Are you going to be exhibiting at a trade show, soon? What does your strategy look like? Do you have one? If you’re unsure of your strategy or don’t have one, it’s time to reevaluate your trade show presence!
Exhibiting at a trade show is a great way to create awareness of your brand and create interest in your products and services. This is only true if you spend time planning your strategy.
When talking with people who exhibit at trade shows, we typically hear three things:
- They don’t have an Engagement Strategy that will draw attendees into their booth. Which leads to them not meeting as many new leads as they thought.
- There’s a lot of time and money spent planning, and in the end they don’t feel it was worth it.
- OR, they have a strategy, spend a lot of time planning and still don’t achieve their goals.
Sound like you? It doesn’t have to! The following 4 steps will help you learn how to promote a trade show so you can achieve your goals and get a return for your investment.
1. Assess Previous Trade Shows
Take a look at a few of the previous trade shows you exhibited and look at the results. What happened at previous events that worked? What could be improved?
Take notes so you can learn from your previous set backs and brainstorm ideas about how you can better achieve your goals. This is so you can achieve better results when you are exhibiting.
2. Create an Action Plan
Take what you learned from previous shows and create goals. Don’t just create any goals, make sure they are specific, measurable, achievable and realistic. Also set a time frame for a date after the show when you think you will achieve those goals.
When your goals are set, create an Engagement Strategy that will help you stand out and draw people into your booth. Think about an exciting game or contest you can hold at your booth so others will want to play. A good rule of thumb is to talk to people and qualify them before they enter your contest or play your game so you can have quality leads.
Also, part of your Engagement Strategy is to market before the show so attendees will know you are there. Then, create a plan to market to them after the show so they will remember you.
3. Apply Your Strategy
If you put yourself in the shoes of your attendees, think of how many exhibitors are around them. It can be overwhelming for them to walk through a sea of exhibitors and other attendees.
In order for you to stand out when you are exhibiting at a trade show, marketing your presence before the show can help. Especially if you talk about all the “excitement that will happen at your booth”. When you do this, attendees will make it a point to see you.
During the show, make sure to “work” your booth and your presence! Actively try to engage leads and draw people in. Don’t just stand there waiting for people to come to you. Have someone walk around and talk about the excitement at your booth.
Finally, always follow up with your leads! This is one thing most exhibitors do not do and it is the most crucial. Following up is what will make or break a sale and it will definitely set you apart from your competitors. After you follow up, continue to market to your leads to stay top of mind.
4. Analyze Your Results After the Show
Remember the date you set for after the show when you said you would achieve your goals? Around this time is when you need to look at your results and see if you achieved your goals or missed the mark. Then, you want to go back to assessing the show you just exhibited.
Write down your takeaways for both things that worked and what could have been improved. Then, you will be ready for the next show!
If you follow these steps you are likely to see better results when exhibiting at trade shows. And, you will more than likely achieve your goals.
Always remember: a trade show is called a “show” for a reason! Have fun with it and see how many attendees visit your booth to learn more about your company.
Creating Memorable Impressions For Your Brand 