Considering when to do trade show marketing: it can be a great way to build an industry presence and attract leads.
Trade shows have long been a staple in successful business marketing. However, times have changed, and some are now debating whether industry conferences are obsolete.
Physical Industry Conferences: The Challenge
Today, knowledge acquisition is mostly done through online self-education, such as search engine research, peer reviews, videos on social media sites, or webinar presentations, which leaves physical meetings with little new to offer. Nevertheless, there is still strong lead generation potential for companies with trade show marketing.
Should I Invest in Attending Physical Meetings?
Here are three proven criteria to consider when planning to attend an event:
Your product or service requires face-to-face interaction
Many service-based businesses find it extremely challenging to build trust without an in-person interaction. Does your company operate in an industry where a one-on-one, personalized demonstration of your product would be dramatically more effective? Consider how much more of an impact a face-to-face interaction, or even just the ability to touch and manipulate your product, could provide. Products or services, where quality and trust are the main selling point can offer a much better representation at a conference as opposed to staring at an impersonal computer screen.
You would like to partner with leaders in an industry you are not familiar with
How solid are your inter-industry relationships? It is more beneficial to network with industry players face-to-face and discuss potential partnership opportunities in a single location as this initial contact can help establish a foundation for longer and more prosperous relationships.
You would like to establish a reputation as an industry leader, visionary or coin a new concept in the market
Do you want to make a statement within your industry to let them know your company has “arrived”? Driving traffic to your booth can create a buzz throughout your industry and, through effective trade show marketing, you can educate potential clients as to why your solution is the best way to invest.
Event Preparations
Before you attend your trade show, be sure to speak with us. We may be able to provide some good advice on what needs to be done in order to be fully prepared for the industry conference. This includes recommendations on booth location and how to land a speaking opportunity that would drive traffic to your booth. Additionally, we can help expedite your booth design process, and ensure that it is consistent with the positioning strategy and branding of your sales/marketing material.
Apply trade show marketing tactics to gain ROI, and additionally, consider investing in online webinars and social media marketing solutions to complement your overall strategic plan.
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