by Elizabeth Hines | Mar 30, 2017 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Social Media, Strategy
Follow these four steps after the trade show to ensure you’re getting the most out of your lead generation efforts.
This is the third installment in our three-part series about generating leads around a trade show.
After some busy days, the trade show has finally wrapped up. It is easy to get caught up with unanswered emails and other tasks you have neglected by being away from your desk, but this is the time to follow up with the prospects you met at the trade show.
Strike while the iron is hot
The faster you follow up with your leads, the better. Trade shows are busy, and you want to capitalize on the one-on-one time you had getting to know new prospects. The quicker you get back in contact, the greater the chance they will remember you and will be more likely to respond favorably to your follow-up.
Here are four additional tips to help you navigate post-trade show contact with leads.
Winning at follow-up
1. Connect and engage on social media
To convert leads to customers you need to be proactive. Entering leads into a database, or placing the stack of business cards you were handed in the top drawer of your desk, is not proactive. You need to really engage with prospects, and one way of doing so is to connect on social media. Follow prospects on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Create dialogue with them and ask them to follow you on social media as well.
2. Create more content
Trade shows provide great fodder for content. Think about the questions you were asked during the trade show and the challenges that prospects identified. Use this information to create a list of topics that can be addressed in your blog, white papers, eBooks and social media posts.
Similarly, create a list of industry trends that you identified during the trade show. Create fresh, innovative content around these trends, and link your company and products into the content. How does your company fit into these trends? Make sure to highlight any new products that were introduced at the trade show and how they incorporate into these trends.
3. Create a lead nurturing campaign
Companies that nurture leads have a 47% higher profit margin than companies who don’t. Create a lead nurturing campaign that is targeted at your trade show prospects. These campaigns should be relevant, informative, and should provide value to prospects. They should also capture the trade show buzz and move prospects down your sales funnel. Use the content you’ve created from tip #2 to incorporate blog posts and webinars into lead nurturing campaigns.
4. Get on the phone
Don’t be afraid to follow up with prospects on the phone. So many companies rely on email and social media that your personal phone call will go a long way. Keep the call conversational and make sure to address any issues that your prospect identified at the trade show. This will show you were really listening and make a personal connection with the lead. Highlight the new products you introduced at the show, and make the connection between your prospect and your products and services. Tell them how your products and services will work for them.
Attending a trade show is significant investment of time and money. If you want to maximize your trade show ROI and convert leads to prospects and prospects to sales, you need to be proactive and timely. Carve out time as soon as you are back from the show to reach out to those that you met. By engaging your leads, you’ll be getting the most out of your trade show attendance, growing your business and increasing your sales.
Other posts in this series:
by Elizabeth Hines | Mar 29, 2017 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Social Media, Strategy
Follow these four steps during the trade show to ensure you’re getting the most out of your lead generation efforts.
This is the second installment in our three-part series about generating leads around a trade show.
As you enter the convention center, you feel confident in your preparation for the trade show. You have been setting goals, researching your audience, advertising, and creating fresh content to distribute at the show.
But now you are focused on how to stand out amongst the other attendees. How do you promote your brand while you are surrounded by your competitors?
It should go without saying, but having personable, knowledgeable staff that are excited about the show and eager to educate customers is the foundation for trade show success. If potential customers enter your booth, and they are not immediately greeted with a friendly smile and a helping hand, you are missing opportunities for leads.
Once you have established which staff best suits your trade show needs, you can focus on standing out on the floor. Here are four tips to ensure lead generation success while attending the trade show.
Engagement and lead generation at the trade show
1. First impressions last
According to the Harvard Study of Communications, 55% of first impressions are based on visual cues. The way you look, the way you dress, and the appearance of your booth are saying a lot about your brand and products before you even open your mouth.
The visual displays at your booth should sell your brand as much as your staff. Invest the time and money into shirts with your company logo for staff to wear. Have tablecloths that represent your company’s image. And develop presentation boards that highlight new products and services. First impressions are so important because they last. You want to make sure that every person that walks by your booth gets the right impression about your brand.
2. Extend your reach with a giveaway
Cost-effective promotional items not only provide brand exposure, but also can attract quality leads to your booth. Get creative with your giveaways and use them as an opportunity to spread your logo throughout the trade show.
Giveaway items should be unique and useful. For example, promotional products guru Cathy Houston suggests a money clip for your smart phone. “This slim silicone pocket attaches to the outside of any mobile device and is perfect for storing driver’s licenses, credit cards, hotel keycards, business cards, and cash. … It can be useful to attendees right away.” With people constantly checking their phones, this giveaway will be a visual reminder of your booth across the trade show floor.
