Planning for a trade show can feel overwhelming, but with a well-crafted event marketing strategy, you can set yourself up for success. By outlining your goals, finding the right trade shows, and preparing effectively, you can make the most out of your trade show experience. One of the first steps in preparing for a trade show is to clearly define your goals. These goals should be specific, measurable, and achievable within the context of the trade show. Whether you're looking to boost sales, meet vendors, collect emails for a mailing list, hand out business cards, or generate leads, it's important to have a clear focus. For beginners, it's okay to start with smaller, realistic goals and gradually work your way up as you gain experience.
Finding the right trade shows to attend is crucial for maximizing your success. It's important to choose trade shows that are relevant to your industry and target audience. For example, if you have a business selling top-of-the-line kitty litter, attending the Annual Kitty Cat trade show would be a perfect fit. By selecting trade shows that align with your product or service, you increase the likelihood of connecting with potential customers and vendors who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer.
While your goals may revolve around sales, it's important to have a clear reason for attending a trade show. This reason may be to make new business contacts, stay updated on industry trends, or showcase your new products. If you have a new product launching soon, timing your attendance to coincide with a trade show can provide the perfect platform to generate buzz and showcase your prototypes.
Before attending a trade show, it's essential to ensure that you're adequately prepared. This means having all the necessary materials and resources readily available. Items such as business cards, free swag, display boards, product samples for demonstrations, and informative leaflets or brochures are essential for creating a professional and engaging booth or table. Don't forget to provide various ways for people to connect with you, whether it's through social media, email, or your website.
It's important to keep in mind that the primary goal of attending a trade show is to make your business more money. Understanding how trade show attendance can contribute to your bottom line will help shape your goals, determine the materials you need to bring, and clarify your reason for going. Consider how your website can play a role in turning leads into customers and ensure it's up and running before the trade show. This way, people who discover your business on the trade show floor can easily find you again later.
Once the trade show is over, the work doesn't stop. Following up with the contacts you made is crucial for trade show marketing success. A day or two after the event, send a personalized email to each new contact, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to meet and referencing something specific you discussed. This helps solidify your connection and ensures that people remember you and your business.
Trade shows offer an excellent opportunity to connect with the right people, gather potential leads, and boost your business. By planning ahead, choosing the right trade shows, being well-prepared, and following up afterward, you can maximize the benefits of your trade show marketing efforts. Remember, success at trade shows is not only about showing up but also about having a strong event marketing strategy in place.
Outline your goals
You can’t go to a trade show without some goals. These goals need to be achievable, measurable, and specific to the trade show.
Many people typically attend a trade show looking to:
- Boost sales
- Meet vendors
- Collect emails for a mailing list
- Hand out business cards
- Generate leads
If it’s your first trade show, then it’s OK to do some major guessing. Be realistic when putting together goals so you don’t get disheartened.
Rather than aiming for 1,000 new leads, maybe start with 25. With experience, you’ll get better at dialing in on achievable goals.
Find the right trade shows
Your kitty litter business won’t gain much from attending the annual construction trade show. That’s why it’s important to sign up for trade shows that are related to the service or product you sell.
You’ll want to find trade shows that are in your industry, with specific vendors and customers in attendance. Namely, people with cats that are looking for your top-of-the-line kitty litter. That Annual Kitty Cat trade show sounds perfect, doesn’t it?
Pick a reason to go
Sometimes your goals aren’t the same as your reason to go to a trade show. You might have goals surrounding sales, but your reasoning has to do with making new business contacts and seeing what’s on the market. There’s nothing wrong with that.
A great secondary reason to go to a trade show can involve your new products. The perfect place to showcase your prototypes and generate some buzz is the trade show floor. Take a look at the calendar and see if you can time it perfectly, looking for a trade show with dates that align with your new product launch.
Make sure you’re ready
Jumping into a trade show before you’re ready may do more harm than good. This is true on many levels — your business isn’t ready yet or you don’t have the right materials for the trade show. If you have a booth or a table to set up shop, don’t forget the essentials:
- Business cards
- Free swag
- Boards to display your message
- Products you want to demonstrate
- Leaflets or brochures
- Ways that people can connect with you
If you’re stressing already, don’t worry. The first trade show will teach you everything you need to know. Just go into the trade show with what you think you need and pick up the information you need once you’re there, taking notes to help you be better prepared for the next one.
Ask yourself, “How will this make my business money?”
Whichever way you look at it, you’re attending a trade show to make your business more money. Understanding how you’re going to do this will help you shape your goals, decide what materials you’ll bring along, and determine your reason for going.
A strong website can help you turn leads into customers. Having it up and running before attending a trade show, for example, will ensure the people who found you on the floor of the trade show can find you again.
Remember to follow up
The trade show’s over, and you have a ton of information from potential leads. Now, it’s time to follow up — an essential part of trade show marketing.
A day or two after the trade show ends, send every new contact a cordial email that expresses how nice it was to meet them and includes something you discussed. This helps your contacts remember you and your business as well as why they connected with you.
Next steps for trade show marketing
Trade shows are a great place to connect with the right people, gather potential leads, and boost your business. Knowing what to do once you get there is just as important as showing up with the right material.
Guest Blogger: Connor Benedict - Constant Contact - https://www.constantcontact.com/blog/the-beginners-guide-to-trade-show-marketing/
