In the realm of B2B and many B2C marketing and branding, in-person events continue to rank among the most effective tactics. Pre-trade show marketing, however, stands as a crucial aspect of this approach.
Without a clear and concise marketing strategy that takes into consideration pre, during and post-show activities, you’re bound to come home wondering whether your time and money were worth it. Here are 6 tips to boost your pre-trade show marketing strategy.
1. Plan well in Advance
Most times, companies select the trade shows they’ll be attending far in advance, especially when there are registration deadlines. However, too many times they’ll register and then just forget about it until last minute. Others might just do both things last minute, even worse.
Either way, to do trade shows right, it’s imperative to plan as far in advance as possible. Make it part of your overall marketing strategy to carefully select the trade shows that best fit your goals (discussed next) and then plan a marketing campaign that is specific to each trade show.
This will require setting budgets, timeframes, staff, communication channels, and other resources that’ll ensure you get the most out of the experience.
2. Determine Your Goals now
Generating buzz? Raising awareness? Launching a new product or service? Reaching a sales target? Generating leads? Capture contacts? What are you looking to accomplish at the tradeshow?
Whatever your goals are, you have to make sure they contribute to your overall marketing and sales strategies/goals. Why? Because everything you do related to the show should connect back to accomplishing your objectives, both for the event itself and for your brand in general.
Don’t forget to make your goals SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.
3. Spread the Word
Start generating buzz as soon as possible. Some of the ways to do this include:
Host a webinar as a countdown to the show
Post on social media
Email your contacts
Publish blog posts
These tactics can cover subjects related to the trade show like:
Speakers not to miss
Sessions to attend
Breakout sessions that employees are leading
What you’re featuring at the show
Other important event info
You can also personally invite prospects and customers to meet you at the event. Give them a good reason to come to your booth and entice them with a pre-show promo product that gives them access to some sort of promotion, free consultation, etc.
4. Develop an Engagement Plan
While good engagement should be part of the event itself by having staff that actively participate, start your engagement before the actual show.
Contests, promotions, giveaways and other creative methods are bound to attract people to the show. But make sure these tactics are more than just marketing gimmicks. Give them careful thought and consideration so they reach the right people with the right item so you can generate legitimate conversations and leads.
5. Set Up Appointments in Advance
Make room for everyone who is important to your company. Don’t just schedule appointments with new leads or prospects. Also, invest some time into keeping in touch with current customers and other people who are influential to your business.
There’s bound to be some downtime during the show. Make the most of it and spend it wisely by scheduling meetings, talks, and other activities during low-traffic hours.
6. Establish a Clear Call to Action
While calls to action during the show are important, design a solid call-to-action strategy for your marketing efforts before the trade show. CTAs will help you track your success, create more buzz, and attract better leads to the actual trade show.
A couple of CTA tactics are:
Set up a landing page to promote your booth and encourage people to visit and download information.
Run a contest and encourage your audience to enter to win.
Create a hashtag for use on social media and encourage people to use it.
Ready to Get to the Show?
Trade shows are one of the best tools to promote your brand and grow your business. You know that. But to get a healthy ROI, you need a well-built strategy. Our experts are eager to help you get the most out of this process, so click here to visit our all-things Trade-show page where you can all the tools, concepts and ideas you’ll need to excel at your next event.
As an Event Manager, do you think that the only events you should be attending are tradeshows? Well, we’ve got news for you. The more that you expand your vision, the more that your demographic (and business) will grow. If you are in the field of technology, get it out of your head that you can only attend IT conferences. From sporting events to concerts to street fairs, the limit of your brand’s reach is up to you. Whatever event you choose to attend, be sure to arrive prepared not only to mingle, but to make a strong connection with potential clients. In this article, we will discuss how using event merchandise will translate into gaining loyal consumers.
No matter which way you spin it, people love free stuff.
How often do you see people turn away free samples of food at your local market? How many times have you seen people go crazy for a free t-shirt at an event? Look at your collection of pens; we bet not many are store-bought. A free product is one of the easiest ways to get a person’s attention. However, we want to show you how to use that initial interest and successfully convert it into revenue.
Which events should you attend?
The first step is to choose your event wisely. Think about your current demographic and how you could expand it. Delve deeper into different age groups, ethnicities, and interest groups. For example, say you run a craft brewery. However, you are only drawing in broke, post-college graduates who come in specifically for your happy hour. Sure, you value your current clientele. Nonetheless, you realise that you, too, might be living in your mother’s basement if you don’t bring in higher paying clients.
Think about what kind of people you’d like to add to your clientele. What do they do for a living? Where do they hang out? What are their favourite activities? As the owner of the craft brewery, you may want to make an appearance some golf tournaments. Pay a visit to your local casinos or rent a booth at the next car show. Choosing the right events to attend is crucial. However, it is only part of the equation. Knowing the keys of using promotional merchandise at events will make your investment worthwhile.
How do you determine which promotional products to use?
When choosing the merchandise to pass out, don’t take the easy road. Skip what everyone else in your field is handing out. Unless you’re trying to attract writers, don’t bother with pens. Use your creativity to stand out as much as possible; design a quality product that people will actually use. In the instance of the craft brewery, a beer bottle opener, an eye-catching t-shirt, or a schooner glass would all work seamlessly as promotional merchandise. Why? Well, people who drink beer would actively use all three items. Each time they do, they will think of the brand that was so generous with them. When you are giving, it’s very likely that this act will be reciprocated – in the form of purchasing your products. This is how loyal consumers are born.
