How to Make Your Next Business Expo or Trade Show a Virtual Marketing Extravaganza
January 4, 2011 2 Comments
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In today’s inconsistent economy, everyone is trying to figure out how to best and most effectively spend their advertising and marketing dollars to get the most bang for their buck. Savvy business owners know that they should aim to effectively expose their business products or services to as many potential customers as they can, while spending the least amount of money possible. They also know that exhibiting at a trade show or business expo is a solid part of the perfect marketing plan and an excellent way to deliver their company’s message to a mass group of people. The quality exposure you receive from the attendance of a built in demographic that is tailored specifically to your product or service will allow you to make the most of your marketing efforts and gain customers for your business.
Tried and true, trade shows and business expos are the perfect way to get your name out there, make new business acquaintances, get new leads and ultimately boost sales. So, now that you have the ingenious marketing plan of exhibiting at a trade show or business expo, how do you make sure the event is a success and that your company’s product or service stands out from the hundreds of other businesses at the exposition?
The first thing you have to do is plain and simple: you have to get folks to come visit your booth at the event. As soon as you secure your booth space at the expo, you should start to immediately focus on getting the word out. The first plan of action is to post signs in your place of business to let your existing customers know that you will be at the expo. This is a good time to start thinking about a theme for your event because all of your signs, banners and swag (give-a-ways!) should have a consistent theme and should ‘mesh’ together to combine a solid and powerful marketing statement for your business.
Not sure exactly what to do or where to go for guidance on your theme and signage to make your business stand out? No worries, the Signs Now Mill Creek outgoing and customer focused staff are there to help you select the perfect custom signs to announce your event. Signs Now Mill Creek is a professional marketing products provider and knows what it takes to make and design a custom sign package that will make a bold statement and get your event noticed.
Now that your signs are ordered, it’s time to start advertising the event via online resources to ensure that everyone knows when the event will be held and where to find you once they get there. Customize your website and your (and your employee’s) email signature to let everyone know about the expo and your involvement in it. Be creative and come up with a fun and interesting contest with some cool prizes that folks can win if they visit you at the expo. You can even offer them a certificate or a coupon now that they can redeem when they visit you at the event later. Everyone loves to save money and this is a very effective marketing tool to attract visitors and traffic in your direction. Be sure to send e-mail reminders and design interesting newsletters to send to existing and potential customers and suppliers inviting them to stop by your booth for the chance to win the free prizes and pick up some company swag. Social media is also an exceptional way to get the word out about your event, so be sure to utilize your company’s FaceBook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts to entice people to your event. If you are not yet utilizing these popular and effective social media tools, you must put this on your ‘to do’ list for today! This is a basically free marketing tool that can reach thousands of potential customers each day with the click of a button!
So, the invitations are sent and the word is getting out about your upcoming expo extravaganza. It is now time to think about your trade show display design and what you will do to enhance your product and grab people’s attention at the event. The first rule of thumb when designing a trade show or business expo booth or display is to make sure to provide ample space in your booth for customers to comfortably view displays and for your staff to easily and efficiently interact with and speak with potential customers. Also make sure that your team wears coordinated clothes that are customized with your company’s name or logo. This is another marketing tactic that is important for promoting your brand and it is especially useful when your staff is away from your booth in other areas of the convention center to spread the word about your product or service.
Next, your custom designed exhibit should proudly spotlight your company’s logo, image, mission, and of course your products or services. This is where a bit of expertise from Signs Now Mill Creek will really help with your marketing efforts and design and keep your theme and budget right on target. The creative and experienced staff can work with your team to create high quality custom marketing materials and colorful signage that you can be proud to display. The talented in-house graphic designer can create a custom design for your event that is limited only by your imagination. The Signs Now Mill Creek crew will help you determine the best size, color scheme; graphic options and lay out to fit your vision of the perfect marketing masterpiece. They work well with all companies and can create small exhibit designs for start up businesses or extravagant exhibits for use at large shows for huge corporations. They can help you choose the best options for your business and help you decide whether you will need a fully developed display booth or just an ultra-light and foldable display. From sleek to convenient, Signs Now Mill Creek offers an extensive variety of products that will steal the show for sure! Custom trade show materials include multi-dimensional banners, stands and booths, as well as pop-up, table-top and custom displays to make your company shine. In addition they can create eye catching floor graphics, moving displays and even electronic message boards that will really drive trade show traffic your way. Signs Now Mill Creek knows that creativity doesn’t necessarily equal the biggest budget and will help you choose a trade show style that you can actually afford and that you can proudly display and rest assured knowing you have an appealing exhibit that will get noticed!
On the day of the event, make sure to get you and your staff there with plenty of time to spare. You want to be sure your company booth is properly set up with all of your colorful banners, well worded signs and custom displays shouting your company name and website big and bold in the background. Remember, first impressions are made quickly and you really do actually have only about 60 seconds (or even less) to grab their attention and entice them into your expo marketing extravaganza of a booth for them to want to find out more. Colorful banner stands and creative pop-up displays are ideal for directing much wanted attention to your booth which will obviously result in increased sales.
Another very important tip is to be sure to bring lots and lots of business cards and have plenty of paper and pens readily available for booth personnel and customers to make notes. Try to make your booth as creative, fun and interactive as possible. Create demonstrations that catch the attention of passersby and allow customers to get involved, so that they can get a feel for how your product works or what your services can do for them.
