Trade shows have long been one of the ways to find large customers and build relationships in business. They offer a way to show bigger players what your company offers and why you’ll be a player in the business world.
And when 82% of trade show attendees have buying authority, you must do whatever possible to do things right at the show.
Hiring an experienced conference photographer is crucial to avoid one of the common trade show marketing errors and maximize your time in trade shows, capturing the essence of your exhibition with professional and compelling images.
1. Not Having a Plan
You need more than a booth at a trade show to get attention there. You may be able to get a few people that look at your booth, but without a plan, it becomes much harder to get that attention.
Use your time before the show to create a booth design showcasing your offer. Set up advertising beforehand, and create a booth design and talking points.
These are the things that will help you attract the attention of potential customers and prepare you for selling your product.
2. Picking the Wrong Venue
It’s tempting to attend as many trade shows as possible when you’re trying to get attention. After all, they are a great way to grow your brand and show what you have to offer.
But not all trade shows are created equal. Some shows won’t have the type of customers that are ideal for your product.
Spend time learning about a trade show and its attendees before going. Setting up a booth for shows takes a lot of time and money. You don’t want to waste those resources on a show when you may have more effective ways of growing your business.
Focus on the shows with the most promise and will jumpstart your company’s success.
3. Creating a Poor Booth Design
A great product isn’t always enough at a trade show. There are many companies there, each with great products to show. You may not find new customers if you can’t attract attention on the floor.
An excellent booth design will help you stand out. It will help you showcase everything you can do and attract people to see more of the details.
Of course, it can get expensive to create a great design, especially with the cost of getting a booth at trade shows. But this is one area to not skimp on your budget.
Invest in branding materials (like a custom tablecloth with logo), graphics, backdrops, and other trade booth materials.
4. Having a Booth That’s Too Busy
Although you shouldn’t skimp when creating your booth, it’s also possible to overdo it. If you have too much going on, your visitors may not know what you want to focus on and become overwhelmed.
It’s easy to lose someone’s attention when this happens. Many trade show attendees are there for a reason. They will head to another booth if they need to spend too much time learning what you offer.
Don’t overcomplicate your booth design with too many things. Keep the focus on a few key areas and do whatever is possible to highlight those things.
This will help you make those specific products stand out.
5. Bringing Untrained Staff
A trade show is a chance to show your products. The problem is that it isn’t always obvious why what you have matters and people should buy it. Without people who understand sales, the people at your booth may be unable to convey this message to viewers.
Ensure you bring people to your booth who know how to sell and discuss your products. They should understand every detail about your company and be able to convey that to onlookers.
If possible, have those people learn everything before they go to the booth. You should have material for them to learn from to get enough information to create a compelling sales pitch.
6. Not Collecting Information
One of your primary goals at trade shows is to build relationships. In many cases, the people viewing your booth are industry leaders. They will be the ones making decisions about whether or not to carry your products.
Try to collect as much information as possible during your time there. Don’t strike up a conversation and not learn who you’re speaking with and how to reach back out.
You want to follow up after the trade show to continue the conversation. Collecting contact details will help you do this. You can continue nurturing the relationship, leading to future partnerships and sales.
7. Failing to Walk the Show
You don’t have to stick around your booth on trade show day. Yes, you do need people there to talk to people as they stop by. However, your team should have more than enough training to complete that task.
Don’t think that you’re limited to your booth during the show. You can use your time there to explore, check out competitors, and create connections with suppliers.
Trade shows are also about networking, so do whatever is possible to build your network for the future.
Avoid Trade Show Marketing Errors
Going to trade shows can be an amazing boon for businesses. You get a chance to show your products to the world and find vendors to carry what you offer. But if you don’t do things the right way, you may make mistakes that cause you not to see the benefits of trade shows.
The good news is that you can learn common trade show marketing errors before you set up your booth. Avoid the mistakes above to create a successful trade show marketing strategy.
Do you have any other marketing strategies in the works? Check out more about growing your business with marketing on the blog.
