| There's a lot of pressure on marketing
departments today: a tightening economy and increasingly competitive environment means
that every promotional effort must generate a positive return. Every decision has to be
viewed critically, and that includes the decision to participate in tradeshows.
Show participation must, for many exhibitors, generate a
positive, demonstrable ROI if exhibiting is to remain a viable part of the marketing
strategy. This means taking advantage of every opportunity to maximize the return on show
participation: before, during, and after the show. Many exhibitors do a great job at the
show, but lackluster or non-existent efforts prior to and after the event sabotage their
efforts. For those marketing professionals who believe in the core value of exhibiting and
the face-to-face relationship building that is part and parcel of exhibiting, this has
placed renewed emphasis on the value of pre-show promotion.
Pre-show promotion is the single most valuable step any
exhibitor can take to help drive traffic to the exhibit, up the percentage of high-value,
qualified leads, and ensure a positive ROI. After all, to start and reinforce valuable
business relationships, you have to have contact with the show attendees. They need a
reason to visit your exhibit -- to pinpoint and find one booth out of the hundreds on the
show floor. Pre-show marketing can provide that reason.
This isn't exactly news -- and although the vast majority
of exhibitors aren't doing any pre-show promotion, those companies that are have been
steadily increasing their efforts. How can your pre-show promotion stand out in a crowded
environment?
Here are three effective strategies to consider:
1. Smart E-Mail
E-mail is everywhere: almost everyone checks their e-mail
several times a day. Yet few exhibitors are making use of this tool to promote their
tradeshow participation. Mention any show specials you may be running, as well as events,
classes, and seminars your organization is a part of.Use strategically timed e-mails to
remind your clients and potential clients to visit your booth at the tradeshow. Mention
any show specials you may be running, as well as events, classes, and seminars your
organization is a part of.
Timing is crucial. You don't want to send your reminder
emails too early, as they'll be overlooked. Sending e-mails too late isn't any better! Aim
for three emails, one a month before the show, one a week before the show, and one a day
or two before the show.
Don't forget the signature line on your regular, everyday
business email. Altering it to include a mention of your tradeshow participation is a
subtle yet effective way to promote the event.
2. Trade Journal Inserts
Any time you conduct a direct mail campaign, you do so in
the knowledge that the vast majority of your efforts go unseen. The lion's share of direct
mailings are never delivered, much less read. Considered ‘junk mail', it winds up in
the trash, where it doesn't do you nor your prospective attendee any good.
Industry journals, on the other hand, are almost always
delivered. They're also consistently read at a much higher rate than most direct mail
efforts. Some savvy exhibitors have begun promoting their tradeshow participation with
trade journal inserts. These small postcard-sized advertisements are tucked into the
journals before they're mailed, highlighting your organization's upcoming show
appearances. This isn't a common strategy yet, so you benefit from being unique and
targeted. A very cost-effective strategy!
3. Lumpy Mail
Lumpy mail has a funny name, but it's a powerful pre-show
promotional strategy. Sending a mailing that is literally lumpy -- an envelope containing
something -- generates curiosity in the recipient. One exhibitor actually sent potential
attendees a message in a plastic bottle -- and got a great response rate. Consider what
‘lumps' you could send to your attendees!
One strategic use of the lumpy mail strategy involves
including a premium item the prospective attendee has to bring to your booth to exchange
for another, higher value item. A variation of this is to send an item that is useless on
its own -- one glove, for example -- along with the message that the missing component --
the second glove -- can be picked up at your booth. |
