Trade Show Marketing Tips for Small Businesses
Trade shows provide invaluable opportunities for small businesses to showcase their offerings, network with industry professionals, and elevate their brand visibility. Brokering the right connections in a B2B environment can skyrocket the success of your business.
In this article, we will explore essential trade show marketing tips so you can maximize your impact at these influential events.
Pre-Show Preparation
Preparing before stepping onto the trade show floor is a must, whether it’s your first trade show or even one you’ve attended before! Start by defining clear goals and objectives for your participation. Whether generating leads, increasing brand awareness, or launching a new product, having a clear roadmap will guide your efforts. The prep may be intensive, but trust us, it will pay off!
Trade Show Booth Marketing
You will need to design an engaging and visually appealing booth that is cohesive with your branding. Trade shows are extremely hectic, so you want something professional yet attention-grabbing! Find out the specs for the space you’re getting and consider the layout, signage, and interactive elements you can use.
If you’re creating signage, remember that due to the scale of the item, you will need very high-quality images to avoid blurring. If you’re unsure if your images are suitable, talk to a digital marketer or designer for a professional opinion.
Information Transfer Tips – Getting info in
If you haven’t been to a trade show yet, you may well imagine talking to people one-on-one, handing out business cards and making real connections there and then. It’s possible! But most people will be with you fleetingly, so we need a concrete plan to give and take valuable information.
If you have a newsletter, consider having a tablet computer where people can sign up at the booth. Just make sure you follow up with everyone the week after the event to keep that connection alive.
Information Transfer Tips – Getting info out
To give people the information they need about your business, a B2B sell sheet is a must-have, but we wouldn’t recommend printing one.
We are an environmentally conscious company, but there is also the reality that people can lose paper extremely easily. Save yourself the printing costs of countless business cards and sell sheets, and instead, opt for a simple table card with a QR code.
When we support trade show participants, this code sends people to a single-page site that has everything a potential B2B partner could need – links to your website, social media, a way to save your contact details, plus a sell sheet and any other information that is crucial to sealing the deal.
Prepare Your Social Media
Over the trade show, you’ll hopefully be drawing some attention to your social media platforms through some content you create while there. First, make sure your social media profiles look up to the task. Change out old headers, logos, and even featured posts to ensure there isn’t a lingering competition or seasonal post there.
Once it looks the part, it’s time to get creative. People new to your social media platform will see your most recent posts and the few after (hopefully!). We recommend creating some product posts and some brand ethos posts that look the part and help to get your message across loud and clear.
Enjoy Your Great Opportunity!
Trade shows can present unrivalled opportunities for small businesses to amplify their presence and connect with other businesses. If your business looks the part, you will feel more confident and professional, which will help you drive people to your business online, where they will be equally impressed! It may feel like just another set of to-dos, but presenting your business as a serious enterprise will pay off every time.
If you’re attending a trade show soon and would like to take advantage of our experience in this field, please get in touch. We’ll have your business looking its best at the trade show and online.
Cyber PR Army Solutions Inc. Digital Marketing Made Easy.
