Trade shows are losing mind-share and traffic. Yet there are good reasons why you might still want to allocate some of your B2B marketing budget and exhibit.
- Fewer people attend, but those who do are more likely to be decision-makers. Companies don’t have the budget anymore to send legions of team members to Las Vegas as a perk. The guy stopping by your booth these days just might be the guy who signs the checks.
- Brand awareness is one thing but the perception of a company’s viability is quite another. In some industries (especially those selling big ticket capital equipment) missing a couple of major industry trade shows can start the rumors flying.
- There are other ways to measure ROI than in dollars. Exhibiting, sponsoring, or presenting at shows not only keeps your brand front and center, it helps make a personal connection with your prospects, customers, competitors, and vendors.
So how do you squeeze every bit of ROI out an event ?
- Create a drip email campaign to announce the show to prospects and customers.
- Have something new to say at the show.
- Offer show incentives to those who attend.
- Promote the event on Twitter and FaceBook.
- Add leads into your CRM system and identify the source of the lead.
- Follow up within a few days of the show.
- Close the loop in your CRM system by tracking new business from the show and measure the monetary return.
What changes have you seen in trade shows and similar events? Do you still find them worthwhile?