You are running a business and you know it’s important to build a good relationship with your existing clients, but you still feel that you want to grow your business and reach out to more people. So, what can you do to gain exposure and meet prospective clients? The answer is trade fairs. Trade fairs are excellent when it comes to showcasing your business and leaving an impression on people, as you can connect directly with an audience. You want to ensure that your business is the one being talked about, and you need to think strategically about what you need to do to stand out from the rest at the trade fair. Here are some examples on how to stand out:
Start preparing long before you get there
Prepare as much as you can in the weeks leading up to the event. Decide what you want to hand out, inform the people about the event, market your business with the event’s hashtags and write tweets that stick out etc. This will make people form an idea of your company, and they will recognise your company at the trade fair.
Give away something unusual
At a trade fair, there can be thousands of companies fighting for the same customers. Marketing and being different is therefore vital. Everyone at trade fairs gives stuff away, but giving away free corporate pens and mugs is so common these days that it can actually aggravate passersby, as people find it boring. Instead, you should come up with unusual promotional products that stand out and capture the interest of the people passing by. Company branded pens and printed promotional mugs might on the other hand be a great thing to give to your employees.
How to decide what giveaway to hand out
You want to leave a lasting impression on the people visiting your stand. A giveaway can be the perfect alternative when it comes to leaving a long-lasting impression, but which products will people appreciate, and what will make them remember your company? The first thing you have to do is to ask yourself ‘What would I appreciate?’, ‘Would I want and use this product?’ and ‘Is this gift unique?’.
Hand out bigger reusable bags than the competition
Companies usually have their own bag to put their giveaways in. People usually put the content of the smaller bags into the biggest bag. A good idea is to make a big and reusable bag, so it can live on beyond the trade fair. This will make a good ROI in the long run as the people will promote your business by carrying around your bag.
Be creative
Exhibition days usually involves talking to businesses all day, which can be pretty monotonously and exhausting. Instead of just standing there talking about your company, you could show a video about your company or a new product/service etc. By showing a cool video, maybe where you demonstrate your product, you will catch the visitors’ attention.
Now you have a potential customer’s attention – what’s next?
Once you’ve captured someone’s interest, you need to make sure you always have the right people available – people who can answer the questions. Having a senior member from your team that attendees can talk to is usually highly appreciated.
Attract more visitors by sending emails in advance
If you ask, organizers can usually provide you a list of attendees expected to visit the event. Why not go through this list and send an email to people you want to meet? Many of them are likely to respond and even stop by your stand at the trade fair.
Host an after party
Establish yourself in a memorable way. While other companies might be tired and are going home after the trade show, invite people to an after party or a dinner. First of all, this is a great way to end a long and exhausting day – who says no to a drink and some food? Secondly, you will be the last company that people meet, which will make them remember you even more.
Now you have a lot to think about for your next event. You might be thinking about which promotional item to give away. Don’t forget to think outside the box and come up with something unusual that no one else has thought about. It should also be something that will help you generate leads – something that has some kind of interactivity of your brand. At Promote It, we have thousands of products to choose from. We can source and brand almost anything for you, and if what you are looking for doesn’t exist at our website, contact us today and we can have it made for you. We have over 20 years’ experience in the industry and can ensure we provide exceptional service.
