Blog post by: Emily Brosig, Baer Performance Marketing Intern

Trade shows are a great way for your company to showcase your brand, connect with potential clients, and drive sales. To ensure you make the most of a trade show, it’s essential to implement effective marketing tactics before, during and after the show. Here’s a guide to help you build excitement and maintain momentum around your trade show presence.

Mastering Pre-Event Marketing Tactics

Boosting Pre-Event Visibility

Deliver engaging messages through direct mail:
Stand out from the crowd by sending personalized invitations to your target audience. Utilize high-quality materials that reflect your brand’s identity and values. Consider including incentives for attending, such as exclusive promotions or giveaways, which can significantly increase attendance and engagement.

Build anticipation on social media:
Leverage your social media platforms to create anticipation. Share sneak peeks of new products, behind-the-scenes preparations, and team introductions. Use countdowns and hashtags specific to the trade show to encourage audience interaction and engagement.

Expand your reach with email marketing:
As the event approaches, send out reminders to your email list. Include details such as booth numbers, key show highlights, and exclusive offerings that will be available. Timely reminders can increase foot traffic to your booth and keep your audience engaged.

Create compelling content:
Develop relevant content that positions your company as a leader in your industry. Blog posts and videos related to the trade show theme can attract attention and establish your brand’s expertise. Share this content through your website and social channels to increase visibility.

Utilize promotional giveaways:
Create excitement with a contest or giveaway that attendees can enter by visiting your booth. Promote these giveaways on your website and social media channels to incentivize visits.

Preparing for the Trade Show

Define your goals:
Start by defining what you want to achieve. Whether your focus is on lead generation, increasing brand awareness, or networking with industry partners, having clear objectives will guide your planning and execution.

Choose the right show:
Select trade shows that align with your target audience for the best return on investment. Research events that attract your ideal clients and industry partners. Also take into consideration the size of the show.

Establish a budget:
Account for all expenses which may include space rentals, display costs, shipping, staffing, and promotional materials. A well-thought-out budget can prevent your company from overlooking critical expenses.

Plan your booth design:
You only have a few seconds to draw in an attendee. Ensuring your visuals are appealing and effectively communicate your brand’s message is vital to the success of your booth.

Ideas for engagement:

• Live demonstrations
• Games or contests
• Guided booth tours
• Prize wheels

The location and size of your booth are important components that can help make the trade show a success. High traffic areas commonly include spaces near the food court and lounges.

Empower and train your staff:
Selecting the right employees for your trade show booth is crucial to effectively promoting your brand image. Training them in product knowledge, communication skills, and lead-capturing techniques is essential.

Schedule meetings ahead of time:
Reach out to potential clients or partners ahead of time to schedule meetings during the show. Seventy-five percent of attendees already know the booths they are stopping at before they arrive. Having these appointments lined up ensures you make the most of your time on the floor and maximize your interactions.

Confirm materials and logistics:
Verify all travel arrangements are set and ensure your materials are shipped and ready to go. Make a checklist of necessary supplies—business cards, brochures, giveaways—to make sure the day goes smoothly.

During the Event

While the focus here is on pre- and post-event tactics, don’t forget the power of engagement during the trade show. Utilize interactive displays, live demonstrations, and on-the-spot contests to keep visitors engaged. Be sure to track leads and take note of individuals you talk to throughout the event.

Strategies for Post-Event Success

Review Materials and Follow Up With Attendees

Send follow-up emails:
The first step after the event is to send personalized follow-up emails to everyone who visited your booth. Thank them for their time, reiterate your message, and include links to resources or exclusive offers. Aim to follow up within 48 hours to keep your conversation fresh in their minds.

Promote event with a social media recap:
Share highlights from the trade show on your social media channels. Post photos, videos, and testimonials from attendees who visited your booth. This not only keeps the momentum going but also showcases your brand’s engagement with the community.

Optimize resources and redistribute content:
Repurpose content created for the trade show into follow-up materials. Create blog posts summarizing key takeaways from the event, video recaps, or case studies based on interactions at the booth. This can keep the conversation alive and provide additional value to prospects.

Leverage feedback to enhance experiences:
Reach out to attendees for feedback on their experience at the trade show and with your booth. This not only helps improve future events but also demonstrates your commitment to customer satisfaction. Use this data to refine your offerings and marketing strategies.

Follow up with actionable resources:
Offer follow-up webinars or live demos that dive deeper into your products or services. This can attract leads who are still in the consideration phase and provide an additional platform for engagement.

Drive growth through your network:
Encourage satisfied leads to refer your products or services to their networks. Creating a referral program can help to further expand your reach.

Measuring Success of the Trade Show

Revisit your goals:
Review your initial goals and measure your outcomes. Analyze the number of leads generated, meetings held, and any sales that resulted. Assess what strategies worked and what didn’t to improve for future events.

Quantify success with clear metrics:
Include a section on calculating the return on investment for the trade show. Compare the costs of participation against the revenue generated from leads and sales.

Celebrate achievements and acknowledge growth:
Hold a team meeting to discuss the event’s successes and areas for improvement. Gather feedback from your staff on what worked well and what could be enhanced for future shows.

Conclusion:

To maximize the impact of your next trade show, focus on strategic planning across all stages—pre-event marketing, on-site engagement, and post-event follow-up. Build relationships and refine your strategies based on feedback. With the right approach, your trade show investment can yield immediate sales and long-lasting partnerships.

Start planning today! Reach out to our team at Baer Performance Marketing to develop a tailored strategy that ensures your next trade show is a success!