A trade show can be your perfect ticket to board the target market. Such local and international events have a long tradition, and if you want to reach your target audience, one of the best ways to do that is through promotion on a trade show. Given that the fairs have a large number of visitors, you can expect to find bunches of potential future clients right here. But in order to achieve the desired results, you have to turn this idea into action. Just appearing at an event like this isn’t enough. Successful performance requires a pre-prepared marketing strategy which will guide the entire presentation process. Although it sounds simple, implementing a successful plan requires a lot of work that’ll precede appearing behind the stand at the fair. Also, you’ll need to set aside some money from the company’s budget that’ll be used for the best possible presentation you can think of.
This type of promotion isn’t only intended for newly opened companies, but also for improving the business of the existing ones. If this is your first time in the role of marketing manager at such gatherings, you are in the right place. This article will guide you through the whole process and show you the steps you need to take. If this isn’t your first participation, well, then it’s time to learn how to correct the mistakes you have made so far or improve the good things even more.
1. Define what you want to achieve
The first step towards achieving the desired success and establishing a good marketing plan is to define goals. What is it that you want to achieve with your appearance? What target groups do you want to get attention from? What impression do you want to leave? All of these are the major questions you need to ask yourself as an owner or marketing manager when you find out that a trade show will be organized soon and feel that you want to form part of it.
Different companies have different goals. Some will want to introduce themselves and be noticed, others will want to let customers know that they are constantly present in the market, while some will want to improve their current sales and attract more customers.
Whatever the motive, this step is crucial because you’ll eventually be able to compare your goals with what you have really achieved. Goals shouldn’t be too high and unattainable, but realistic and possible with sufficient quality commitment.
2. Inform the public about your participation
Another important task to do before starting a trade fair is advertising. As soon as the organizators announce this year’s fair to the public, the next information that should reach them is that you will be one of the participants. You have to be present in all the media and fight for your position in this sphere – only then will you have all eyes on you.
There are many ways to achieve this, but given the competition that will probably emerge, you need to find a way to be noticed and stand out from the crowd. The least you can do is use social networks for promotional purposes. And we don’t doubt that, as a company, you already have your business profiles. Be present on the radio, television commercials, or banner ads – basically, wherever you can.
Make sure your performance doesn’t look too intrusive, as you can easily achieve the opposite effect. So, avoid harassment by phone calls and SMS messages – sending an email is more acceptable, but be careful not to overdo it.
3. Think about some ways to organize your stand
You know those situations when you enter the main fair hall and the first thing that catches your eye are the most prominent stands, with large banners or slogans? This is exactly the impression you want to leave on visitors, too. This might be what will attract them to come to you right away. Luckily, organizational help awaits everyone who struggles with such skills – so if you click here, you can see some great ideas that professional services like Strike provide to their customers.
In addition to the appearance of the booth itself, you must make sure that it contains everything you need. This includes information brochures, flyers, and business cards with your contact details and branch addresses to help potential customers find you.
But, this is just the beginning – basically, the visitors will find this at every other stand. You have to stand out from the rest – therefore, organize a prize game, a wheel of fortune, or get a mascot that will attract everyone’s attention. Let the gifts be T-shirts, caps with your logo, vouchers, or some of your products so that the winners can try them out and return to you if they like them.
Don’t forget the obligatory snacks and drinks – another way to make sure that everyone who passes by will remain next to your stand for a while. This will give you enough room to promote your business and make new contacts.
4. Take this opportunity to launch new projects
If you’re currently preparing new projects you want to refresh your business with, a trade show will be a great opportunity to present them to the public. This might be the main motive for the arrival of numerous visitors, so don’t let yourself miss such an opportunity. People can’t wait to see something innovative, as the last year’s products probably lost their popularity.
A good example is the car show, where you can see the latest models that have been worked on diligently all year round. The world’s car manufacturers don’t miss such opportunities and in a large number of cases they find buyers for the latest models precisely at shows like these. Find a role model in them and take advantage of the great fluctuation of different people that are almost guaranteed in this case.
5. Summarize the achieved results and continue to monitor the development
In the end, you still have to observe your own results. Make sure to analyze your participation in the trade show, as in that way you’ll gain the best insight into whether this type of presentation was of great importance for your business.
Summarize what was good from what you did, as well as what would be good to change or improve at the next presentation. If you’ve peeked through the competition’s stands and ideas, you may have gotten some inspiration for next year that can help you achieve even better success.
Most importantly, you mustn’t act as if that’s the end. We have news for you – this is just the beginning. Now is the time to take advantage of all the contacts you managed to gather during the event. Contact clients, check their impressions, and listen to their suggestions and critics. That can direct you on an even better path, because, after all, the client is always right.
With good marketing management that includes the application of these tips, you can’t go wrong – so take advantage of participating in events like this to reach even more people and improve your business!