Trade shows are an incredible opportunity. A buzzing venue packed with people who have an interest in your industry – what could be better? A successful trade show presence takes a lot more time and effort than the few days actually spent on the floor. To get the most bang for your buck at your next exhibition here are our 6 hottest trade show marketing tips.
1. Look so good they can’t walk past you
You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression – and first impressions are everything. Your booth design needs to be schmick, magnetic and irresistible. Amid the sea of competitors you need to be a beacon. You’ll capture attendees if you speak to your consumer with a visually appealing booth. Dynamic displays, lush lighting, on-point branding. Your prospects should be able to determine what you’re all about in a few short seconds and feel comfortable and welcomed into your space. Brainstorm unusual trade show display ideas. Customers appreciate it when you’ve put a lot of effort into your booth, it demonstrates how much you value them.
2. Create killer materials
Is your boring old flyer better than everyone else’s? Value add to the materials you hand out to your customers. Give them a reason to keep your brochures and dig through their show bag at the end of the day to look for you. Perhaps there’s a promotional code they can enter onto your website to see if they’ve won a prize. What about a digital coupon code? Useful branded promotional items like pens or USB sticks are seldom discarded.
3. Fun and engaging interaction
Make it memorable. Give your prospects something to do in your booth. Trade show games like a prize wheel or a challenge of sorts are always a hit. Customers love an entertaining product demonstration, especially if you can involve someone from the audience. Product samples are also a trade show favourite. Whatever you give away, make sure it’s branded so other attendees know who to look for. The more people that are stopped at your booth having a good time, the more you will attract others.
4. Professional promotional staff
Don’t expect your staff to morph into professional ambassadors and put on a performance. Let them be experts in their field and do what they’re comfortable with. Professional trade show staff are accustomed working the crowd and capturing your target’s attention. A good staffing agency will offer some tips on how you can get the most value out of your promotional staff. The more thorough the brief, the better your professional staff can serve your brand. Be clear about your brand messaging, your history and goals. Generating leads is their forte, get the tough stuff done efficiently by the pros.
5. Escape the booth and work the floor
You don’t have to anchor yourself to your booth. Roving mascots and ambassadors attract plenty of attention on the trade show floor and even outside the exhibition hall. Are the media there? Great! Get in front of them, they’re always looking for content. Opportunities are everywhere.
6. Intersect your person-to-person and digital trade show marketing
Everything you do is useful content. Shoot a live stream on social media. Create a hashtag competition. Take plenty of photos throughout the event – not just of yourself; share anything and everything of interest. Use your website and social channels to promote your exhibition presence well before, and long after the event. Make sure you create a dedicated follow-up contact sequence for your collected leads, and fire it up soon after the event while it’s still fresh in people’s minds.
It takes flair to stand out in a crowd. Trade shows are not a small investment, and the return is a direct reflection of the effort you put into your campaign. When you plan well and leverage as many promotional strategies as you can muster, you have every chance of success.
AMS Promotions is a team of Account Managers, Marketers and Promotions specialists. Operating nationally with a pool of over 6,000 beautiful and talented promotional staff and models, we’re driven by exceeding your promotional goals and celebrating your success. Get in touch.