Trade shows can be huge opportunities for businesses to earn new customers while also interacting with their peers and influencers. The biggest problem is that these shows are massive and competition is fierce. You don’t want your booth to be the odd one out, so how do you bring more people to your brand?
Today I’m going to show you five epic strategies you can use before, during, and after your trade show to maximize attendance and potential leads for your company.
5 Ways to Boost Your Trade Show Attendance
These tactics allow you to have actionable strategies that can be employed throughout the trade show process. This way you have complete control over your success at any point during your venture.
Promote on Social Media
If your business is already aware of what a blog is, and how it can be used to promote your brand on social media, then you’ll have a following of potential customers who would all like to know about your appearance at an upcoming trade show and you have an opportunity to bring targeted traffic to your trade show booth.
Prior to the show, there are plenty of different steps you can take to make your presence at the upcoming event known to your followers. Consider these tactics:
1. Check for a hashtag for the event being used on Twitter and start using it as well to target the right viewers. If there isn’t a hashtag, then create one.
2. Promote your upcoming appearance at the show on your other channels as well. Your blog, your email newsletter, and your Facebook are all great examples.
3. Try creating a profile on FourSquare prior to the event so you can advertise your booth by “checking in†at the event.
4. Create QR codes that people can scan with their phones and attach them to all of your emails, marketing materials, and social media posts. When people scan it, direct them to a page with the time/date/location of your trade show booth.
5. During the trade show, take videos of the people who show up at your booth and post them on your social media profiles immediately to create additional buzz.
Utilize Props
Most booths at trade shows look the same and so do their occupants. Make yourself stand out by wearing something beside the classic collared shirt and khaki shorts. Bright colors, interesting accessories, and props are all great way to get people to turn their heads.
For example, you can have a giant wheel at your booth with prizes listed on it. Visitors can spin the wheel to win a prize, assuming they can also answer a simple question about your company. This ties back into an experience that the customer can take with them.
If you don’t want something interactive, consider having a prop that is related to your brand. Make it big and bold, something people will stop and snap a picture of as they pass by.
Create an Experiential Event at the Show
Experiential marketing refers to advertising that is interactive and appeals to more than one of the user’s’ five senses. These types of campaigns are best done in person, which is why your booth is the perfect place to hold one.
If you have a product, advertise live demos of it where customers can interact with it in person and experience your brand in person. You can have ongoing demos or you can schedule live presentations throughout the day.
If you have a service that you offer, consider investing in an iPad that you can use to demonstrate it to customers by having them directly interact with it. This kind of experience and engagement will most certainly drive more people to your booth.
Become a Charging Station
This is something that any business can take advantage of, regardless of their industry. trade shows are notorious for their lack of charging stations and intermittent Wi-Fi. By advertising your booth as a place to recharge smartphones and devices, or as a place to tap into free internet, you’ll immediately become a resource for everyone at the trade show.
You can find Chargepod stations for roughly $49.95 and if you want to offer Wi-Fi as well, you can subscribe to a service or use your phone as a mobile tether that people can connect to for internet access.
While they are using your station, you have every opportunity to inform them about your brand and your product.
Train Your Employees For trade shows
The simple truth is that no matter what you do to bring more people to your trade show booth, if your employees aren’t trained to interact with leads at a trade show, you’re going to lose more than you’ll gain.
Patrons at trade shows are overwhelmed and drained by the sheer amount of companies surrounding them. They’ll often wander through the showfloor and not stop for anything that doesn’t grab them immediately.
If you don’t reach out to them and invite them to your booth, they’ll simply walk by. Conversely, if you’re employees are too aggressive, the person will still leave. Train your employees to use conversational and casual approaches to leads at trade shows.
Instead of immediately pitching them your product, ask them how they are enjoying the show. Inquire about their favorite booths thus far. Once you’ve broken the ice a little, you can invite them to come back to your booth for a quick demo and perhaps a free incentive to thank them for their time.
This can be a sample or you can always have food available which is a universally desired option.
Final Thoughts
Increasing your attendance at trade shows is all about creating unique and valuable experiences for your visitors. In addition, promoting your presence online through social media and your blog is a great way to create buzz.
How do you bring more people to your trade show booths? Let us know in the comments!
Author Bio:
Michael Sebring is a seasoned social media marketer with experience working on today’s biggest platforms. He loves helping businesses maximize their presence on social media.
Leave a Reply