You know them like the back of your hand! Trade shows are a highly effective marketing tool, allowing you to explore new markets and find potential leads. But be careful: you can't just wing it. You need to be profitable both before and after the event.
❓So, do you really get a return on your investment from start to finish when you attend a trade show (bearing in mind that, and I'm sure we'll agree on this, it costs an arm and a leg, doesn't it?!)?
❓How can you reap real benefits from these events, particularly through marketing and communication?
Prepare your strategy
A trade show must be prepared in advance so that your contacts are aware of your presence on the day. This is where communication comes in ! It is essential, as it will encourage your target audience to come and meet you on the day of the event.
So, you will want to attract your audience in order to get the most out of your trade show when the day comes. But how?
Prevent in advance
First, it is essentialto clearly invite your customers, partners, and even prospects to your trade show. Yes, this event is always an opportunity to meet them in a setting conducive to developing business relationships. Send your invitations by email at least three weeks in advance, then prepare follow-ups (ideally by phone) for the contacts you really want to see at your booth.
In addition, share the information across all channels available to you.
For example: an email campaign, a "save the date" message, a post on social media, a pop-up window on your website, a mention in your customer newsletter, a news item on your website...There are many communication solutions you can use depending on your target audience and your community's interest in different channels.
💡To gain visibility, don't hesitate to "tag" organizers, the event, or even the city where the event is taking place in your social media posts, particularly on LinkedIn.
Arouse curiosity
Last but not least, find diverse and original activities to attract visitors (not forgetting the ever-present coffee and/or glass of wine, of course!).
Obviously, the goal is to pique your target audience's curiosity so that they want to come and meet you. To do this, you absolutely must offer something that sets you apart and adds value.
For example, youyou can choose to invite influencers to your booth (a personality from the industrial world, among others). Have you also thought about offering gifts or holding a contest to engage your target audience? Organizing a demonstration of your products or services, or even business meetings, can also set you apart from your competitors on the day , because they will also be present at the trade show, don't forget! (And they will be looking for good ideas to differentiate themselves, so don't hesitate to go all out!)
Be active on the big day
We won't dwell on the practical aspects: obviously, for a stand to be effective, it needs to be attractive thanks to its signage, eye-catching... But let's instead focus on the essential elements, which are often much more effective!
Use digital technology to communicate :
Whether it's videos of your booth, photos of it or even of yourself, live social media posts during a demonstration of one of your products... and many other ideas that digital technology makes possible, you can actively boost your profitability at the trade show. In fact, throughout the event, you will need to post regularly on your social media accounts (mainly LinkedIn) or even on your website to entice visitors to come to your booth.
Anticipate the creation of high value-added content :
When you participate in a trade show, all kinds of opportunities come your way: journalists, customers, partners, and even casual visitors. Make the most of them!
On the day of the event, be sure to set aside some time to organize interviews with your customers and journalists, ask for testimonials, etc. Allof this material will help you communicate and build real added value!
Get involved in the show :
Of course, you shouldn't focus solely on your booth, because otherwise you'll lose a lot of potential customers who may not even have noticed you! That's why, to capitalize on your presence and increase your visibility, it's important to participate in conferences, as well as debates or any other activities that may have been organized by the trade show organizers. This will demonstrate your commitment and further increase your visibility!
Capitalize on the return of the trade show!
As soon as you return from the trade show, your first priority should be to follow up on the contacts you have collected. Remember that you have two types of contacts (which should not be left in a drawer)!
⏩On the one hand, there are the leads gathered during the trade show: you will need to thank them for their interest and send them plenty of information about your company and your offerings in order to successfully convert them into customers.
⏩On the other hand, thank all your customers, partners, and suppliers who made the trip to see you, especially by tagging them in your posts or through personal emails.
This step (we admit, it's not the quickest or most fun to do) is essential, as it's where you'll reap the greatest benefits.
Afterwards, you can also use press relations (another way to get the most out of your trade show), especially by sharing what you've learned (without being self-centered).
What's more, you may also receive press coverage from interviews with journalists. The media plays an important role in the communication strategy, which is essential to the success of an event and can significantly improve your economic impact.
As you can see, organizing trade shows is complex and offers a whole host of opportunities to maximize the profitability of your participation! Of course, if you lack the resources to do all this, the MITI team will be happy to assist you 😃
