As an exhibitor, you are aware of the substantial amount of resources you use when preparing for a trade show. Everything – exhibit space, travel, and time spent – can really add up. Getting your game on early by using a well-developed digital marketing strategy before and after the show is essential to raising awareness and, in turn, increasing the return on your investment (ROI).

Get the word out early

You’ve heard the expression, “The early bird catches the worm.”

Whether you think of it as pregaming, an FYI, or a heads-up, exhibitors are capitalizing on promoting their events early. Using digital marketing via your website and social channels can give you an edge to prequalifying potential customers and streamlining your “booth pitch” to target the right audience.

Here are some preshow digital marketing strategy tips that will give you a jump-start on your show:

Promote your Booth

Get your booth number ingrained in your audience’s minds and make it a booth that they need to visit. Let them know the name of the show, your booth location and what products you will be showcasing. If you’re promoting an event on your website, the best places to highlight this information are above the fold in the banner, badge or sidebar sections, and/or directly on your “Events” page. To really hit a broader audience, complement these efforts by promoting on your social pages.

Blogs and Landing Pages

Blogs are a fun and easy way to promote your booth while informing your customers about what to expect when they visit your exhibit. Setting up a landing page is another great way to direct customers to learn more information. You can ask them to fill out a prequalifying questionnaire and even give them the opportunity to participate in preshow contests.

Press Releases

Distributing a press release is an effective way to reach a wider audience and let them know about your participation at the show. You can even sneak in a quick teaser about what they’ll see when they get there. And don’t forget to make mention of any cool giveaways they’ll receive for stopping by.

Personal Invite

Everyone loves receiving a personalized invitation. Drafting email invites to your current and prospective clients not only makes them feel appreciated, but it helps you get the word out by customizing your message.

Get your follow-up initiatives down to a science

There’s no doubt you’ve spoken to many people and have generated some hot leads. Remember: The people who visited your booth are most likely looking for solutions and could be the source of new business for you. Now it’s time to follow up and show them how you can solve their problems by recapping their concerns and offering them solutions.

Here are some top tips for digitally following up with your leads:

Don’t wait too long

The sooner you reach out to leads who visited your booth or met with you at the trade show, the better. The rule of thumb for effective follow-up is within one week of the last day of the trade show.

Be Prepared

Have your response follow-up emails prepared and ready to go. Just be sure to customize them with the person’s name and include specifics on your discussion and their needs. Never send out a cookie-cutter follow-up. It makes the recipient feel unappreciated; as if they are just another person on your email list. And always thank them for visiting your booth.

Include a call-to-action

The endgame is to convert leads into sales, so it’s important to put a call-to-action in your email. Avoid using phrases like “to learn more” or “for more information.” Instead, engage them by offering them specific, tangible options like downloading a white paper, watching a video, requesting a demo, or subscribing to your newsletter. Offering these kinds of options will appeal to a wider range of potential customers who may be at different phases in the purchasing timeframe.

Having a strong digital marketing strategy in place can work wonders in raising awareness, getting the right people to your booth, and effectively following-up with them.

Need help establishing a digital marketing strategy that will improve your ROI? Contact us today!