Trade shows are a great opportunity for companies to showcase new products, build relationships, and grow their business. However, to truly succeed at a trade show, you need to have a solid pre-show marketing campaign in place.
Your Pre-Show Strategy
Creating a pre-show strategy is essential to maximizing the success of a trade show. Developing messaging for trade shows or events should begin at least three months before the event. Use organic social media posts to see which messages resonate the most with your audience. Sales and marketing teams should also work together before the event. Marketing teams should share open rate data with the sales team to help them get a sense of where customers are headed.
The goal of pre-show advertising is to build awareness among those who will be attending the event. Have a message that resonates with people, then amplify it consistently to reach audiences. Ultimately, creating a pre-show strategy that focuses on the attendee experience and uses data-driven insights can help maximize show success and drive long-term business growth.
Your Step-by-Step Guide to Pre-Show Marketing
But if all that was a little too abstract and you need some concrete advice, here are the essential steps you need to maximize your pre-show marketing efforts and ensure your show’s success.
Step 1: Determine your audience and refine the message:The first step is to determine who your target audience is and make sure your message speaks directly to them. Once you know your target audience, you can tailor your marketing campaigns to their specific needs and interests.
Step 2: Understand your goal: What is the goal of your pre-show marketing campaign? Is it to increase brand awareness or generate leads? Understanding the goal will help you create targeted campaigns that help you achieve your goals.
Step 3: Access data to create a contact list: Data is essential to developing a successful pre-show marketing campaign. Collecting data from past events or prospects can help you create a targeted list of contacts to reach out to.
Step 4: Consider sponsorship options for sending emails: Consider taking advantage of sponsorships offered by event organizers. This will allow you to reach a wider audience and get your message across to people who are already interested in the event.
Step 5: Collect first-party data from website visitors: Collecting data from website visitors, such as email addresses, is a great way to build your contact list and ensure your emails reach interested people.
Step 6: Test your mailing list: Once you have your email list built, be sure to test it to ensure you are sending your message to quality contacts who are interested in your product or service. This will help you increase your email open rates and maximize your marketing efforts.
Step 7: Use email campaigns to increase awareness: Email campaigns can be a very effective way to reach a large audience and increase awareness of your brand or product before the event.
Step 8: Include sales in the preparation work: Finally, don’t forget to include your sales team in the pre-show marketing process. Set up appointments with your customers and prospects before the event to make sure they stop by your booth. This will generate leads and increase your chances of success.
Pre-show marketing is a critical part of ensuring the success of your next trade show. By following these steps, you’ll be able to refine your message, reach the right audience with the right message, and generate high-quality leads that will help grow your business. Remember, optimizing your pre-show marketing will lead to trade show success and increase the chances of post-show success, which we’ll cover in part two of our Before and After the Show series.