In this digital age, when most of your marketing budget is spent online, trade fairs are an excellent medium for promoting a firm and generating a high return on investment (return on investment). While the actual return on investment from trade shows varies widely depending on how well a company’s trade show marketing operates, most respondents to a study said they are confident or very confident that they will experience a more robust return on investment from trade shows the year over year. Major trade fairs such as CES (Consumer Electronics Show), Car shows worldwide, and the New York Toy Fair include business-to-business marketplaces. At the same time, some do attract a small number of consumers and a considerable press presence.
The number of trade exhibitions held each year continues to rise, owing to their effectiveness in connecting prospective clients with the products and services they require to grow their businesses. Trade exhibitions are a compelling marketing approach since they can present visitors and attendees with insurmountable possibilities at very low prices. Because of the human connection and tactile options to experience things face-to-face, trade show opportunities differ from those ordinarily available through online marketing. Trade exhibitions can help a company generate new leads, increase sales, introduce new companies to clients, and raise brand awareness.
Getting the most from your collaboration, your trade show marketing must avoid frequent blunders, widespread during your first appearance. To that end, here are five blunders to avoid when preparing for your first trade show appearance.
Attending The Incorrect Fair
Please don’t get us wrong. We’re not attempting to downplay the importance of some trade exhibitions. However, it’s crucial to note that not all trade exhibitions are appropriate for your industry. As a result, you should do your homework before attending a show.
When deciding which trade exhibitions are suitable for you, keep the following in mind:
Attendees — are there a lot of people who fit your target market?
Costs – trade shows may be rather costly. Trade exhibitions are generally a company’s second-largest marketing spend after advertising. Enter trade shows where the potential return on investment justifies the cost.
The competition – you want the event to have as few competitors as feasible. However, the same features that make a trade fair appealing to you also appeal to your competitors. To get started, go to smaller events with fewer competitors.
Many trade fairs include information to help you decide whether a particular event is suited for you, which can help you enhance your trade show marketing. Attendee demographics, purchasing habits, job titles, and other information are frequently available for each show, as well as cost information and other companies that are attending or have previously attended. This, along with other information, helps you decide whether or not to attend a trade fair.
Poor Displays
The success of the booth exhibit is determined by how well it is planned. People come to your booth based on displays, one of several stacked next to one another and competing for their attention. To that purpose, the display should be colorful and engaging and explain your value proposition in a few words and graphics, much like a billboard. Furthermore, your display should express what you sell and why attendees should learn more about the products.
A tight budget is not the place to scrimp. People will not stop at your booth if your display clearly describes who you are and what you do.
You should think about trade show backdrop ideas as well. Remember that the goal of trade exhibitions is to capture people’s attention and use it to your advantage. Your trade show will fail regardless of how unique your presentations are if you don’t build vibrant, engaging displays.
There is no clear goal
While the primary goal of attending a trade show is to get your name out there, clear goals are essential. A well-defined goal not only keeps you motivated but also allows you to measure your progress.
What are your goals for attending a trade show? Do you need to produce high-quality new leads, or are you simply looking to connect with new business partners and raise brand awareness? Determine what you want to accomplish during a trade show and devise strategies to help you reach your objectives. Setting clear, SMART goals not only improves your chances of hitting your aim but also enables you to decide what needs to be done or improve for your next performance.
Using Untrained Booth Personnel
Your employees must be more knowledgeable about your items than everyone else. Remember that you’ll be competing with other businesses that have knowledgeable employees about their product and company. As a result, ensuring that your booth crew is well-informed is only the first step.
As a result, you’ll need something to help your employees stand out from the crowd – employees who provide exceptional service, in-depth insight, and help solve real-world customer problems by listening to their concerns and leveraging their product knowledge to show how your products benefit both your business and the customer. Training is necessary for your employees on how to interact with customers, listen, ask the right questions, and deliver your product in the manner that you desire.
Before the presentation, train your crew to understand the mission and have the opportunity to ask any questions they may have. In this way, you will have a well-prepared team to help you achieve your goal of attending the trade show.
Furthermore, your employees should be approachable. Instead of simply hawking their wares, influential staff members promote conversation, shake hands with as many people as possible, and provide solutions rather than wait to engage them.
Lack Of Interaction
We’re sure you wouldn’t appreciate being ambushed by trade show staff. In addition to engaging guests, as discussed in the previous section, you should avoid using bullying tactics to influence them. Offer something valuable to the attendee. If they insist on walking past you, simply shift your focus to the next passerby.
Engaging with attendees interactively is a great way to win them over if you don’t already know. Rather than ambushing individuals, you should create an environment that draws them in. For example, tech businesses frequently send out robots or drones to lure guests to their booths or hire actors in costume to draw attention to their booths. Attendees are also drawn to working models, games, and other interactive activities.
If you’re planning to give away freebies, make sure they’re valuable to attendees, and employ a gadget that collects contact information, such as a fishbowl with a prize drawing to motivate guests to drop in their business cards to optimize the return on these freebies. Alternatively, in exchange for a freebie, participants must share something about your company with their social networks. At trade exhibitions, picture booths are becoming more common, allowing participants to share photos with their social networks that include their logo.
Conclusion
How are you faring in these five crucial trade show categories? Consider yourself among the elite if you just make one of these errors, as these blunders are pretty prevalent. Choosing the one that needs the most work first doesn’t matter if you make more than one. After that, move on to the next. And suppose you don’t make any of these typical blunders. In that case, you’ll be ahead of your opponent, who will almost certainly still be ahead of you.