Trade shows are a great way to get face to face with your prospective clients and show them why they should work with your business.
However, in a sea of colourful and eye catching stands, it can feel hard to stand out.
So what are the best ways to attract attention at a trade event?
First things first, you need to do some groundwork before the event. It’s important to share which event you’re going to and what you’re going to be offering on each social platform to start sparking interest.
Geo-tagging is a great way of letting potential customers know exactly where the event will be, and if you can, tell them where your booth will be within the event so they find you straight away.
You also want to get involved in conversations surrounding the event on social media. This shows you’re excited to be taking part, while ensuring your name is continuously associated with the event so it stays fresh and recognisable to those attending.
Finally, you need to let people know why your stand is worth spending time at. Are you going to be offering free advice? Providing product demonstrations? Or maybe even a prize draw? These are all great ways to start getting prospective clients excited about the day, making sure they head straight your way.
Let’s be honest, everyone loves a freebie, but they also need to stand out from the crowd. Try to think outside the pencil case, and move past stationary to more exciting and up to date products. A reusable tote bag is a great way to get some free advertising while providing people with a handy shopping bag they can use over and over again.
Try to think about more sustainable options as well. Reusable water bottles or coffee cups are everyday items that get a lot of use, meaning daily advertising for you. There are also a growing range of options that offer the chance to step away from plastic – like bamboo coffee cups. Sustainability is a growing factor in consumer decisions, and a third of consumers (33%) are now choosing to buy from brands they believe are doing social or environmental good. It is definitely something to consider promoting about your business, and ensuring you are including consistently within your display and giveaways.
A bold and visually exciting exhibition stand is always worth investing in for trade show events. If you create a well designed modular stand, it can be something you can reuse multiple times, without losing impact each time it’s used.
Creating a theme is an interesting way to add some fun to your display and grab attention. Add some comedy and get everyone to dress up to match the theme – which will also help you to come across as lighthearted and approachable to passersby.
Interactivity is another aspect worth exploring. If you’re showcasing a product then allow people to explore its uses there and then. Or bring a tablet so they can look through your website and what else you have on offer. If the budget is a little tighter something like a quick and fun game to play is great for attracting crowds.
However, it’s also important to get a good balance within your display. You want to be recognisable and for it to be easy to tell what services you’re offering, but don’t bombard people with everything you are and do visually. Print and gimmicks are great for capturing attention, but you also want to encourage worthwhile and helpful conversation. These events are sometimes a rare occasion for a business to get face to face with lots of potential clients at once, so take full advantage of the chance to show off your customer service skills and that you’re a friendly and dedicated company to worth with.
Consumers are starting to expect video content as a marketing tool from businesses now, in fact 87% of consumers say they’d like to see more video from brands in 2019. Video brochures can be a great way to advertise brilliant video content that concisely tells potential clients about who you are and what you’ve got to offer.
Video brochures can directly capture attention away from everything else going on in the room so focus is entirely on the message you want to send. This is particularly useful when whoever is manning your stall is already in conversation with other people. Make your video brochures easy to see, and a lot could be answered for someone who was just going to walk past after seeing you’re busy.
Video business cards are also a worthwhile investment to hand out in order to be remembered once everyone has gone home. With so many paper flyers, brochures and business cards being handed out, having a video business card is a great way to stand out and leave a lasting impression interested clients can go back to easily, instead of having to sift through piles of paper.
As much as you want those who showed interest to come back to you, it’s also important to ensure you can reach out to them again.
Offering special deals to those who sign up for email newsletters from your business is a really easy way to not only encourage people to keep in touch with you, but also to help grab initial interest and boost sales.
Make the most out of getting to talk face to face and organise follow up meetings where you can. Or if possible, give out some free samples/trials so they can really explore what’s on offer.
When you’re looking for ways to stand out at a trade show event, the more creative the better. Everyone will be thinking of innovative ways to attract attention, so find ways to be unique and fun, while staying true to your brand and message.