Exhibiting at a trade show can be expensive, and nothing is more frustrating than an exhibit with little traffic. Without proper marketing, even a well-designed booth can go unnoticed in a crowded hall. To maximize ROI, you need a strategy that builds awareness before and during the show. Here are six proven ways to drive more traffic to your trade show exhibit.
1. Create a Branded Landing Page
A dedicated landing page highlights your presence at the show and encourages attendees to visit your booth. Best practices include:
- Adding the page to your main website navigation
- Using visuals and copy that showcase your brand story
- Including a form for demo bookings, meeting requests, or giveaways
A landing page also provides a clear destination to link from emails and ads, making your campaign more cohesive.
2. Optimize with SEO
Search engine optimization ensures your landing page or event blog ranks in search. To make it effective:
- Write at least 300 words with a keyword density under 2.4%
- Add alt text to all images
- Test forms and links to avoid broken experiences
Strong SEO helps potential attendees find you before they even set foot on the trade show floor.
3. Distribute a Press Release
A press release is an effective way to announce product launches, speaking sessions, or sponsorships. Distribution through press wires and industry media creates valuable impressions and drives attention to your booth. Even smaller announcements help position your brand as an active player in the industry.
4. Launch an Email Marketing Campaign
Most shows provide pre-show attendee lists. Use them to build an email sequence that goes beyond “Visit our booth.” Offer a draw, such as:
- A contest or raffle at your booth
- Invitations to hosted events or happy hours
- Sneak peeks at new products
Plan timing carefully—build anticipation months in advance and keep messages consistent.
5. Update Your Email Signatures
Email signatures are an underused marketing tool. Adding a simple message with your booth number and a link to your landing page turns every employee email into a traffic driver. It’s easy to implement and highly visible.
6. Promote on Social Media
Use social platforms to keep your audience informed. Create visuals with your booth number, event hashtag, and clear calls to action. Share behind-the-scenes content, product teasers, and updates during the show. Visual content often performs better than text alone, making it a powerful driver of booth traffic.
Quick Checklist for Driving Exhibit Traffic
- Publish a landing page with signup forms.
- Optimize content for SEO.
- Issue a press release before the show.
- Build an engaging email campaign.
- Add show info to email signatures.
- Share visuals and updates on social media.
Trade shows are too costly to rely on chance. By combining landing pages, SEO, PR, email, and social promotion, you’ll ensure more attendees find and engage with your trade show exhibit. As Absolute Exhibits has seen with clients, consistent marketing efforts make the difference between an empty booth and a high-traffic success.