3. Create an experience
It’s not enough to simply promote your products and services at a trade show. You need to get attendees involved by creating an interactive booth.
The more hands-on, the better. Live demonstrations of new products allow potential customers the opportunity to try out what you are selling. Creating games or contests also gets attendees involved by having them answer questions or engage with your staff. While interacting with attendees, make sure you are capturing their contact information and leading them to your landing page (that you created before attending the show).
4. Make your attendance known on social media
You already have used social media to let prospects know you are attending the trade show. So keep up the posting and tweeting while you are at the show.
Use time-sensitive giveaways to boost booth attendance and promote special sessions and upcoming presentations live from the trade show floor. Videos and pictures of your live demonstrations and contests are sure to create a buzz amongst attendees. Use these posts to continue to push your landing page and let potential customers know what you are up to throughout the trade show.
Creating a presence at a trade show gives you a powerful platform for meeting new customers, reconnecting with existing clientele, and building a more established brand. Exhibiting at a trade show gives you unparalleled access to important prospects, who are taking the time to learn about your products and services. These four tips can help you get the most engagement from your attendance, while collecting leads that will ultimately grow your business and sales.
Other posts in this series:
by Elizabeth Hines | Mar 28, 2017 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Social Media, Strategy
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:
by Elizabeth Hines | Mar 23, 2017 | Big Data, Blog, Current Events, Data/Analytics, Internet of Things, Logistics, Manufacturing & Distribution, Strategy, Supply Chain, Talent, Warehousing & Materials Handling
Our series by MBA students and graduates at Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics highlights some of the most pressing issues in supply chain management today.
A few years ago, the Wall Street Journal called supply chain management the “hot new MBA.” Many universities have been introducing related degree programs, majors, and concentrations in response to a growing demand for new hires with supply chain expertise. Graduates of these programs are heavily recruited by employers, which is helping to attract ambitious, young talent to the industry.
Fronetics had the opportunity to collaborate with some of these rising stars by inviting MBA students from the University of New Hampshire Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics to author guest posts on our blog. They covered a variety of pertinent topics, from the Internet of Things and Big Data to pet food and Chipotle. Their pieces are summarized below.
In the coming weeks, we’ll be partnering with another MBA class at UNH to author a second series of posts covering some of the most pressing issues in supply chain management today. Make sure you receive our blog e-newsletter (sign up to the right) or follow us on social media so that you don’t miss out.
Steve Mondazzi writes about how the Internet of Things is now being used to improve factory workflow, increase material tracking, and optimize distribution to maximize revenues. Everything from turning lights on and off to security systems can be controlled from your smartphone, and that technology is moving to the manufacturing industry. Mondazzi examines Mark Morely’s theory that the IoT will impact the industry in three main ways: pervasive visibility, proactive replenishment, and predictive maintenance. He also explores hurdles to implementation — such middleware and a common protocol for businesses regarding IoT. Read article
Mikayla Cadoret focuses on the barriers to entry in the pet food industry. New brands have three options: manufacture product themselves, choose a co-packer who uses a private label, or choose a co-packer who will manufacture the food to the specifications of the brand. She discusses the challenges of those choices as well as high-profiles recalls resulting from co-packer error. She recommends strategies that companies implement to keep tabs on co-packers’ sourcing and manufacturing. Read article
Nicole Brooks explores Amazon’s mission to be earth’s most consumer-centric company. The e-commerce giant not only offers low prices, it also exceeds consumer expectations and shifts industry standards with benefits like same-day shipping. Brooks examines Amazon’s biggest technological assets, and looks forward to up-and-coming innovations like Kiva robots in warehouses, drones, Prime Air, and Amazon Business. Read article
Corey Ducharme discusses the traditional four-step problem-solving method and how it isn’t effective in solving needle-in-a-haystack issues resulting from limited business resources. Six sigma can address these issue with its six-step process. With the addition of an analysis phase, solutions become more effective, leading to better results and higher revenue for businesses. Read article
David Chadwick explores whether advances in radio-frequency-identification technology (RFID) will render humans obsolete in the supply chain. RFID could dramatically improve efficiency and accuracy in warehouses by reducing the need for human interaction. But it is uncertain to what degree this technology will be implemented in all aspects of supply chain management. Read article
Dario Cavegn discusses how increasing size and complexity of global supply chains open them up to increased risk. Supply chain disruptions can vary from insignificant to extremely threatening. But regardless of disruption size, supply chains can remain resilient with a business continuity plan, which acts as a road map to continue operations during or after a disruption. Cavegn outlines the development process from analysis to feedback. Read article
