Displayit.com's Blog - Trade Show Displays, Booths, & Exhibits

5 Inexpensive Pre-Show Marketing Ideas

One of the secrets for trade show success is to develop and execute a highly-targeted marketing strategy. Pre-show marketing is a key element of a well-designed marketing campaign, and it's essential for improving the traffic that visits your trade show booth during the show. 

If you're a small business owner, you may be thinking, "I'd love to do some pre-show marketing, but I just don't have the resources for an expensive, large-scale advertising campaign." 

No worries! There are several ways that you can spread the word about your presence at a show without spending lots of money. Here are five low-cost, pre-show marketing ideas to get you started. 

1) Update your e-mail signature with your booth location and critical show information. This is absolutely free, and it's a great way to give yourself some exposure while you're communicating with your customers or other business partners.

2) Tap into your social media networks. Share show details with your Facebook fans, Twitter followers, and/or LinkedIn contacts. Let them know where you'll be during the show. Be sure to include information about any show-specific incentives you plan to offer (such as discounts or product samples) to build interest.

3) Put your sales team to work. Have members of your sales force spread the word during sales calls (face-to-face visits and/or over the phone). Sales staff (or anyone in your company who deals with customers, for that matter) can also update their voicemail greetings with your company's show-related information.   

4) Create a sticker or label with critical show information listed on it. It can be a small label, something you can easily purchase at an office supply store. Affix the label to any outbound customer correspondence - invoices, packing lists, you name it! 

5) Prepare a press release. There are numerous websites, such as PR Log and NPR, that will allow you to distribute press releases for free. Again, make sure you include important details such as the show name, the date and time it takes place, and your company's booth number.

Trade shows are an incredibly powerful marketing tool. Make sure you maximize their potential by using pre-show marketing to your advantage. The five ideas above only scratch the surface. Do you have an inexpensive pre-show marketing idea? Leave your feedback in the comments below.  

Trade Show Phrase of the Day: Zero-Based Budgeting

"Zero-based budgeting" involves building an exhibiting budget from scratch, without being able to rely on figures from a previous fiscal or calendar year.

Regardless of whether you're an experienced exhibitor or an exhibiting novice, creating a budget can be a very overwhelming and time-consuming process. Sure, there are things like the cost of your trade show display to consider, but you also have to factor in other expenses, such as marketing, travel, and show-related fees.

So, how do you begin? The best way to begin is to think about your objectives for a particular show. Are you trying to capture new sales leads? Increase awareness of your brand? Gather feedback from your customers? 

Once you've determined your goals for a show, then you'll need to assign values to those goals. To value a goal, you'll want to determine how often a prospect becomes your customer once they reach that goal. Are you confused yet?

Okay, here's an example. Let's say your goal is to capture new sales leads. Your sales team closes 15% of the new sales leads generated from trade shows. If the average profit from each of your customers' transactions is $200, then the value of that goal would be $30 (i.e. 15% of $200).

Now that you've assigned a value to your goal, how do you figure out your budget for that goal? Let's say you're aiming for 300 new sales leads. Take the number of targets (300) and multiply it by the value you've assigned to your goal ($30). This will give you your budget for that goal ($9,000). 

Then, to determine the overall budget for your event, take the budgets you've set for each of your goals, your travel expenses, marketing costs, etc., and add them all up. There you have it!

EXHIBITOR Magazine recently published a great budgeting article, called "How to Calculate Your Costs." This article is a great resource for any exhibitor, loaded with all kinds of budgeting strategies, tips, and cost formulas. Click on the link to view the article. 

Displayit's team of experienced exhibit consultants is also ready to help you be successful at your next event. We'll work with you to find the perfect display that's suited for YOUR budget. Contact us to get started.

Trade Show Booth Etiquette: 5 Ways to Improve Results with Body Language

I'm sure you're already aware that your booth staff will have a tremendous impact on your performance at a particular show. Your booth staff team needs to be well-versed in your company's business in order to answer prospects' questions, offer demos, and pitch your company's products and services to potential customers. But knowledge is only part of the equation. Body language also plays an important role in trade show success.

Think about it from an attendee's perspective: would you rather visit a booth where the staff appears defensive, nervous, or disengaged, or would you rather talk to people who appear friendly, confident, and interested in what you're saying?

With that in mind, here are five ways you can improve your trade show results, just by being aware of your body language.

1) Maintain eye contact. I know this tip seems pretty basic, but you'd be surprised at how many people get caught up in a product demonstration or sales pitch, forgetting to connect with their prospects.

2) Keep your hands out of your pockets. You want to portray confidence, not make it seem like you're insecure. People also tend to slouch when their hands are in their pockets, and slouching is yet another booth etiquette faux pas. 

3) Nod during conversations.  This shows that you're engaged in the discussion and interested in what your customers and prospects have to say.

4) Don't fidget. Fidgeting sends out signals of nervousness, and it can also be distracting to the other people who are involved in your conversation. 

5) Smile. Again, another basic tip, but people forget how important it is to remember to smile. Smiling projects positivity and will put your customers and prospects at ease.

Try implementing some of the tips above at your next event. I guarantee you'll get a more positive response from your booth visitors. Do you have any tips to add to the list? Sound off in the comments below.

Deadline for Exhibit Design Awards Is This Thursday

For the past 14 years, EXHIBITOR Magazine has honored the best trade show display designs in the exhibiting industry with the EDGE (Exhibit Design and Graphic Excellence) Awards. This Thursday, December 8th, is the last day to submit a design for consideration in the 2012 competition. The winners will be featured in the May 2012 issue of EXHIBITOR Magazine. 

