According to Marketing Sherpa, trade shows are in the top spot as the most effective B2B marketing platform. They have surpassed paid search, email marketing and websites. It is time for B2C businesses to take trade show marketing more seriously and use them to market more efficiently and effectively.
These three trade show marketing tips can help you build an effective event marketing strategy.
- Invite the attendees to join your email list so they can receive you communications. Most people at trade shows know that getting their badges scanned means they will be receiving emails from a number of vendors. After you have scanned their badges, let them know that you’ve added them to an email list which gives them a chance to unsubscribe. Attendees get bombarded with email after a trade show, you don’t want them to consider you as spammy.
- Use content that’s related to the event. When you connect with someone after the show, you have the show in common. Think about any time you meet a friend of a friend someplace: most people are inclined to say, “so how do you know so and so?” Talking about what you have in common progresses conversation naturally. An email sparks a conversation with a prospect, so make them feel comfortable by talking about what you have in common. Create live content at the event, such as videos, tweets, or session overviews, to use in emails, or use content that’s related to the topics featured at the event.
- Develop a lead-nurturing campaign, and create as much of it before the trade show as possible. Unless you attend a much targeted event, your event lead pool will be very diverse. Don’t mistake the attendees for warm leads and try to sell immediately. Nurture the leads until your sales team can effectively determine which ones are worth their time. When you build out a nurture program before an event, you’re ready to send it right after an event. In the aftermath of an event, you need to sell to your leads while the event is still hot on their minds. If you have to scramble to build emails and get approval after an event, your emails won’t be created as effectively, and you’ll lose interest from leads.
For more information or for assistance with your trade show exhibit, contact The Exhibit Source.
B2C
