Web Tricks for a Successful Trade Show Experience

Having an active online presence is crucial for most businesses hoping to compete in today’s high-tech world. However, many don’t know that web platforms can be great tools for increasing your success at trade shows as well. Having cohesive online branding focused around your upcoming exhibit can help you get the word out about your show, connect with booth visitors, manage lead information and contacts, and continue your brand marketing after the show ends. For every show your company exhibits at, you should develop a unique, engaging marketing campaign to go along with it. Consider focusing the campaign around a new product or service launch, or a graphic/logo/website redesign. Once you have established your campaign, use the following web tricks to promote it before, during, and after your trade show.

Get the Most out of Email

Email is one of the most traditional and effective online marketing channels, and it is a great way to reach out to trade show contacts. Sending out an email announcing your participation in an upcoming trade show will keep your previous customers and industry contacts in the know. Including information about the show and your booth location will give them the chance to come connect with your staff and check out your exhibit. If it is an industry trade show, there is a good chance that some of your subscriber list will be in attendance. Once the date gets closer, send an updated version of your email campaign with more information about what your visitors can expect to see in your booth. Take this opportunity to get people excited about the show! Ask your subscribers what they’d like to see from your booth in terms of product or interaction. Sending out surveys is a great way to gather information about your prospect and customer base’s interests.

Sending out an email survey after the trade show event is also a great way to improve and streamline your exhibit for future shows. Nurture email campaigns refer to a set of scheduled email sends based off of subscriber interaction. For example, it is a common practice for businesses to send out a “thank you” email after a trade show. A few days after, another email might be sent to subscribers who didn’t open the first in an attempt to reach them a second time. Another email might be sent to a targeted segment of leads generated at the show in order to welcome them to your list. Consider sending a third or fourth email about a month after the show offering an exclusive discount. Make sure all of the emails in your trade show nurture campaign are cohesive and feature the same type of visual branding with engaging, unique content.

Create a Show-Specific Landing Page

Your trade show marketing campaign might not be drastically different from your usual branding, but you should still take the opportunity to feature it like an important company announcement! Presenting your trade show campaign with enthusiasm will help generate some buzz around your brand. Creating a show-specific landing page with a completely new, simplified design will grab the attention of your website visitors. However, be sure to keep your company logo and business name visible to avoid any confusion. A temporary trade show landing page is a great way to promote your exhibit and, at the same time, let visitors know that some of your staff will be out of town for the event.

Live Blog Updates from the Show

Having relevant, quality content on your website is crucial for boosting search rankings and the overall quality of your website. Often web marketers forget that the core purpose of a blog is to keep visitors updated on news and develop a sense of community around a common interest. Because of this, posting to your company blog during the trade show is a great way to keep your readers involved even if they can’t attend. Be sure to make your posts as descriptive and lively as possible. Including video posts is a great way for your followers to see your booth and staff, as well as take a virtual tour of the event. Another idea is to record or transcribe interviews taken at the trade show with influential people in the industry. Include anything that you think your blog readers will be interested in, and be sure to share all of your trade show blog on your social media channels.

Use Social Media to Interact

There are many ways you can use social media to your advantage at your next trade show. In fact, if you aren’t posting about the event so your social media pages, you are probably missing out to your competition. Posting photos to Instagram, tweeting using trade show hashtags, and sharing blogs and discussion points to your Facebook page are all great ways to increase your social engagement while exhibiting at a trade show. Be sure to start a discussion with each of your social media posts– ask questions, gather opinions, and invite your followers to share their opinions and stories.

Another great way to use social media while exhibiting is to incorporate it into your trade show booth. Include your social media usernames on your company literature is a good start, but take it one step further by developing clever, memorable hashtags that are relevant to the trade show. Invite your booth visitors to interact by using the hashtags, or include a photobooth in your exhibit and share the tagged photos on your feed. You could also consider holding contests specifically for your social media followers at the event, which will help you boost brand engagement as well as follower numbers.

Most companies have the bases covered: a decently attractive website and the beginnings of a social media following. However, in order to get the most out of your next trade show, be sure to take advantage of all of your online marketing channels and opportunities. Maintaining a consistent marketing campaign before, during, and after your next trade show will help you boost online engagement and take your brand awareness to a whole new level.