Also make a note to bring plenty of collateral to the event. Marketing collateral is the lingo used for literature or other items that clearly describe your company’s mission and goals and introduces your product line or services offered. This collateral should presented in ‘make-a-good-and-long-lasting-impression quality! Ultra creative and full color professionally produced literature that will grab the visitor’s attention and create a positive association each time they see it is key. Potential customers at expos and trade shows can sometimes find themselves overwhelmed with the number of booths displayed at the event or get side tracked with their business colleagues and choose to simply collect the information and literature to peruse at a later time. Just because someone walks away from your expo display without showing obvious interest, does not mean they have none at all. It is a good idea to provide those potential customers with something to take back to the office that will keep them thinking about your product and inform them what exactly you have to offer them. This marketing effort could lead to numerous future sales for your company.
Of all the things you sell, you and your employees are the very best ambassadors of your company. Never under estimate the power of teamwork! No matter how well your exhibit is set up or how snazzy your booth and display signs are, you run the risk of losing potential customers if your staff appears to be out of their element. Be sure to set up extensive, proper training for your sales staff prior to the event to make sure they are aware of their specific roles and expectations. Make a schedule that reflects designated shifts and break times, if necessary, so that your booth is manned at all times. Also, be clever enough to choose the most friendly and personable people who work for you to represent your company at the expo.
Don’t just sit behind the booth; stand up in your booth and smile! Avoid “can I help you?” phrases, as an effective expo team should engage their booth visitors and talk to them as friends, not strangers. Chat with them and find out what aspect of your business they are most interested in and be sure to go out of the way to ensure they get the information, literature and contact information for the person that can best help them with that product or service. But, be careful not to be too chatty…remember the “80/20 rule” which is to listen 80% of the time and talk 20% of the time. This will allow you to better know exactly what the visitor is expecting to learn about your company and lets you help them more efficiently. If possible, invite them to your location or schedule an appointment at their place of business for an informal sharing of knowledge to see how you can possibly work together in the future. Also be sure to get a business card or at least their email and mailing address for follow up and ‘thank you’ notes after the expo.
When your wildly successful marketing event is over, be sure to follow up with your booth visitors – affectionately known as ‘potential new customers.’ A short ‘thank you’ for stopping by and an offer of additional information or answers to their questions could bring a sale your way. This should be done promptly after the event, because the sooner you make contact with these folks, the better the chance your business will stand out and make them remember you. Personalized efforts work much more effectively than a bulk email or mailing. An individual email or letters are most appropriate and get great results.
10 Ways to be More Attractive at an Expo:
1. Have a visual point at your booth
2. Have a photo album with success stories and pictures.
3. Have a drawing for something that is valuable and attractive to your customers.
4. Candy bowl. One they have to reach deep into. Don’t fill it up – let it look like there isn’t much left. That’s even more attractive. They want to reach in before it’s all gone.
5. Hire an intelligent model with a marketing background to assist you. Someone “very attractive” will draw visitors in, and their intelligent presentation will convert many visitors to customers.
6.Do what grocery stores do – demonstrate how to use your product.
7. Wear clothes with your logo. Name tags are great for participants but displaying your logo or name is important for building your brand, even when you’re away from your booth.
8. Don’t just stand behind the booth.
9. Stand up in your booth and smile.
10. Display your web site name big and bold in the background.
Ready to make a statement at your next trade show or business expo? Signs Now Mill Creek can promote your business event with high-quality full color signage, banners and digital graphics to help your business rise above the competition. In addition to their trade show exhibits, displays and construction, they also excel in dimensional signs and letters, ADA/Way finding systems and illuminated and digital signage.
In addition to all of their professional signs for your business and events, Signs Now Mill Creek also offers the highest-quality vehicle graphics in the industry. A professional vehicle graphic solution can be an effective way to promote your business. This eye catching vehicle installation serves as a moving billboard that will get your message out there to literally thousands of potential customers each morning and afternoon during rush hour alone! Each time you parade your vehicle around town, you are watching your well spent marketing and advertising dollars work for you! With today’s modern technology, Signs Now’s vehicle graphics can even cover most of your windows, while allowing you to see outside without an obstructed view. Signs Now Mill Creek has a professional onsite oversized garage for the proper installation of graphics on large vehicles. The dust free sealed area provides a temperature controlled environment for ideal working conditions and a pristine installation process no matter what the weather is outside. If a full vehicle graphic doesn’t quite fit your business plan or budget, choose from vinyl or magnetic lettering to can get your business vehicle rolling today!
All orders are fabricated and assembled in-house by their professional and experienced staff at the Mill Creek location and they can install onsite or at the customer’s location in some situations. All work is covered by the Signs Now Mill Creek ‘Letter Perfect Guarantee’. Rest assured that if their signs, banners, or any other finished products are not letter perfect, they vow to make them absolutely perfect at no extra cost to you. No job is done until you are 100% satisfied.
We are the one and only original Signs Now Mill Creek store. Our Graphic Design Studio is located at the border of Mill Creek and Bothell. Be sure to visit this location for high quality and unmatched professional service from the best staff in town! Signs Now Mill Creek is based in Snohomish County in Washington State and effectively and efficiently covers the following communities: Mill Creek, Bothell, Lynnwood, Everett, Marysville, Kenmore, Woodinville, Kirkland, Redmond, Bellevue, Edmonds, Mukilteo, Sammamish, Renton, Tukwila, Medina, Mercer Island, Capitol Hill, and downtown Seattle along with the broader Seattle region.
Contact the Signs Now Mill Creek team for your marketing needs. We make promises and deliver results. We render designs and bring them to life. We capture your image and message and make them larger than life. You can expect all that from Signs Now Mill Creek…. and More!
To find out more about what custom signage can do for your business, please contact Signs Now Mill Creek today. With signs from our company, your options are virtually limitless!
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