Most marketing strategies today are online. There’re email marketing, blogging, social media marketing, and paid search advertising. These forms of internet marketing are convenient, automated, and cost-effective. With millions of people having access to the internet, these ads can give you a bigger customer pool. It seems then that the exhibition as a marketing strategy is a dying art. But it shouldn’t be the case as exhibitions, when conducted properly, it can give you leverage over your target customers. Exhibitions can open up profitable revenue channels that you won’t be able to achieve through internet marketing.
Once you decide to join an exhibition, the ultimate goal is to market your products and services. Think of it as an opportunity to increase awareness for your brand and increase your revenue with the added benefit of building a relationship and trust with your customers. The latter is what you’re missing if you’re stuck on digital marketing. That’s why companies shouldn’t be complacent with their promotions over the internet and continue to explore other opportunities to market their products and services such as having an exhibition.
Once you’ve decided to hold an exhibition, make the most out of it to ensure that all your efforts and investment pay off. Continue reading for some tips on how to make your exhibition a profitable platform for your business.
Have a personalised connection with your customers.
According to Wall Street Journal, meeting your customers face-to-face is an excellent way to build a relationship with them. You aren’t just some brand that they see on their smartphones. You actually get to meet your prospective buyers and connect with them on a personal level. You get to talk to them, present and demonstrate your product, and answer their queries. Best of all, they get to try out your products for themselves. Personalised connections give you an opportunity to discuss long term plans and get your prospective customers to commit to large deals and bulk orders.
Tie it up with your digital campaigns.
There are event management softwares that allow the seamless integration of your offline and online marketing campaigns. They can help you promote your event while at the same time providing a platform for you to sell your products to interested buyers. This way, you’re able to maximise all sales channels. Invite your social media followers to attend your event. This is your opportunity to meet them face to face. Set up meetings with them prior to the event and ask them what they want to know regarding your company so that you can make the necessary preparations. Get to know your consumers through their profiles and from the information provided by the software’s data analytics. This can help you adjust your marketing strategies accordingly on the day of the event.
It’s all in the details.
During the exhibition, choose a strategic location for your booth. Get the space where people will surely see you. Make sure that you maximise the whole space that was allotted to you. Choose your product displays and promotional materials wisely. Don’t overwhelm them with unnecessary details. You want to make a positive impression with your prospective customers. Wow them! Make your booth attractive and interesting to encourage more people to check out your booth. Set up a lounge area so that people can hang out and talk to you comfortably. Make sure there’s always someone to assist them in their enquiries. You can also include freebies or small giveaways to promote your brand.
Follow up
Make sure you take note of the contact information of the people you talk to. Get their email addresses and phone numbers so that you can still get in touch with them after the event. Follow through with what you’ve discussed during your meeting. Basically, you want to maintain your connection with them. They attended your event which means they’re interested in your product or service. Now you have[1] another opportunity to convert your connection into product sales.
To wrap up, exhibitions are a viable marketing strategy for all companies – big and small. It offers a golden opportunity for businesses to increase their revenue. Make the most out of this by putting more effort into the little details and connecting with your buyers on a personal level. Build and strengthen your relationship with your buyers. Exhibitions are also made more profitable when you use the right event management software that’ll help you with event promotion, data management, and provide a platform for selling your products online. Lastly, make sure that you maintain the connections you made during the exhibition and convert their interest into sales.
