Secrets to a Successful Trade Show

Trade shows can be a very smart use of your marketing budget. Instead of crisscrossing the country to meet your customers, they come to you. Unfortunately, they also come to see your competitors and to take a break from the daily office routine. To make sure you capture their attention, here are a few tips from the Red Fender team on how to have a successful trade show.

Choose the Best Show. More than likely, your industry has a range of trade shows throughout the year. Unless you have an unlimited marketing budget, choosing the right one is very important. Is there one big show that rises above all the rest? Which trade show will be attended by the customers you want to attract? Is it better to pour your dollars into a single show or spend the same amount of money on smaller regional shows? Your goal is to reach your clients. Do some research to find out which show will connect you to the largest number of them.

Find Your Look. There are as many booth designs as there are stars in the sky. To figure out which one is best for you, first determine what kind of experience you want customers to have when they step into your booth. Do you want to educate them (meaning a theater style booth)? Demonstrate your equipment (smaller individual stations)? Have meetings to close business (conference room booth)? Also, what kind of marketing message are you trying to send? That will influence the graphics and booth's look and feel.

Go Beyond Your Booth. One of the ways to attract customer attention is for them to see you all over the show. If you work with strategic partners, try and have a presence in their booth. See if they will let you display a piece of your equipment or let one of your employees spend time there. Have a sign with your company's logo and booth number. And do the same for your partners in your booth. This kind of cross marketing can be incredibly effective and give you a presence at the show far beyond your own small area.

Get a Speaking Slot. Most trade shows have educational sessions where industry experts speak about relevant topics. You want one of those speaking slots! Nothing will drive traffic to your booth faster than capturing the audience with an entertaining, stimulating, and informative presentation. The more you can become a content expert, the more potential customers will seek you out for answers to their problems—leaving your competition standing alone in their empty booth, wondering where all the people are!

Develop a Pre- and Post-Show Marketing Campaign. You can drive traffic to your booth with an effective pre- and post-show marketing campaign. Send out emails and direct mail pieces to prospects that promise a giveaway if they visit your booth. Advertise one or two exciting reasons why they should come see you (product announcement or special discount). And make sure to follow up with every lead that visited your booth, thanking them for taking the time and offering them special pricing on your product or service. Beyond generating leads, your goal is to close sales. Your post-show marketing campaign can do that for you.