Follow these four steps ahead of the show to ensure you’re getting the most out of your lead generation efforts.
This is the first installment of a three-part series about generating leads around a trade show.
As thousands of us prepare for our travels to Chicago to attend ProMat 2017, many are wondering: How can I maximize my time? What can I do to stand out? What will help me generate the most new business?
These are important questions — ones that deserve careful thought and strategy. So we created a three-part series to help you make the most of your next trade show.
In this first part, we will focus on the prep work you can do before heading to your trade show that will set you up for success.
Pre-show prep in 4 steps
With over 850 exhibitors attending ProMat this year, it is important to start the work of nurturing leads before you even leave your office. Strategically planning for this event can help you get the most out of your trade show experience, and get you the leads to grow your business and increase your sales.
Here are four tips to get you started on the right track.
1. Set clear goals
Why are you attending ProMat? What do you hope to gain from your attendance, in addition to leads? Understanding why you are attending a trade show is the foundation for creating what you want to achieve from your presence.
For example, if your goal is to boost your social media presence, make sure every handout, landing page, and face-to-face interaction includes a request to like your company on Facebook (or other social media sites). Or if you are hoping to educate potential customers on a new product, work on creating exciting new marketing handouts and presentations that can be displayed during the trade show.
2. Research your audience
Focusing on who will be attending the show can give you invaluable insight into the motivation behind their attendance and how you can best capture their attention.
Performing prospect research using the list of attendees — including anyone who has given you their contact information through social media, your landing page, or website — provides added awareness about your target audience. You can also go one step further and reach out to high-value prospects on your social media sites to step up a meeting time during the show.
3. Advertise, advertise, advertise
Your company has spent valuable resources to attend the show, so make it known that you’ll be there. Reach out to customers, attendees, and contacts through your social media outlets. Most trade shows have event-specific hashtags (#ProMat) to help spread the word on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Make sure to include your booth number and location, if possible. Get creative with fun teaser videos to engage with potential customers and get them curious about your new products. Creating an event-specific landing page to channel your prospects into one location, giving you a place to answer questions, create a running list of leads, and continue to promote your presence at the trade show.
4. Create content to distribute
It’s imperative to have content (brochures, templates, etc.) that highlights your brand and products. You should create content that can be distributed during the show that supplements your booth staff, helping them to educate and answer questions.
For example, you can create copies of a presentation you are giving. This allows attendees that cannot attend the presentation to still obtain the valuable information and affords you the opportunity to expand upon the presentation. Preparing these handouts ahead of time allows you to skip the last-minute scramble and focus on being present at the show.
These four tips can get you started on your journey to a successful trade-show experience. Using inbound marketing and social media tools, you are already ahead of your competitors before you even arrive at the show.
Other posts in this series: