Getting the most out of a trade show requires planning months in advance. From booth design to staff training and giveaways, the entire experience is a marketing opportunity. Many attendees are there for specific meetings, so they may only have time to meander some of the show floor. The right strategy will attract quality prospects and keep them from skipping your booth.
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Offer Free Swag
Trade shows can be overwhelming; this is where tradeshow display companies come in to help ensure your booth stands out by offering attendees something to take home. Pens and coasters with your logo work great as giveaway items because attendees use them regularly. Food and drinks are also a hit with attendees, but be sure they are well-spent. Before the show, please send your best customers and hot prospects handwritten invitations to your event and invite them to set an appointment at your booth. This adds a personal touch to your outreach and positions your company as an expert. This will drive traffic to your booth and build your audience.
Create a Hashtag
Creating a unique hashtag for the show can help people find your booth. It can also allow you to track conversations about your products and services. You can use a tool to monitor hashtags and see how they work for your business. Post a few days before the trade show begins. Include the hashtag on signage, program books, branded merchandise like SEOmerch, and other conference swag to get the word out. Using capital letters for the first letters of words can also improve readability.
Use Social Media
You’ve spent months planning, designing marketing materials, and creating mountain-size piles of promotional giveaways, but all the effort could only be for something if your booth traffic is good. Effective social media strategies with the help of an SEO consultancy may encourage people to visit your tradeshow exhibit, and integrating them into your face-to-face marketing plan doesn’t have to be complicated. Before the show, reach out to attendees on all your social platforms with relevant content to your tradeshow booth. Use the event hashtag, and post updates about your participation with information on how to visit your booth. You can also use proximity marketing to send text messages to people when they’re near your booth, offering time-sensitive discounts on products or services. These messages can be targeted to specific attendees or the entire audience.
Make Your Booth a Fun Place to Be
Incorporating a fun theme for your booth will attract people to visit. Having friendly and knowledgeable employees in your booth is also essential. Grumpy people will turn away potential clients, and uninformed staff will not be able to answer questions. Ensure your team is trained beforehand, and even consider doing a practice run to ensure they can engage and welcome people into the booth. Give your audience a schedule of events for the trade show in advance, and promote this on your website and social media channels. This will encourage your existing clients to attend, as well.
Create an Unusual Activity
Regarding trade shows, attendees are looking for new products and services. However, more than just showing up is needed to drive traffic and engagement to your booth. To make the most of your event, it’s necessary to create a pre-show campaign that will build excitement for your brand. A photo booth is one of the most effective ways to increase engagement. This allows attendees to take pictures with your branding, which they will share on social media. This will help you create buzz, qualify leads, and collect valuable remarketing data. Swag is another excellent way to attract visitors to your booth. Rather than handing out classic tote bags, try offering trendy swag such as sustainable products or self-care items.