Josh Hutchins explores the limitations of big data. The real value lies in the analytics applied to the data. As an example, Solid Gold Bomb drove its prospering t-shirt business into the ground from an oversight and misapplication of data. Hutchins concludes that companies must have an intimate understanding of big data applications to avoid a similar fate. Read article
Michael Hickey discusses third-party logistics providers as a resource for a company’s operations arm. 3PLs offer an outsourcing opportunity for order fulfillment, inventory and warehouse management, as well as transportation of finished goods. But businesses should ask themselves these questions when determining whether a 3PL is a good fit for their needs. Read article
Sarah Hebert discusses Chipotle’s high-profile pork-supplier conundrum. The chain cut their pork supply by a third due to a supplier’s violation of their animal welfare standards. While this affected sales by 7-8%, Chipotle embraced the situation as a strategic PR opportunity. But behind the scenes, the company was scrambling to address long-term supply concerns associated with its rapid growth. Hebert asks, “At what point do you scale back the growth for the sake of maintaining brand integrity?” Read article
Connor Harrison discusses GM’s recall of 2.6 million vehicles. The company’s faulty ignition switches were linked to 13 deaths and 31 front-end collisions, but the company managed to contain the crisis. Harrison examines the root causes of the issue, including faulty ignition switches from GM’s supplier Delphi, a strained business relationship, and legal complications. Read article
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by Jennifer Hart Yim | Mar 16, 2017 | Blog, Logistics, Strategy, Supply Chain, Transportation & Trucking
Try these affordable online tools and mobile applications to help the logistics professional control their business.
This guest post comes to us from Adam Robinson, marketing manager at Cerasis, a top freight logistics company and truckload freight broker.
Logistics professionals require exemplary international online logistics tools to help them carry out their daily businesses with ease and deliver the best for their customers. For any developing business, adopting the widely used and affordable technologies is more economical. Mobile phones can offer incredible services in any business from inventory tracking and shipments to the execution of procurement transactions. Let’s base our discussion on online trucking logistics and mobile applications that can be used in supply chain management on a global basis by the logistic professional to control their business.
Top 8 Online Logistics Tools For Logistics Professionals
1. The Scandit mobile application software
Scandit is one of the top mobile online logistics tools used in international logistics in supply chain management. It is an advanced barcode scanner that is capable of extending bar code scanning to technology savvy inventory manager. Unlike other scanners, the scan in Scandal doesn’t have to be perfect to process data as it can scan hard to reach the barcodes with ease. It is also cross-platform enabled to facilitate ease of data sharing across other networks online.
2. The Easy stock mobile application software
This optimization tool for inventories is cloud based. It systematically limits access from the warehouse locations to minimize cost while maximizing on the availability of highly profitable items. It is one of the essential online logistics tools that can help managers forecast, plan the inventories, and a budget for the available resources. Most logistics prefer integrating the use of this app to automate procurement and replenish other processes to raise the profit margins.
3. The Web fleet Android application
The web fleet Android application is an incredible mobile application suitable for retaining control of the daily operations of your workforce. This app can be accessed through web browsing, where the logistic professionals can manage their business in real time just from their phones or laptops at the comfort of their seats. This application will help you track the daily operations 24 hours to ensure the credibility of your workforce and efficiency in your operations.
4. Service Max mobile app
Service Max mobile app is one of the best and top-selling apps in service management field that every logistic professional should consider using. The app combines the integration of service contracts, management of orders, workforce optimization and monitoring of social media customers. It builds an end-to-end service organization view of your relations with the clients who help you analyze the quality of your services and the reactions of the customers towards them. The feedback shared through social media, such as Twitter, by the people using your services helps you to gauge yourself and point out the areas that require improvement.
5. The Co-pilot Android mobile app
Co-pilot Android mobile app is an incredible online logistics tool employed in international logistics. It offers mapping and direction routing. It facilitates navigation through online tracking of your vehicle for efficiency. The application has additional algorithms that help the truck drivers follow efficient routes to avoid traffic and other obstacles that can delay the delivery. It is with a 100% surely that every logistic will be interested in the quick delivery of his/her business services within the shortest time possible which can be catered for using this application. The app also gives the dynamic information of the various navigation routes such as truck height and weight to ensure smooth navigation in the designated routes.
