Pre-Show Marketing Tips: Let Them Know You are Coming
All those dollars poured into your exhibit booth. But, will they come now that you have built it? What can you do to stimulate booth traffic ----lots of booth traffic with qualified leads? The biggest booth, the most giveaways, or the best booth location do not guarantee a busy booth.
- Before you go - Decide which shows you will attend within the next year based on who will be there. If you have too many conventions to choose from and your budget is limited, ask your best customers which trade shows they attend. After deciding on your yearly trade show calendar, determine the top two goals you want to achieve at these conferences. If you are struggling with multiple objectives, consolidate your list to one sales goal and one marketing goal for each show.
- Theme it - Build a theme around your goals. A sales-focused theme supports selling a product or service, and highlights the product's benefit to the customer. Determine the one unique benefit of the product and center a promotional splash on that advantage. For your marketing objective, create a theme that promotes an image of your company's essence or culture. Ask yourself, has the company become different, changed, or grown? Is it your customer service, your reputation, your location that makes you stand out?
- Find Names - If the conference is affiliated with a trade association, purchase their mailing list or last year's attendee list. Weed out non-buyers, such as students and other exhibitors. When you receive the list, scrutinize it and make sure there are no duplicates, competitors, or incomplete addresses.
- Get their Atten-shun! - Send a mailer(s) or invitation (s) with visual impact to your qualified mailing list contacts. Integrate the mailer with the one theme, one message already determined for the show. Choose size, design, tone and style that enhance your conference goal. Keep your audience in mind and have a headline that speaks specifically to them. Don't forget to include the who, what, where, when, how, and that one element of surprise to be found only at your booth.
- Give 'em a reason to come - Build suspense with prizes, contests, or incomplete gift pieces that fit your theme. Enticement works wonders in attracting visitors to your booth. A meaningful and irresistible incentive will pull show attendees into a booth where you can give each one individual attention and encourage them to take action.
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— Posted 05/01/2003