So you have your space, you know what you are taking to the show. You have your booth and your hotel rooms. Let me ask you this, does anyone outside your company and the show sponsors know you are coming?
Yeah some people may have seen your name in the guide to the show, but besides that have you really marketed your attendance?
Now ask yourself, why not? There are a lot of excuses; budget, it’s the sponsors job, we don’t know anyone, the sun is in my eyes, my shoes are untied.
Yeah excuses.
Did you know that roughly 70% of vendors at a trade show don’t do any pre-marketing? That means if you are in the 30% that does you have a tremendous advantage.
So now that you have decided to be a part of the 30% that do pre-show marketing, what should you do to market your attendance?
The first idea is to check with show management and see what help they offer. Depending of the size of the show and your sponsorship level you might have a great deal of opportunities, some of which are free.
So the best way to decide which ones to do are to evaluate each one on three criteria.
- How much does it cost?
- How much time will it take?
- How much value will it add to your company?
Social Media. Don’t forget to mention your attendance on social media. Check with show management to see if there is a social tag for the event.
Blog articles. Write a blog article about the event and why you are attending. What new feature, service or product will you be exhibiting? (surprisingly this is why 85% of attendees come to show is to see new things)
Emails. A few months before your show start mentioning it in your email newsletters to your customer base. If it is a regional show perhaps you should send a few extra emails to companies in that area. Offer them invites to any event you may be planning in concert with the event.
Want to learn more about how to plan and market for your trade show? Contact 366 marketing and let’s talk.