Introduction
Trade shows are a big deal in B2B marketing. They give companies a chance to show off new products, connect with potential customers, generate leads, and spread brand awareness. But with how much major trade shows cost – we’re talking thousands to millions of dollars – businesses need to make the most of their investment.
The top companies know the impact goes way beyond the days at the actual exhibit. With the right planning and follow-up, you can keep benefiting from a trade show long after the booths come down. Let’s look at some key ways to extend your trade show’s impact through promotion before the event, creating a buzz at the show, and ongoing engagement after it’s over.
Getting the Word Out Before the Show
In the weeks and months leading up to the trade show, you should build excitement and get people to your booth. Do email promos about new products launching there, social media posts about giveaways and contests unique to the event, digital ads targeting the show’s audience, and media outreach to journalists attending.
New platforms like Howler AI can even automate personalized media pitches before the event. This tech can secure media briefings and guaranteed coverage at the show – making your brand much more visible and authoritative.
The goal is to lay the groundwork so booth traffic and engagement starts strong.
Bring Your Booth to Life
Once at the trade show, use the latest technologies to create an immersive, hands-on booth. Augmented reality, virtual reality, 360 video, touch screens, digital signs – experiences like these make your brand more memorable than a brochure. Also consider lighting, decor, furniture and more to make your booth visually stand out and reflect your brand. Successful exhibitors create experiences that live beyond the show floor.
Event Videos That Captivate
A stellar event highlight video production can anchor your post-show marketing. Combine booth and trade show footage with interviews into a compelling 2-3 minute video. This dynamic piece captures the onsite energy and essence.
Rather than fade after the show, repurpose these videos across marketing channels. They enable extending the trade show long after exhibits leave. Work with a company like WeAndGoliath to produce visually stunning videos made for marketing.
Marketing and Engagement After the Show
Big opportunities await even after take-down. Have a strong post-show plan to convert leads into sales. Start following up right away with emails and calls conveying the excitement of meeting them.
Embed your highlight videos in landing pages, social posts, email campaigns, and more. Sending a custom video greeting with their booth footage makes a big impact. These videos recreate the brand experience.
Sync your latest marketing automation with CRM and lead scoring to hyper-personalize campaigns based on interests, demographics and behaviors. Cutting-edge blockchain platforms even enable provable attribution, transparency, and security in digital advertising, opening up new post-event strategies. The goal is tailored, persistent nurturing that turns booth talks into closed deals.
Measuring Results and ROI
You need the right tools to measure your efforts’ results. Detailed lead reports, custom dashboards, and multi-touch attribution provide data-driven insights on what’s working. Analyze metrics like leads captured, sales opportunities created, email engagement, and influenced pipeline. With accurate measurement, each future show can be even more successful.
Real-World Success Stories
The 2023 World Aviation Festival is a great case study in extending impact. Major exhibitor Boeing used Howler’s PR platform pre-event to successfully secure over 100 media briefings. This media visibility helped drive heavy booth traffic immediately.
Onsite, Boeing used VR simulations and 3D light projections for an immersive flight experience. They captured compelling highlight videos with customer interviews and booth encounters.
These videos now anchor ongoing social media and landing page content to extend Aviation Festival exposure. Early metrics show significant increases in website engagement, lead conversion and sales pipeline impact – an impressive ROI.
What’s Next for Trade Show Marketing
As technology evolves, new ways emerge to amplify trade shows. Expect even more immersive booth experiences through expanded VR and AR. AI chatbots may engage attendees onsite.
Blockchain could even enable next-gen lead capturing and verification. And as virtual events grow, hybrid approaches blending physical and digital shows will create new post-event marketing channels. The convergence of tech, marketing strategies and in-person events will keep unlocking new trade show ROI opportunities.
Wrap-Up
Trade shows remain vital for B2B relationship building and lead gen. But to optimize their big investments, smart exhibitors use integrated strategies that extend impact before, during and after. By combining cutting-edge marketing tech with targeted follow-up, trade show spending can drive compelling, lasting ROI. Promotion before, experiences during, and campaigns after now seamlessly boost trade show participation.
