One of the most disappointing things about exhibiting at a trade show is if you don’t quite get enough traffic to your trade show exhibit. It can be hard to gauge ROI when it appears nobody is stopping by your exhibit. Worse, it can feel like you paid a lot of money for very little result. Have you considered how you’re marketing your trade show exhibit? Fear not, we’ve got the tips to help you drive more traffic to your trade show exhibit.
Create a Landing Page
If you’ll be exhibiting, try creating a branded landing page to drive more traffic to your trade show exhibit. Landing pages are a great way to discuss your presence at a show and to pique your leads, prospects, and customers’ attention. Consider adding this landing page to your top level navigation on your website to attract all website visitors. Best practices dictate that your landing page should be colorful and attractive, include a form for people to fill out for a giveaway or to book a demo, meeting, etc… and include copy that encourages people to visit your trade show exhibit.
SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is an important aspect of marketing. This is what will help your content rank in search engines. Whether used on your landing page or in a blog on your website, it’s important to consider SEO. Best practices dictate that your content should have over 300 words and your SEO keyword density should remain below 2.4%. Make sure your pictures also have alternate titles using desired keywords and any forms or links are working properly. There’s no use going to the trouble of creating a landing page or blog to advertise your trade show exhibit, creating great on-site SEO and then have forms and links that don’t work. These don’t rank and won’t be of a benefit to your leads, prospects, or customers who may be interested in visiting your trade show exhibit.
Write a Press Release
The power of the press is immense. If you’re going to be launching a new product, speaking at a break out session, sponsoring, or simply exhibiting, a press release is a great way to gain attention and drive people to your trade show exhibit. Whether you choose a small press distribution service or a larger enterprise service, press wires are able to push information to a variety of different industry and news sites. Each of these publications could potentially produce hundreds of thousands of impressions, which could translate into more traffic at your trade show exhibit.
Up the Ante with an Email Marketing Campaign
Most trade shows offer pre- trade show attendee lists. Using a little resourcefulness, you can obtain the emails these lists often leave out in order to send out an email marketing campaign. Decide how far out you’re going to begin asking people to come to your trade show exhibit, messaging, timing, and tone. If you’re emailing attendees for 3 months, you don’t want to just say come visit my trade show exhibit. Offer a draw. Consider messaging such as a raffle at your trade show exhibit, an invite to a hosted bar at your trade show exhibit, and more.
Update Your Company Email Signatures to Advertise Your Trade Show Exhibit
Imagine how easy and powerful it can be to update your company email signatures to advertise your presence at the trade show. Consider adding a message that you’ll be exhibiting and include the link to your landing page. Every vendor, customer, prospect and lead employees email will see that link. It can be a powerful way to drive traffic to your trade show exhibit.
Get Social
Social media can be a great way to remind those who follow you that you’ll be exhibiting. Consider creating some visual content that will resonate with your followers and advertise your booth number to drive more traffic to your trade show exhibit. Visual content often out performs written content alone, so brainstorm visuals that will lead them to visit your trade show exhibit.
Exhibiting is a costly venture. If you don’t actively market your presence at a trade show, it can produce some very disappointing results. Just being at a trade show isn’t enough to get the people you really want to see at your exhibit. People miss exhibits all the time because of the sheer size of many of these exhibit halls. Stack the deck in your favor and market market market to your desired prospects, leads, and customers.
