Trade show attendance can be highly valuable for companies. However, preparing for a show can come at a high cost. Therefore, if you make the most of your presence, you want to focus on maximizing your exhibit ROI.
Seizing every opportunity begins with strategic planning to ensure you can meet the right target audience and set the most appropriate budget to win them over. Ultimately, planning is the pillar of trade show success. Elements of your planning will include:
- Review and research the particular trade in terms of suitability for your target and your business
- Budget calculations in terms of what you can afford and whether it will be sufficient
- Display design to make a memorable impression that stands out from the crowd
- Marketing material for informative and promotional purposes using brochures, freebies, etc.
- Professional manned and trained presence on the stand
But the benefits of the trade show don’t stop when the event is over. On the contrary, you can still boost the event ROI for your business.
Arrange for public relations teams
Not every customer or lead will attend the event. More and more people avoid crowded events as there are still covid-19 concerns. Therefore, attending the event doesn’t support brand positioning for people who didn’t visit. So, instead, you can share your latest news at the time and just after the trade show via a public relations expert.
Your PR person can handle press release information, communication about what has been displayed during the event, and positive commentary about the brand’s reception among the trade show visitors.
Share BTS content after the show
Behind-the-scene content occupies an unusual spot in the social media sector. It displays the content of a past event or a known product; hence there can be no unwanted spoiler. It also contributes to making the business more personable as it is the perfect opportunity to introduce the staff who’ve worked hard to make the event happen. More importantly, BTS content can maximize visibility through trending trade show hashtags even days after the event. Sharing videos and photos of the preparation and the work that went into the event can boost brand awareness.
For salespeople, BTS photos can also commemorate client meetings, which provides an excuse to get in touch and close those deals!
Follow-up strategy
Trade show visitors rarely agree on a deal during their visit. Many collect information material from the different brand displays for future comparison. Therefore, the days after the event, these visitors are more likely to be responsive to targeted follow-up campaigns.
Some examples of successful follow-up activities include:
- A personalized end-of-show email thanking visitors and sending specific information and demos based on their interests
- An interactive digital quiz to help them identify which of your services is best suited for their needs
- A competition to win a free consultation
All these activities can be part of a strategic workflow campaign, gradually shaping visitors into leads and clients.
The activities after the trade show are crucial to enhancing the event’s ROI. Statistically, very few visitors decide to sign a deal at a trade show. The central part of the event-related sales revenue is likely to occur after the trade show. That’s why your post-show strategy plays a significant role in making event attendance profitable for the business. After the trade show is still the trade show.
