According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), 76% of trade show attendees pre-select the exhibits and companies they will visit before they leave for the show.
This fact makes pre-show marketing one of the most important aspects of successful exhibiting. Communicating about your company’s participation in a particular show is the only way attendees will know that your company is there, ultimately generating more qualified leads and increasing the ROI.
Here are several ways you can increase your visibility on the trade show floor, before you even arrive.
- Direct Mail-an oldie but a goody. Many people still like receiving items in the mail, as opposed to the mass amount of emails they get daily. Always make the direct mail piece visually appealing, uniquely shaped so it stands out, send it first class mail and schedule it to arrive 10 days before the show. Tip: Purchase the show’s current registration list to market to.
- Social Media– today’s society is very heavily saturated in technology and up-to the minute social media posts. The millennial generation is obsessed and gets most of their information from social media, so you might as well take advantage of it. Daily Twitter and Facebook posts promoting your presence at your next trade show is a good way to reach this audience. Tip: Be sure to use hashtags or social media links.
- Newsletters– more than likely, your company already sends out weekly or biweekly newsletters. Take advantage of this by adding a graphic at the bottom of your newsletter several weeks leading up to the show. Tip: Be sure to include the preregistered show attendees.
- Blogs-if your company blogs this is a good outlet to reach your customers. Write about what you are bringing to the show, why people should visit your exhibit and anything special you may have going on.
- Press Releases-this is a great way to let the general public and media outlets know about your presence at an upcoming trade show. This is especially important if you are launching a new product. Tip: Make sure you to include newsworthy information.
- Advertise-in show publications. This is a good way to reach the 14% of potential customers who don’t preplan their trade show experience.
Remember to include the important details, such as your booth number, hall location and include the details of anything that is out of the ordinary happening within your exhibit, such as show only specials.
A study conducted by Deloitte and Touche showed that the conversion of booth visitors to qualified leads rose 50% when pre-show promotion was implemented. It’s important to remember that you are not the only company sending out preshow communications. Which means, in order for you to entice them to visit your exhibit your pre-show communication must stand out as much as your exhibit. Pre-show marketing is one of the easiest ways to propel yourself to become the qualified #leadschamp of your company, but only if it’s done right. Contact the experienced staff at Apple Rock to see how we can help plan and execute your preshow communications.
