Top Ten (10) Tradeshow Strategies: Get a Bigger Bang for your Marketing Buck
If your tradeshow event is to provide valuable face time for you then it’s important to get people involved on both sides of the interaction. The key to a successful tradeshow is marketing. It’s not about handing out brochures or hoping people will stop in at your booth. Your best results will come with careful planning, a strategic focus and a commitment to measuring the results.
The following are ten (10) Must-Dos for a successful tradeshow
1. Create a proper tradeshow marketing plan
This is not a standalone venture but should be in alignment with your overall marketing plan. Determine what you want to achieve from the show. Set clear, specific and measurable objectives.
2. Have a well defined promotional plan
A promotional plan is a significant part of your marketing plan. Know what your pre, post and onsite strategies will be. Sad but true – most exhibitors fail to have a plan. Set a budget, establish a theme that ties into your overall marketing strategies and determine how you will reach your target.
3. Target Right
A good tradeshow is only as great as the visitors it attracts and their value as customers and prospects. Know and target the audience(s) you want. Design your activities to attract the real prospects and minimize the non-prospects. Be very clear about whom you want to meet and what conversations you want to have. Go for quality versus quantity.
4. Promote your tradeshow participation.
It’s foolhardy to rely on show management to get you all the possible business opportunities at the show. Pre-show promotions are perhaps the greatest under-leveraged opportunity so target the people you want to visit your booth. Start by using your own house list i.e. list of customers and prospects. Design and mail an invitation that is totally benefit-oriented and makes an impact.
5. Give Visitors A Reason to Visit Your Booth
‘If you build they will come’ doesn’t apply; so forget it. Make sure you give people a reason to visit your booth. With competing booths and time constraints visitors need an incentive to visit your booth. People are usually interested in what’s new, what’s different or how you save them time and money. Satisfy one, two or all.
6. Make Your Booth Memorable
People remember AWESOME they don’t remember mediocre or same. Make your booth awesome and memorable. Consider premium giveaways, entertainment or some creative show stopper activity that relates to your product or service. Giveaways should help to communicate, promote or motivate. Remember, it’s about your audience not you.
7. Make Your Booth Your Marketing Tool
Remember everything you do is a reflection of your brand and your booth makes a pretty strong marketing statement. It tells who you are as a company, what you do and how you do it. Create an experience that allows your visitors to use as many of their senses as possible. Go for large images instead of lots of copy. Pictures tell a thousand words. Develop a strong key message that delivers a significant message. Create a focal point in your booth.
8. Differentiate Your Products & Service
Be a purple cow and stand out from the crowd. That’s how customers and prospects will remember you. It’s important to move away from the ‘sameness’ of everyone around you (especially your competition). Remember – exhibitors are many and time is limited so ensure your product or service is memorable, creates impact or arouses curiosity.
9. Make Your People Your Marketing Team
Choose your people well; they are your ambassadors and will represent your company. Brief them ahead of time on the what, when, where, why & how. Ensure the message is clear; the process of engaging a customer or prospect is outlined and everyone speaks with the same voice. Set clear expectations and assign specific roles for executives. Don’t leave it to your team to figure out what you expect. Avoid overcrowding the booth with unscheduled team members visiting.
10. Capture and Follow-up Promptly
Post event follow-up is really where the ‘rubber hits the road’. This is your greatest opportunity for revenue generation. Lead capture and management is a process which requires attention and diligence. It’s best to plan for follow-up before the show as other activities will be given priority once you return from the show and leads can go unattended. The longer leads are left unattended the colder and more mediocre they become. After all the investment of time and money who wants cold and mediocre leads?
The essence – plan, qualify and follow-up.
By: Dorothy Vernon-Brown
