1. So, you’re going to a trade show?
According to a 2014 report by The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) trade show and event marketing has grown for 17 consecutive quarters and is predicted to continue to grow in the coming years. With this up-surge, many novice trade show and event marketers are being thrown into the mix without experience in exhibiting at events. Before laying the groundwork or event marketing efforts, you must first evaluate the two primary reasons you’re attending the event in the first place; your organization and your clients.
2. What do your clients need?
The sweet spot of every sales and marketing strategy is where the organizational objectives and client needs converge. Establishing a client profile- or buyer persona- is a critical step in better understanding your client’s needs. A good buyer persona should include demographic information, such as business titles, company type, revenue, age ranges and geographic locations well as insightful behavioral information such as goals and pain points, buyer behavior and operational needs. Smart marketers with a well-researched buyer persona will create the content and marketing strategy most effective for their clients and prospects.
3. Smart Marketers Event Marketing Plan
Organizational objectives and buyer needs and personas will be the driving forces behind smart marketers’ event marketing plans. Like any plan, a strong event plan begins at a snapshot of the event landscape. When developing an event marketing objective, you must do more than simply state your intentions. The objective will be the guiding force driving all decisions relating to this event’s marketing strategy. You must ask yourself what, specifically, you want to accomplish within a time frame, who are you, who are you targeting and how will you measure results.
4. Pre-Event Promotion
After your goals have been outlined, your buyer persona completed, and your marketing plan established it’s time to promote your event. The internet is one of your most powerful promotional tools in the pre-event preparation, but depending on your demographic and organizational objectives you can also utilize other mediums for promotion.
5. In-Event Promotion
- Event Space Draw-Plan out your event space activities and drive in-event promotional efforts around the agenda.
- Social Media at the Event– Whether promoting the brand, establishing your organization as a thought leader or driving people to your space at an event, social media can help you reach our objectives.
- Promotions and Purchase Incentives-Leverage this knowledge and offer a special in-event promotion- such as a special discounted rate or rewards for purchasing – that would only be redeemable during the event. This sense of urgency to take advantage of a good deal could be all it takes to move a passerby into a purchaser.
- Sponsorships and Advertising Opportunities-Carefully consider organizational objectives, cost and target audience behavior before signing on the dotted line. Common event advertising opportunities:
- Event sponsorship
- Event website banner ads
- Event guide or pamphlet ads
- Reception, keynote speech or seminar sponsorship
- Public Relations-At any event, it is safe to assume that industry media will be present. Use this opportunity to interact to gain additional exposure for your organization.
- Motivating Your Prospects into Action– Once you have established great connections with your prospects, you need to motivate these potential buyers into customers. Depending on your objectives, our approach to motivating a prospect will vary, but here are some tips on prompting your visitors to take action:
- Add suspense, don’t give away everything, create an incentive for your prospect to ask more about you and how they can purchase or get more information.
- Promote limited time offers and offers that are only available at the trade show, think back to your pre-show promotions as a way to create motivation.
- Remind your leads about the expiration date of promotional event offers in order to create sense of urgency after the show.
- Schedule post-event meetings and appointments with interested prospects.
- Post-Event Promotion
After the event floor has cleared and the hall lights have dimmed, now it is time to start post-event marketing. Fewer than 70% of all marketers have formalized plans for post-event promotion, giving those that do an absolute advantage.
The Post-Event Draw
- Remove event details. The event is over, meaning lingering details will make your landing page look outdated.
- Modify calls to action o “Schedule a meeting” , “call” , “email for more info” . If the calls to action were focused on the event, evolve them to direct users to your sales team.
