Exhibition and trade show marketing and sales tips
Exhibitions can be expensive to attend as an exhibitor, so you want to make sure the trade shows where you do exhibit are as successful as possible in terms of sales enquiries and conversions. Trade shows and exhibitions also attract hundreds or thousands of exhibitors, which means many businesses are vying for visitors’ attention, so it is important to stand out from the crowd.
This is where the power of public relations (PR) and social media comes into play. In this blog, we explore the various methods that you could use to maximise sales at trade shows and exhibitions through effective PR and social media campaigns.
How to boost sales at trade shows and exhibitions through public relations & social media
Before the trade show or exhibition begins, it's crucial to build anticipation and create a buzz around your company. Here are our top tips to help you do this.
- Promote the fact you’re attending well in advance
One common mistake that companies make is investing heavily in attending a trade show or exhibition but forgetting to promote their presence beforehand. We recommend creating a comprehensive PR strategy to promote your attendance at least six months in advance. This can include press releases, media interviews, e-newsletters to customers and building up momentum through social media, which should start several months earlier. By spreading the word in advance and during the show, you can generate interest and attract potential customers to your stand.
- Connect with relevant media before the show
On behalf of clients, we connect with the media to provide direct access to journalists and key attendees who will be present at the event. This means we can pitch in ideas for thought leadership and topical articles, enable them to preview new products and arrange interviews with journalists and key people on the stand at the show.
If journalists' schedules are already full, we offer online meetings after the event to build the relationship with the media.
During the exhibition
- Launch something new
One way to grab attention and differentiate your company from its competitors is by unveiling something new at the trade show or exhibition. This could be a new product, a significant partnership announcement, or the introduction of innovative features to existing products. Using the event as the platform, we can generate anticipation and excitement and attract media coverage before and after the exhibition, creating heightened interest amongst potential customers.
- Transform your sales pitch into a story
Telling a story about your brand or new product is essential to building a customer’s confidence. We create authentic content for brands, which paints an accurate picture of how your product could improve lives, enhance sustainability or solve a problem.
- Host an event
As well as hosting a trade show or exhibition, consider hosting an exclusive event to connect with media, customers and prospects. This could be a champagne reception, a dinner, or a networking event at or after the show. By offering a more relaxed and informal setting, you can build stronger relationships and create opportunities for further enhancement and a better relationship with customers beyond the trade show. A memorable event that aligns with your brand values and resonates with attendees will help you stand out from the competition.
- Keep the momentum going, post event
After the trade show or exhibition has ended, your PR and social media efforts should continue to drive sales and maintain momentum. A great way to do this is to follow up meetings with journalists at the show by providing press information, photographs and exclusive articles and further information. We often nurture these media relationships on behalf of clients long after the shows have ended, to keep our clients’ brands at front of mind when it comes to editors looking for articles and product information in the future.
Maximise your trade show marketing and sales tips
Trade shows and exhibitions provide a great opportunity for businesses to boost sales and generate new leads. By working with a dedicated PR agency with over 20 years’ experience in supporting construction companies and manufacturers at trade shows and exhibitions, you can maximise your brand exposure, attract media attention and engage attendees, even after the event has finished.
Dragonfly PR is a South Yorkshire based b2b PR agency, which specialises in construction and manufacturing sectors. We offer a fully integrated PR and digital marketing service including social media management, organic SEO, content creation, websites and media relations.
For more information about our PR services for the construction, b2b and manufacturing sectors, call our team on 0114 359 5341 or email: hello@dragonflypr.co.uk