While digital marketing is a must-have these days for your business to grow, don’t forget about other marketing efforts! In-person networking is still needed to form lasting-relationships and genuine connections with others.
Exhibitions (also referred to as trade shows) are a powerful marketing tool that many entrepreneurs overlook. These events are specifically designed to gather businesses/startups from specific industries in one location. Potential customers can easily walk from business to business, which allows companies to directly showcase their products and services to them.
This allows you to directly meet with potential customers and form connections. Ideally, the customer will buy directly from you at the exhibition or will start following you on social media.
If this form of marketing sounds appealing to you, keep reading to learn how to use exhibitions in a way that will allow your business to grow.
Pick a trade show targeted at your industry
As you start to look for potential exhibitions, you’ll notice that they’re very industry-specific. This makes trade shows ideal for some businesses, but not for others. In order to successfully market at one, you’re going to need to choose one that is targeted towards your industry. When people visit an exhibition, they’re looking for specific products or services, and if your business doesn’t meet their needs, they’re going to walk right by you. Most trade shows charge businesses to come, so you don’t want to spend money only to have people ignore you.
Choose your location carefully
Even if a trade show sounds ideal for your client-base, think about whether the location will actually allow your business to grow. Some of this requires knowing your audience in advance and knowing the demographics of the area. For example, if the exhibition is taking place in a town that is primarily inhabited by retirees and your products are intended for college students, it probably won’t be worth your time to go.
Use visual displays to draw people in
Once you’re actually at the exhibition, you’re going to need to do something to stand out from the crowd. This is where a highly attractive visual display, such as a large poster or a banner, will come in handy. When designing a visual display, you’ll want to create something that will immediately catch someone’s eye and allow them to quickly learn about your business. Short, simple phrases or series of words is ideal. People that travel to many outdoor exhibitions usually invest in some sort of mobile display, such as these Exhibition Trailers from Showplace, to help themselves quickly stand out in a crowd in a way that establishes a consistent brand.
Be friendly, but not pushy
First impressions count! If you’re trying to sell your products and services to potential clients, you’re going to want to establish a relationship first before trying to make your sale. The mistake some people make at trade shows is forcing their products onto people without making a personal connection. When you see someone approaching you or checking out your visual display, greet them with a smile and make small talk. Once they’re actively engaging with you, start your sales pitch.
Give your audience something to talk about
Depending on what you’re trying to sell, people might not be ready to make an immediate purchase. They’re going to want to look around to see what your competitors are selling. You’re going to need to find a way to remind them of your business even after they’ve walked away from you. This is where a good promotional item or a freebie item with your business name and website will come in handy. Another way to keep them talking is to do a raffle for a larger item. Raffles are also a great way to collect names and email addresses that you can then use to create a newsletter mailing list.
Follow-up after the exhibition
If you do manage to gather email addresses at the exhibition, make sure to follow-up with the people that stopped by. Send them a quick message to say thank you or ask them if they have any questions about your company. If you’re feeling brave, you could also ask them for feedback on how your business could improve to better meet their needs.
Conclusion
Exhibitions aren’t for every business, but if you do find one that is within your industry in a convenient location, it could be worth trying out. In-person networking could help set your business apart from a business that only uses digital marketing.
