Planning for a trade show doesn’t start a month in advance. It doesn’t start two months in advance. In fact, it can take anywhere from six to twelve months to a year of planning to do it right. Trade show marketing is a very strategic process. You have to come up with your strategy and messaging, and make sure everything relates back to your business goals. This includes all your online and offline promotions, any handouts and even the giveaways you distribute. It is no simple task and not every trade show is the same, but this guide can help you take it one step at a time to have a successful inbound trade show that achieves high return on investment (ROI). Most important, once you figure out how the trade show can meet your business’s goals, figure out if the cost is worth it. Will you make up for the money you spend on trade shows on new customers and increased revenue? Figure out the ROI of sending your staff to the trade show. Could they be doing something else that is cheaper and more effective to generate leads? If a trade show still meets your needs despite the cost, keep reading.

In this 27 page Whitepaper we will discuss:

Setting Goals & Creating Calls-To-Action

Your marketing campaigns should help your business achieve specific goals and metrics. Trade shows are no different. Trade shows present an opportunity to get quality leads, spread brand awareness and meet other objectives. The goals of trade show marketing can include:

» An increase in new leads and sales

» An increase in organic and direct traffic

» An increase in social media following

» An increase in email and/or blog subscribers

As you set your goals, make sure you have access to metrics that will enable you to track progress. Ensure that your marketing system can measure these channels and provide evidence to management about the performance of your event.

How to Promote the Event on Social Media

After you have decided on a call-to-action and mapped out your messaging around the trade show campaign, you can focus on promotions. As you start that process, don’t lose sight of your main goal. If you decided to have your CTA lead to a landing page, create the landing page. Come up with an offer that you don’t think trade show attendees will be able to resist. For instance, the offer can include remarkable (and free) content, a chance to participate in a contest or win a giveaway. Whatever you pick, make sure it is valuable enough for visitors to fill out a form to access it. That is the transactional step which will enable you to gather data about your trade show audience. It is important to keep your over arching goal in mind every step of the way. This includes the offer itself. Whether you decide to offer a webinar, ebook, whitepaper or something else, you need to make sure that the information you are providing helps you achieve your goals. It should further expand on the message you are trying to convey at the trade show.

7 Tips to Execute When On Site

Collect leads in an inbound way
Connect with your booth visitors
Make Your Booth Welcoming
Expect Something to Go Wrong
Don't be Afraid to Make Changes
Monitor Social Media
Keep Your Staff Energized

Trade Show Post-Event Checklist

Just because the event is over doesn’t mean your work is over. In addition to figuring out your ROI for the event, you have to figure out whether or not your presence was successful. You want to follow up with the people you spoke to. ROI is not dependent on just the events at the trade show, but on many events that happen afterwards.

How to Measure Your Trade Show Marketing

Part of determining whether or not your trade show presence was successful is measuring your results. You should walk away with not only contact information but specific data that can help you figure out what worked and what didn’t work. What is more, you’ll need to know whether you are getting a good return on the investment and efforts you spent for the trade show. In this section of the ebook we will look at specific metrics you should monitor in order to track progress.

Download our entire WHITEPAPER on this topic and start effectively marketing your trade show events!