How to Promote Your Business at a Trade Show
After two years of solitary confinement, trade shows are coming back strong. People are craving a personal and authentic experience, including your prospects and customers, and trade shows are one of the best ways to connect with them. Because of this, it’s essential that you include trade shows as part of your brand promotion strategy.
If you’re not sure where to start, keep reading this article. We’ll give you a brief overview of trade show marketing and how you can start designing your very own trade show booth.
Are Trade Shows an Effective Marketing Strategy?
Competition is fiercer than ever, and if you’re going to be successful, you have to take advantage of every opportunity to promote your business.
Trade shows are unique because, unlike digital and print marketing, they put you face to face with your potential customers, allowing you to build invaluable personal relationships. Instead of cold calling customers to get leads, you’ll get to communicate with potential buyers who are genuinely interested in what you are selling. Overall, trade show marketing is a great way to get your brand in front of a very targeted audience.
Organizing Your Trade Show Booth or Display
Trade show marketing is pretty straightforward, but it can also be complicated. There are a lot of little details and tasks to keep track of. If you’re planning a display for the first time and feeling a little overwhelmed, here are a few tips to help you stay organized:
- Plan ahead. We recommend starting your preparations at least a year in advance. Make a checklist of everything you need to do and add to it as you go along. Consider what size exhibit booth you’ll need, what type of banners and displays you’ll have, and what products and samples you’ll want to show.
- Consider your budget. Trade show expenses can pile up quickly. Consider booth space rent and venue fees. Add in travel and transportation expenses, meals and lodging, and other incidentals. Always have a safety margin in your budget for unexpected costs, which brings us to our next point.
- Drayage rates. Many first-time exhibit marketers either don’t know about or fail to fully comprehend drayage rates. This refers to the transportation rates that venues will charge you. There is no way to lower these rates, as they are pre-set before the event. The rates are calculated based on hundredweight (CWT), and some venues may even have minimum CWT requirements. We can’t emphasize this enough: make sure you are familiar with your venue’s rules and regulations surrounding drayage rates.
- Plan your marketing strategy. Think about using social media and email to advertise your presence at the show in advance.
- Plan your post-show follow-up. Decide how you’re going to touch base with the leads and contacts you made at the show. Then, get your team together for a mission debriefing to identify problems and successes.
Working With a Trade Show Design Company
If this is your first trade show experience and you’re starting from scratch, trade show display companies can give you a handsome return-on-investment. An experienced trade show design company can help you design a booth based on your unique needs.
They’ll also have the expertise to advise you on the best way to market your brand, including how to integrate technology into your displays for optimum visual impact. Some companies may also offer trade show display rentals that allow you to test drive a trade show or two before you invest in your own equipment.
Learn More About Trade Show Marketing Today
GraphiColor Exhibits has over 40 years of experience designing all types of trade show exhibits. Let us help you create yours. If you have questions about trade show marketing, or would like to request a free consultation, please contact us today.
