With advances in social media marketing and Internet technology, like webinars, Google hangouts and video conferencing, the value and benefits of marketing via trade shows comes up. Though technology is changing marketing at a rapid pace, there are several benefits from having a exhibit presence at a trade show.
These six key benefits are why your business must have a trade show marketing presence:
1. Tradeshows Create Lasting Impressions If Done Right
The main purpose of trade show events is to showcase a wide variety of options for attendees and business to engage and interact with each other. With a well-designed trade show booth that draws attendees’ attention, a few promotional items, a contest opportunity with giveaways and sales collateral, you have a well-rounded booth experience that leaves an impression with a prospective customer for months. Consider having attendees enter a drawing by submitting a business card or completing an action on social media. These types of promotions serve dual purposes: increasing engagement and capturing potential contact information as well.
2. Trade Shows Are Incredible Face-To-Face Marketing Events
When it comes to influencing a decision, nothing can compete with face-to-face interaction. Trade shows provide opportunities to engage with current customers and attendees. It doesn’t matter whether you’re marketing a service or selling your new product, an in-person presentation and short question based conversation afterwards can help you to close the deal quickly versus an email sharing the latest sales promo. This makes pre-show planning key to trade show success. If you’ve got an employee who is a natural at “turning on the charm” or one who is great at relationship selling, should be a no brainer on them being a part of the sales team. The cost to bringing them to your next trade show event could pay for itself within hours of the show starting.
3. Tradeshow Lead Generation Potential
When it comes to trade show benefits, this is one of the biggest. Major trade shows have massive followings and attendance. For example, the Consumer Electronics Show in 2014 had over 152,000 attendees on the trade show exhibition floor from more than 150 countries. Each attendee of a trade show is a potential lead waiting to be captured. Having QR codes linked to social media accounts or lead generation pages, asking for contact information during a presentation and getting their business cards are all great ways to get fresh leads in your sales pipeline. Make it clear to them that you’ll be contacting them after the show. Make sure to follow up with the candidates most likely to buy while the event is still fresh in their mind.
4. Trade Shows Target Audiences Result In Direct Sales Opportunities
Most conventions and trade shows have a specific market or niche they focus on. By exhibiting at popular trade shows within your industry, the odds are very high that you’ll have exposure to an audience that is likely to have an interest in your product or services and are ready to buy. ALWAYS have something to sell at a trade show. It doesn’t matter if you only bring your latest products or have a wide variety of products to choose, the opportunity to generate sales shouldn’t be lost because you didn’t have something for them to buy. Don’t miss out on that sale!
5. Trade Shows Are Cost-Effective Networking and Advertising
Designing a trade show booth, renting space on the trade show floor, traveling to the show and from the show, paying for lodging and meals can seem like a steep price tag for a single marketing event. If you’ve done the pre-show marketing work leading up to the show, the potential that a trade show offers your business can far exceed the investment. Though you might have a larger initial investment to showcase your business at a trade show than other advertising or networking methods, the cost to convert a prospect into a sale is often much lower than other alternatives. With proper research and planning, trade shows are one of the most cost-effective sources of leads and sales possible.
6. Trade Shows Level The Marketing Field
One my favorite benefits to trade show marketing is the low cost barrier to get involved. From locally owned small businesses to multinational corporations, everyone has access to the same attendees at a trade show. It’s almost as simple as paying for your exhibit location space, designing your trade show display booth, promoting your business leading up to the trade show and interacting with the audience during the show. Even a relatively unknown business can generate large numbers of sales and leads through trade shows. Certainly this is possible via other marketing channels, but few are as easy to execute as trade shows can be.
Trade shows offer big benefits to businesses of any size. By combining exposure to a large number of potential leads with the ability to interact personally, trade shows offer an experience for both the business and attendee that other forms of marketing cannot. Though virtual events and other technologies are slowly gaining popularity, few marketing methods compete with the potential of trade shows.
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