EXHIBITOR recently featured its past award winners in this video montage. Check it out. Not only are the designs incredible, they're also a great testament to the power of trade show marketing. I can't wait to see the next winner's design!

 

 

 

Trade Show Prep: Calculating Trade Show Costs

Scenario 1: You've got an event coming up in eight months. Management wants you to submit your projected trade show marketing budget, from the estimated cost of your trade show display to projected travel costs for the booth staff. Problem is, it's your first time exhibiting, and you don't have a clue where to start.

Scenario 2: You're reviewing the results from last month's trade show. You blew your estimated budget by more than $12,000. You know you're in trouble.  

You may have found yourself in either one of these scenarios before. No need to worry: EXHIBITOR Magazine just released a handy guide that's jam-packed with everything from cost-per-square-foot and cost-per-lead formulas to average labor and per-diem rates. 

Follow the link to read up on how to determine your total trade show costs.

What Is It That You Do?

One of the primary reasons people attend trade shows is because they're seeking information. Audience members want to know if your company's products and services will satisfy one of their various needs.

The purpose of your trade show exhibit is to grab people's attention and quickly communicate who you are and what you do. One of the cardinal sins of exhibiting is companies putting the wrong information on their displays.

If your display doesn't intrigue the audience, nor reveal what your company has to offer, then people will walk right past your booth. That's why it's important to keep your message clear and concise. This principle should be reflected in your trade show graphics. You have 2-3 seconds to convince an attendee that your booth is worth a visit, so make each one of those seconds count.

If you need design advice, please feel free to contact one of Displayit's experienced exhibit consultants. We always look forward to discussing new projects with our clients!

Trade Show Phrase of the Day: Budget Philosophy

Your trade show's budget philosophy is your company's financial goal (making a profit, breaking even, or losing money) for a particular event.

In order for your next event to be as profitable as possible, you must take advantage of advanced trade show planning. 

Benjamin Franklin once said, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." When you're disorganized and lack any kind of game plan, then your show will be a worthless waste of your money and your time. If you're well-prepared for your trade show, then you should be on track to make a profit (or, at the very least, break even).  

Here are a few ways that you can reduce your trade show expenses and make your show more profitable:

1) Know your dates. We recommend that you begin planning for your show at least four months in advance. (If your show is next March or April, now is the time to get on the ball!) By knowing your dates, you can reduce show-related expenses by taking advantage of things like show-specific "early bird deals," reduced shipping costs, and cheaper airfare/accommodations.

2) Shop for your trade show display as early as possible. You'll get the right exhibit for your show without the added expenses of rush charges and expedited shipping costs.

3) Know your target audience members and how to market to them. A marketing plan (or lack of one) plays a huge role in the success or failure of an event. Think about the market you serve and how to connect with those prospects. Then focus your energy on creating a highly-targeted, well-executed promotional campaign that will ensure you capture those prospects.  

If you're not sure where to begin, talk to a trade show concierge at Displayit. One of our fantastic team members is ready to help make your next event a huge success.

Displayit's Now on Google+

There's now another way to connect with the Displayit team. Check out our all-new Google+ page. We're happy to have another outlet where our friends and clients can get the trade-show-related information they're looking for.  

Google+ is one of the newest social media platforms to hit the internet. Once you've set up your account, you can do everything from organizing your contacts into different circles and participating in online video chats to playing games and searching for that great trade show display you need for your business.

Please take a look at our new page and let us know what you think.  

Trade Shows Still Valuable in Technology Sector

The value of trade shows isn't lost on the tech-savvy. Although social media has become an important, modern-day marketing tool, these companies still realize the incredible value of traditional face-to-face marketing. 

The Tradeshow Guy posted an interesting survey from Lead411, which profiled 200 of the technology industry's fastest-growing companies. 25% of those surveyed dedicated at least half of their marketing budgets to trade shows. With good reason, too: respondents reported that trade shows generated an average return of 144%. Not bad, if you ask me.

Take a look at the full article here.

Two Important Marketing Platforms for Small Businesses

If you operate or work for a small business, or if you're trying to get a small business off the ground, chances are you've quickly learned how to work with limited resources.

You also know that the best way to increase your business is to spread the word about your company and what it does.

Running a business is a lot of work - believe me, I know. I haven't taken a "real" vacation in a long time! You spend a great deal of time determining how to grow your business and keep it afloat. This involves deciding where to direct your company's efforts and resources. You know that you'll have to do some marketing, but which media are best?

Trade shows are a great medium for a number of reasons:

• Exposure for your business
• To build relationships with your target audience
• To conduct market research
• To evaluate your competition 
• To network with industry peers

You can purchase or even rent a trade show display at a cost that's more affordable than ever before. When you participate in a trade show, you get a lot of "bang for your buck"; nowhere can you find such a large, highly-targeted audience in one place at one time.    

Another great tool for small businesses is social media. There are no sign-up costs for the majority of the most popular platforms, and it's a great way for you to stay engaged with your target market.

Tim Patterson (aka "The Tradeshow Guy") partnered with Communication Steroids to compile a list of reasons why small businesses should use social media. Take a look; by the end, you should be fully convinced that social media should be a vital part of your marketing efforts. View the list here. 

Best of all, these two mediums work in conjunction with one another. Social media can be used to support your trade show marketing efforts. It's a great way for your company to promote its presence at an upcoming event, and you can remain connected with your audience before, during, and after the show - nothing like real-time feedback!

To get started with your trade show marketing efforts, schedule a free consultation with one of Displayit's trade show concierges. Regardless of whether you're a trade show newcomer or a veteran, it will be time well spent.  

By the way, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has a pretty cool "Small Business Size Standards" table on their website; check it out!