Marketers were making the shift to use more digital strategies throughout various campaigns even before the pandemic, but one strategy that was needing a refresh, but less flexible than others, is trade shows. Traditional field marketing stood little to no chance against the pandemic with distancing restrictions in place. Luckily, many businesses were able to adopt new digital strategies to stay afloat. Like many things, not everything is forever. While digital innovations have made some parts of a marketer’s job easier, there are other areas they can’t compete with.
How is trade shows experience pivoting
Digital marketing can reach a very targeted group of people, but there is nothing like having a face-to-face conversation in a fully branded booth to solve the pain points of your prospects. Unfortunately, that crucial conversation for relationship building is more difficult to come by on digital platforms. Trade shows are likely not going away anytime soon. However, the way they are carried out, like most other marketing strategies, will pivot to meet demand.
People’s values have changed due to the lifestyle changes imposed on us by the pandemic. When thinking about what your marketing team is up for now, you also have to look at the reality of the situation and assess if an in-person trade show is best for your business. This is where you need to be creative. Webinars have been an effective marketing tactic to meet with your audience. Hybrid trade shows are popular as well. Your brand can engage with your audience as you would at a traditional trade show. Where there is also a digital option for people who are not interested in attending right now or even those who are located far from the event location.
One other strategy that maybe you haven’t thought about before is a mobile trade show. This lets you bring your trade show booth anywhere your audience is, including prospects or client offices and even public outdoor events. Mobile trade shows create an experience like no other and that is what marketers need to be competing for today. People want to know that what they are doing and where they are investing their time and money is worth it. Giving your audience an experience to remember you will bring in the greatest benefit and long-term success.
3 key trade shows strategies to start with
Like traditional trade shows, whatever method you want to test for your next event there are still strategies you must follow that are not likely to change as field marketing pivots.
1. Set a goal
This may seem obvious, but you won’t be able to track the same metrics as you would for an in-person event. Each strategy mentioned above has new opportunities for assessment that may not be easy to record at large trade show events. Set KPI’s according to the strategy you are implementing. A goal will keep your team accountable and create a benchmark for future events. Even if you don’t do the same event twice, you can assess which have been the most successful.
2. Learn about your audience
To be able to deliver a customized solution you need to know what the greatest pain points of your audience are. At an event that you are attending, more than likely you’ll have access to an attendee list, exhibitors, and media contacts. If you are hosting an event, ask for a little bit more information and spend the time understanding the greatest areas your audience is struggling in and where they are succeeding. Personalizing the experience you are offering will help in the long run to build better relationships.
3. Create an experience
This is the most important element of marketing today and there are a few ways you can create a lasting impression on your audience. After you know what you want to get from the event and have understood the needs of your audience, go that extra mile to stand out. Run an email campaign before the event to get your audience excited, you can also share a teaser or a special offer. This is where you need out-of-the-box thinking to deliver something exceptional. You aren’t just competing with other companies, but with the last experience your audience had.
Final thoughts
Building relationships may be more difficult today than it has been in the past. There is increasing content online every day and in-person meetings are more difficult to organize. It may be easier to host online events and meetings as we’ve been doing so for almost two years now, but do the costs outweigh the benefits? Being flexible and having the ability to pivot, as we have seen, is necessary for continued success. Now, almost every aspect of our businesses has undergone a transformation to operate more digitally, but as we have seen, some things don’t always work better behind a computer screen. Now is the time to modify your marketing strategies once again, but this time, for your own benefit.