Remember Super Size? For just a few cents more, you could get a ridiculously large soft drink and fries. The same holds true for your exhibit presence. Add a few cents to your trade show marketing dollar and your presence can increase exponentially. All you have to do is think outside the box, the exhibit space box, that is.
Whether you have a 10’x10’ or 100’x100’ space, your goals are always the same – leave a lasting impression, attract leads, and convert them to sales. Part of the battle is vying for key attendee time and attention. But, if you already have their attention before they even get to the show, you have the incredible fortune of being able to meet primarily with the people who want to meet with you.
Adopt a 3-Tier Trade Show Process
At TPG, we like to incorporate a 3-tier trade show marketing process: pre-event, at-event, and post-event. If you invest in the first tier and put together a pre-show marketing campaign, you have set yourself up for at-event and post-event success.
Pre-Event Strategies
There are a number of different tools you can use to organize a pre-event trade show marketing campaign. PURL (personalized URL) campaigns invite attendees to visit a personalized URL set up for your event. With a simple PURL campaign you have the opportunity to familiarize attendees with your brand, pique attendee interest, qualify them in advance, and set appointments for an in-person demo or meeting at the show. Another option is utilizing mobile ads. Mobile ads can appear on attendees’ phones while using apps or surfing the web. Geotargeting can send ads to specified IP addresses, ensuring you are targeting the right audience. A pre-event email campaign offering an incentive for a product demo is also a great tool. In fact, all of these tools can be incentivized.
The Payoff
These pre-event strategies are budget-friendly trade show marketing solutions that increase foot traffic. With meetings set in advance, you have an at-event plan in place and a good idea of how many people you need on site to attack that plan. You also have a list of pre-qualified leads that your sales team can convert to customers post-show. So, for a few extra cents on the dollar, you’ve increased your trade show value and Super Sized your presence.
Christina Piedlow, TPG Executive Director