A trade show presence is critical for any brand that wants to be taken seriously.

It’s also one of the best ways to reach your target audience, boost sales, and improve your bottom line. That’s why the number of offline and online trade shows is increasing yearly. According to IBISWorld, the revenue from trade shows and conferences grew at a CAGR of 0.9% to around $21.7 billion in the last five years.

But it’s not as simple as just setting up a booth in an exhibit hall and hoping for the best. You need to promote your business before you even get there. In this article, we’ll discuss some pre-trade show marketing strategies that will help ensure you have a stellar presence at every event.

The Importance of a Trade Show Presence

Trade shows are an excellent way to reach new customers. You can meet existing customers, build brand awareness, and develop supplier relationships. They’re also a great way to ensure you’re keeping up with technology and trends in your industry, which will help you stay competitive in the long run.

Trade shows are one of the most effective ways for businesses to grow their sales, whether they are small mom-and-pop shops or large corporations with hundreds of employees working together toward common goals like increasing revenue streams through innovative products or services offered by each member within their respective departments while simultaneously reducing overhead costs associated with operating such an enterprise.

It remains one of the highest ROI marketing channels in the face-to-face sphere. Trade shows also make meeting new prospects less costly. According to research, meeting a new prospect at a trade show costs $142 per meeting, compared to over $250 to meet the incumbent face-to-face at their location. Hence, the more attendees, the more prospects you can get and the more money you can save.

Pre-Trade Show Marketing Strategies for Ensuring Success

Every trade show presents a unique opportunity to make an impression on potential customers, but it’s also essential to ensure you’re prepared. This marketing right before your trade show can significantly increase the number of attendees. According to CadenceSEO, digital marketing can help solidify your online presence and raise awareness about your event.

There are several marketing strategies you can use beforehand.

Seek Help From Professional Digital Marketing Agencies

A trade show can be a great way to meet new clients and win over potential clients. But if you don’t have the right strategy, it’s easy to waste time and money on ineffective marketing tactics. To ensure your trade show experience is as successful as possible, have a team of experts helping with everything.

Digital marketing consulting firms can help you with all the tasks related to pre-trade show marketing. They can help you create content, develop a marketing campaign, send emails, streamline your brand’s value with the booth’s content and design, etc. With marketing consulting experts by your side, you can rest assured that you will be able to reach a wider audience and attract more potential visitors to your trade show.

To find these experts, start by asking around. You may already know someone who can recommend an agency or two based on their own experiences working with them. If not, there are plenty of ways online where people share their experiences with businesses.

Identify Your Target Audience

By now, you should have a good idea of your target audience. If not, take some time to figure it out. Your trade show will be much more successful if you can identify and target the people most likely to buy from you.

For instance, last month, the CAI Greater Houston chapter trade show was held to build community relationships and facilitate face-to-face interactions among industry professionals. In such an event, the audience will be people owning a home in the Greater Houston area or someone who runs a business there.

Related: Main Types Of Trade Show Displays

Utilize Email Marketing

Email marketing is a great way to promote your trade show presence. You can use email marketing to get people interested in attending your booth and learning more about your offer. If they sign up for an email list, they’ll receive updates on new products and special offers, making them more likely to visit again at the next show.

You should also consider adding some incentive for signing up for the newsletter, maybe even a coupon code or free shipping code if they purchase something from your online store within 30 days of signing up.

Leverage Social Media

Social media is a great way to get your message out there and build a community around your brand. It’s also a great way to share information about your company and products and provide opportunities for customer engagement.

Social media platforms are also excellent for non-paid marketing. Moreover, any business in any industry can leverage these platforms, as all audiences use them. For instance, manufacturing marketers can leverage the power of social media tools like FaceBook, which has a usage rate of 86%.

Create Compelling Content

The content you create for your trade show booth should be customized to your audience. If you’re an insurance company, that means making information that helps people understand how to protect their homes and cars. If you sell software, it might mean providing tips on using the product effectively in their daily lives.

In addition to being relevant and informative, your trade show booth content should be entertaining, even if only slightly so. When they come away feeling like they’ve learned something valuable from interacting with the brand’s representatives, those same people will likely become repeat customers because of how well-informed they feel about using whatever products or services were being showcased at this particular event.

Collaborate with Influencers

One way to get your brand noticed is through influencers. Influencers have a large social media following and can help you promote your brand, reach a new audience and build your brand.

If you plan on attending an event as part of your marketing strategy, consider partnering with an influencer with experience speaking at trade shows or events like yours. They may also be able to provide insight into what types of booths will be most effective at attracting the right kind of attention from attendees and make sure they know how important it is that they stay put.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many ways to market your brand at a trade show. You can make your presence memorable and engaging by leveraging the right tools and strategies. The key is knowing what works best for your audience and incorporating those elements into everything from graphics to messaging.

Read Also:

• Why You Should Invest in an Interactive Trade Show Display
• 5 Things to Give Away at Your Next Trade Show Booth
• The Advantages Of A Trade Show Tent