Given the buzz created by digital marketing, most of the people have stopped believing in the potential of trade shows. People have very strong opinions about them, starting from whether they are a waste of time or how to handle the hazards of managing the logistics. While the common belief is that they are a dying strategy, let us convince you otherwise. There are a few myths regarding trade show marketing, which don’t appear to be harmful but actually hurt your business. Giving up on such an impactful mode of marketing can take away many important leads from you. To set yourself as an acclaimed company, you need to rely on this mode of marketing. Let us explain the reality behind the most commonly believed myths regarding trade shows so that you can distinguish facts from the fables.
Trade Shows Are Nothing but A Huge Party
This might be true for some companies, but those who are looking for brand building and the attention of prospects would consider trade shows to be their biggest opportunity. Setting up the booth is not enough to maximize your returns from a trade show, a lot of effort is required to make your investment count. Trade shows are not at all about cocktails, games, and fun. Rather, the company should be focused on pre-show promotions, on-site client meetings, and following up with prospective customers.
The Displays Are Very Expensive
There is no denying the fact that trade shows and their displays can indeed be expensive, especially if you have chosen a well-known venue to showcase yourself. You can always find high-quality exhibits at the fraction of a cost if you know where to look for them. By hiring a trade show exhibit production company, you can let a professional handle all the relevant tasks and save money. This may sound contradictory to the popular belief but these companies know how to get maximum results with minimum investment.
All Shows Are the Same
If your experience with every show is exactly the same, the problem might be that you are approaching each exhibit in the same way. It is very important to understand that each show has a distinct audience and one needs to present themselves in a unique way each time to attract their attention. Contact the show management beforehand and have them describe their goals, audience, and mission. Assume that the exhibitors who have been a part of a particular show for years are not your competitors and ask them about their approach for participating in it.
Small Brands Cannot Be Successful at a Tradeshow
This notion should be debunked instantly as it discourages startups and small business owners to present themselves in front of some of the most relevant prospects. As long as you have a strong presence in the exhibit, there is no way that your booth is going to be ignored. Trade shows are not only for brands; they are in fact for businesses who are looking to forming a brand identity. The only concern for such ventures is that they need to more strategic and capitalize on their planning while selecting the trade show they want to attend.
Anyone Can Staff a Booth
A lot of brands bring their team to the show and expect them to do well naturally. Irrespective of how outgoing or communicative a person may seem to be, they might not be successful in bringing many people to the booth. Ensure that you only send out those staff members who are well-versed with the product or service, and train them on how to impress the attendees on trade shows. Quite often, the companies tend to send the wrong folks to the location and end up wasting a great opportunity to get more leads.
The Trade Show Leads Are Nothing but a Waste of Time
Well, this can be true if you put all the cards in a fishbowl for a lucky draw and don’t bother to make the attendees explore your booth. Moreover, not contacting them for as long as a month will also waste all your trade show effort since they’ll forget about your existence until then. The quality of lead generation is a by-product of pre-show planning, training of the booth staff, and a timely follow-up post the show. However, don’t even expect them to miraculously turn the course of events for you as finding a great customer takes time, enthusiasm, and patience.
The Virtual Trade Shows Will Soon Replace Them
There is a separate place for tradeshows just like there’s a space for online dating and online shopping. The value of face-to-face interaction will never die, hence, trade shows will retain their worth. It is always exciting for prospects to see in-person the capability of a particular business before investing their interest in it. No one can look you in the eye or shake your hands in virtual trade shows, thus, they are not replacing the traditional ones any time soon.
Conclusion
Never let anyone turn you against trade shows by telling you that customers don’t attend them anymore. Even if you are a skilled marketer, it will take time to grasp the shades of trade show marketing. Once you get a hold of it, you will know the kind of people who attend these exhibits and how they can be lured towards your particular product or service.
The most important aspect of ensuring your success on a trade show is to put a lot of effort in pre-show marketing. You need to come in contact with existing customers, prospects, and members of the press to reveal that you are going to hold a strong presence in the show. Social media has also eased this process for established as well as emerging brands.
Trade shows can do wonders for your business if one knows how to invest their time, energy, and money in the right way. Do not let any of the myths make you think otherwise because not utilizing this platform is an opportunity wasted for any company.
Guest Blogger - Living Gossop - find the full article at: https://livinggossip.com/common-misconceptions-regarding-trade-show-exhibits/
