The New Year brings a new opportunity to step up your trade show and exhibit marketing strategy. Remember, in-person events can be an extremely effective tactic (when done correctly) to generate new business resulting in real ROI. Here are 7 tips for a successful trade show.
1. Determine your main goal(s) for attending a trade show. Think strategically. Is it to meet with decision makers face-to-face, scope out your competition, scope out what’s new and trending in the industry, connect with trade media, build new relationships, generate new business leads and increase brand awareness?
2. Pick the right show for your products and services. Research previous show attendees and exhibitors.
3. Budget wisely. Where will the bulk of your trade show budget be spent? The display itself? Marketing your trade show exhibition?
4. Get creative with your booth. How will your organization stand out from the crowd? What type of impact do you want to make? Make sure the attendee understands your company’s message.
5. Engage with your audience before the event through social media channels. For example, blog about the upcoming event and your company’s involvement; set up Facebook and LinkedIn event listings and invite customers; make your booth a Foursquare checkin location; and share images of your booth on Flickr, Pinterest and Instagram.
6. Enhance your visitor’s experience during the event. You can tweet special offers throughout the show using your event hashtag, create a QR code at your booth that visitors can use to download a whitepaper or video and do short interviews with industry experts attending the show and upload to your social networks.
7. Follow-up with any perspective leads generated during the show with a survey, phone call or e-mail marketing campaign. How can you translate these leads into sales for your company?