out. That, in the end, is what your trade show presence is all about-drawing people into your booth.
After-Show Follow-Up
Your marketing should not end when you go home from the show. For the next few weeks, you need to follow up with your show presence. Talk about the show on social media. Report on what you learned. Discuss new developments in the industry. More importantly, reach out to every person who took a card or agreed to sign up for your mailing list. Offer them special incentives and deals, and do what you can to bring them in. If you’re looking to do this to the greatest impact, start researching into different agencies that can offer the likes of marketing for remodeling contractors to continue and maintain the presence of a home redesign business for instance, or other specialist marketing agencies that can strengthen your online presence for your particular business in question!
The right trade show marketing is essential to your success. Trade shows shouldn’t be viewed as a basic necessity or something you just do for fun; they’re an opportunity and an investment in your business, and they only work if you put in the effort. If you’d like help with your booth design, check out what Xibit Solutions can do for you, and give us a call today!
