Small business owners must watch their spending to survive, including lease or mortgage payments, utilities expenses, payroll and inventory restocking.
Your trade show marketing budget needs to align with your goals and objectives, while also giving more weight to the most impactful elements. Larger amounts of money should be allocated here.
Assess Your Current Assets
Businesses often forget about certain costs when planning for a trade show which can lead them overspending on different things. Being mindful of this could save both time and money in the long run by taking inventory before starting any projects related to trade shows.
Digital catalogs can be a great alternative for expensive giveaways that might only attract few people who visit your booth. This will ensure wider coverage and enable you save some resources that can be invested elsewhere in the entire strategy of the tradeshow event.
Many exhibitors at trade shows buy products like monitor screens or stools which they can reuse at other events rather than renting these items every time they go for show; thus reducing total costs per each trade show. This measure is very cost-effective.
Employ Social Media
When used correctly social media not only increases brand visibility but also helps nurture leads which impact overall sales volume generated from engagements made through those platforms as well as measuring ROI achieved after participating in an exhibition then using such data points enhance future marketing endeavors.
One way to get people visiting your booth is by running contests or giveaways that require participants tweet photos with specific hashtags when they come over there – it can be simple yet effective! Alternatively, create more interactive promotions like having them fill forms at the booth etcetera.
Keep posting interesting content on social media even after the end of the tradeshow so that those who did not attend can still feel part of it! This will make them feel like they were present!
Create Hype
The best trade show marketing strategies do not just publicize your involvement; they comprise pre-show activities aimed at creating buzz and driving traffic towards an exhibitor’s booth.
In this endeavor, social media can greatly assist you: from uploading videos featuring ‘sneak peeks’ into what will happen at the booth or even better having team members record quick messages which are only shared online prior to the show starting thereby building up expectations.
Ensure there is an online lead capture system in place within your booth which will enable you to collect visitors contact details so that after the show is over follow up with these leads nurturing them until converted into customers.
First Impression Matters
Attracting visitors through in-booth presentations can be very effective but also expensive. To cut on costs associated with printing hard copies every time for each event, record the different presentations digitally then send them out as follow up emails after a tradeshow.
Promo items too can attract visitors while collecting their lead information. However, it is important to think outside the box when giving out such giveaways without going beyond budget limits like asking participants draw your logo on post-it notes or geofencing a specific audience within a trade show venue and sending targeted messages using appropriate technology.
Consider opting for smaller trade shows – this way you will be able to utilize your budget more efficiently and get direct return on investment (ROI). Another advantage of doing so is that it gives you an opportunity to build solid relationships with potential customers instead of being lost in the crowd on big events where nobody can hear themselves think.
Give Something Away
Trade shows eat up a significant percentage of marketing budgets. Even if you have to cut back on certain aspects traditionally associated with trade shows, there are still ways to make every penny count by focusing on those things that create the most impact.
For instance, if your company provides products that resonate with their interests, consider making a unique giveaway item which will help increase leads as well as promote brand recognition among them. Rather than giving out something like a mug or hat which becomes useless after some time passes, why not provide something like reusable tote bags with enough space for brochures, souvenirs and other promotional materials?
These items will retain their usefulness beyond your swag budget.
Create Good Impressions
Sometimes business owners fail to take into account all expenses related to participating in a trade show such as purchasing branded merchandise; travel & hospitality costs; entertainment expenses etc.
Having branded marketing materials like catalogues/brochures/white papers/sales slicks can attract people towards visiting booths. Allocate enough budget for these promotional tools.
Your booth staff are crucial when it comes down to creating the best first impression on visitors passing through your booth’s entrance – friendly & knowledgeable team members can work wonders here; make sure they’re well trained about what services/products company offers so that meaningful conversations may occur between guests and representatives; also ensure they know mission statement behind organization which they represent