Marketing: Why Should You Make an Exhibition of Yourself?
People do business with people, and in a modern, accelerated digital culture, it is easy to forget this. Digital marketing enables businesses to reach a wide audience, while refining and developing content to target specific sectors and prospective customers.
However, face to face activity has still a big part to play. Trust is built on relationships and relationships come down to personalities. Whereas you can create a business persona and express it through digital communication channels, personal contact can make a huge difference.
Exhibitions provide businesses with the opportunity to make personal contact with potential clients and other businesses, building rapport and relationships, collecting qualified leads and making sales, while showcasing their brand.
Exploring the Opportunities
Live exhibition events are a one-stop shop for selling your brand. You should think of them as part of your marketing strategy and, as such, plan your activity with clear marketing objectives in mind.
Remember though, that as a platform for building relationships, the exhibition provides a unique opportunity to combine the intimacy of face to face contact within a large space.
When it comes to planning, it is vital that you know what your marketing message is at the outset. And that this is consistent across all the material you display on your exhibition stand.
It is important that that you have your pitch down to perfection; the 30 seconds or under that will let your visitors discover how you could benefit their business and what your unique selling proposition is.
Do your research. Pick the exhibition event that matches your marketing objectives and find out who else is exhibiting at it. Follow the exhibition guidelines carefully and you must be sure you have everything you need on your stand.
Market your presence at the exhibition in advance. Use social media and other digital marketing activity, such as emails, to raise your profile ready for the big day.
Getting the Most Out of It
This is your opportunity to develop leads, to sell and to build relationships in one, extended, concentrated burst of activity.
Afterwards, you need to be diligent in your follow-ups. Relationships require nurturing, so you must keep track of everyone you’ve met. This is where the important work begins. Stay in touch with your prospects to keep your business at the forefront of their thoughts.
Your returns can be considerable. The may also be long-term. Do you have the stamina to stay the course?
To discover how 1 Events Media’s events can improve your prospecting and enhance your marketing strategy, please contact us.
Alternatively, please read our interview in Business Aspects Magazine, What is the Marketing Power of Business Exhibitions?