6. The Logistics mobile app
Logistics is a multipurpose free on-line Android mobile application used for on-line tracking logistics. It can be used to track drivers, shipment of goods, vehicles and client’s operations. Every logistic professional should look for this app to increase the visibility of the entire supply chain with the use of a smartphone. This incredible app will help you monitor and track your logistic operations with ease and confidence.
7. The Evernote online mobile application
Evernote, as well as Eduzaurus, has been rated as the best tool used by professional logistics in organizing important files, documents and images and is, therefore, a widespread global application in the field of supply chain management. It is widely known and used in online filing and storage of documents used in the supply chain. It has an added advantage as compared to other supply chain mobile applications due to its ability to record voice memos when you are away through an inbuilt voice recording technology. This helps the manager to track the success of the workforce when away. With this mobile application, it is a guarantee of success to the managers and logistics in file organization field.
8. The Cerasis Rater — A Web-Based Transportation Management System with Companion Mobile App
The Cerasis Rater allows you to process shipments for the following over-the-road modes:
- Less than truckload
- Small Package, also known as Parcel
- Intermodal
- Full Truckload moves
The Cerasis Rater eliminates the manual process of booking shipments. Before using online logistics tools, you’ve most likely wasted time, energy, and money trying to maintain your carrier rates, calling carriers to try and get the best price, and lost efficiency from having to keep up with paper bills of lading. The Cerasis Rater offers many automation & efficiency benefits to include:
- Process your own shipment, at any time, 24/7 through our web-based portal.
- Upload, store, and maintain your shipper address book with pre-population to maintain accuracy and save time.
- Store your custom commodities, and over time the Cerasis Rater puts the most commonly used to the top of the list for faster processing.
- Choose from multiple carriers whose rates are negotiated specifically to your needs within the system, allowing you to not waste time or energy, and to not leave money on the table at the time of shipment.
- Choose carriers based on rate, transit time, and limit of liability to ensure your cargo and your peace of mind are covered.
- Print batch freight quotes, bills of lading, invoices, and labels all within the same system.
- Create, email, and print bills of lading when you are done processing your freight shipment.
- E-mail notification options customized to your needs.
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by Elizabeth Hines | Mar 15, 2017 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Marketing, Strategy, Supply Chain
A supply chain company published one more blog post per week and gained a new customer in one month.
Companies in the logistics and supply chain industries have been hesitant to adopt digital and content marketing because they are unsure about the benefits. We hear it all the time: Who is going to read a blog about my business? How is that going to get me more customers?
Something else we see all the time? How content marketing works for supply chain companies.
You see, the B2B buying process has changed. The vast majority of buyers now go online to research products and services they want to purchase. The proof is in the numbers:
- 94% of buyers reported using online research at some point in the purchasing process.
- 62% of B2B buyers say that a web search was one of the first three resources they use to learn about a solution.
- 95% of B2B buyers are willing to consider vendor-related content as trustworthy.
- 67% more leads were generated by companies with an active blog last year.
- 47% of B2B buyers consume 3-5 pieces of content prior to engaging with a salesperson.
- 51% of B2B buyers rely more on content to research and make B2B purchasing decisions than they did a year ago.
I could go on and on.
Blogging frequency matters
Here’s the rub: Blogging every once and awhile isn’t going to get you results. You need to publish quality content on a consistent basis to attract prospects to your site.
The reality is that the more often you blog, the more traffic and leads you’ll get. Search engines consider posting frequency in their rankings. What’s more, every time you post, you create a new opportunity to be found, to be shared, and to be linked to by other sites.
That being said, you don’t need to post five times a week to be successful. In fact, small steps can go a long way.
Try one more post per week
We often encourage our clients to increase their blogging cadence by just one more post per week. Though some are skeptical of the impact this will have on their traffic and lead-generation efforts, they inevitably find that such a small step can make a big difference.
Take one client of ours, for example.
We suggested moving from publishing one post to two posts per week. The client was unsure this would have any impact, especially for a company in the supply chain industry. But the immediate results spoke for themselves.
After just one month, the client saw the following successes:
- Web traffic increased by 23%.
- Social reach increased by 252%.
- Sales leads doubled. 90% of those leads were sourced from organic search.
- A lead converted to a customer.
All of these results were directly related to the increased blog frequency.
Test it out
The trouble in publishing more posts is balancing resources so that you’re publishing frequently but maintaining value and quality within your content. We’re big advocates of testing to find your personal sweet spot for the amount of posts your organization is able to publish to maximize traffic and leads.
Try publishing one more post per week for one month. Track your KPIs, calculate ROI, and assess whether increasing the blogging frequency is right for your business. You may be surprised at the results.
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