At Red Tomato, we are here to help you successfully grow your business, no matter if you’re a veteran or in the process of creating a start-up. If you would like to discuss ideas about which events or promotional products are right for you, please let us know! We will work side-by-side with you, helping you create the perfect alchemy of investment, creativity, and increased revenue. You will be amazed at how using promotional merchandise at events can lead to life-long clients, who in turn will very likely bring in referrals.
Are you ready to start planning your next event? Download your Free Event Planning Checklist and make your life easier.
Marketers are always looking for ways to get more leads, create a bigger fan base, increase brand presence, and in general boost sales by creating more loyal customers. If there’s an arena that does this better than all others, that is the sports arena.
“An interesting giveaway almost always guarantees participation.” -Deepa Christina Radh
You’ve done your research and your marketing team has picked out the perfect event merchandise. This is going to be your biggest event yet, and everyone is expecting your ROI to soar. After you think that you’re completely prepared for your day, be sure not to skip one of the key elements to success. Whether you’re representing your company at a trade show, festival, conference, or sports event, crowd engagement can make or break your investment. In this article, we will help you achieve your goals with the most innovative ideas for event crowd engagement.
Make it Personal
No two events are the same, and there is no one-size-fits-all promo merch for different demographics. As QuickTapSurvey points out, “At the center of any activation lives a big idea that must be creative, measurable and relevant… You shouldn’t expect the same activation to be successful across a bunch of different [events]. Personalise your idea based on the personality of the [event] and the needs and tastes of its core audience.”
Promoting your brand at a sports event will obviously draw in a different crowd than an opera concert, and your approach needs to reflect that. You shouldn’t expect that your logo-emblasoned beanies will go over well for both occasions. Also take factors, such as weather and event-based needs, into account. You could pass out blankets in the winter and sunglasses at a summer festival.
Crowd Games
Whether you’re at a travel conference, a marketing tradeshow, or a rugby game, most people love a fun, interactive game. According to research, roughly 90% of event attendees who engage in crowd games will remember the brand that hosted it. That’s quite a favourable percentage. Games in physical and digital form both work well. A trivia game that encourages attendees to engage others ensures that more people will get involved. This translates to increased brand awareness. On the flip side, if you own an app company, take advantage of how often people use their phones. Create a simple game specific to the event. Allow them to unlock rewards- such as promotional merchandise or a coupon code- with each level they pass.
Social Media Engagement
While everyone loves receiving free, useful gifts, you must always keep in mind how to get the most out of your company’s investments. This is where social media comes in, and your strategy should span the event before, during, and after the fact. Create a hashtag specific to your brand and the event. Send out a Facebook blast prior the event, hyping people up with clues to what you’ll offer. During the event, encourage people to tweet, tag your company on Facebook, or share a photo of their new gear on Instagram. Make sure they use the hashtag! After the event, thank everyone, and create a slideshow of the most popular posts.
A great way to motivate people to use your hashtag is to set up a photo booth. Take advantage of the selfie-obsession, and give them a colourful backdrop to pose in front of. Don’t forget to make your logo clearly visible! Another idea is to offer prizes to a few, randomly selected, attendees who have used your hashtag. For example, if you’re at a technology conference, offer a coveted item such as an iPad engraved with your logo. Stick to your budget, but keep in mind that the better the prize, the more engagement you’ll receive.
All in all, the more crowd engagement you inspire, the more your ROI and brand awareness will increase. No matter where you perform your activation, keep it useful, fun, and interactive. Also, don’t forget to utilise the power of social media.
What did you think of these crowd engagement tips for events? What has worked best for your company in the past? Please leave your answers in the comments below!
The most common reason people keep promotional products is because they find it useful. That’s why promotional products like pens, notebooks, and t-shirts are so popular – because people actually use them. Wearable promotional products can be a great way to give your clients (or potential clients) a product they will be happy to keep and use.
Here are some of the newest wearable promotional products to make your brand stand out:
Promotional clothing
Wearable promotional clothing like t-shirts and shorts can be a great way to stand out to your target audience. Not only does promotional clothing build a sense of loyalty to your brand in the person who receives it, it also shows off your brand to anyone who sees that t-shirt or clothing being worn.
Gifting promotional clothing is a great way to build trust with a larger audience. While you may only be gifting the item to one single person, they are acting as a walking and talking recommendation of your brand to the public.
Genuinely useful promotional products like caps, socks, thongs are a great way to connect with your audience. People will use wearable promotional products that are useful to them and they will think of your brand whenever they use your product. However, as with any promotional product campaign, timing is essential.
For example, a beer company wants to give out promotional cap during summer to promote the launch of a new beer. They pair the campaign with a deal for a cricket match. Anyone who wears the cap to the match will receive a 20% discount on any purchases of their beer at the match. This is a useful product for the type of event, a well as for the product campaign it’s promoting.
Wearable technology’s popularity, and revenue, is increasing year to year. These types of products in the fitness sector are arguably the most popular; including wearable fitness trackers and footwear designed to sync with your smartphone. However, from smartwatches to period cycle trackers, there are many other wearable technology that your brand can use in their promotional product campaign.
Tips for running a campaign with wearable promotional products
1. Keep in mind the importance of colours
Colours are important for your branding and your messaging. Colours of your wearable promotional products look nice and stay consistent with your company’s branding. They should also go along with the psychology of the message your want to portray to your customer.
2. Deliver consistent and clear brand message
As with any promotional product, wearable products must be used only when it makes sense for your campaigns. You wouldn’t gift promotional long-sleeve shirts when you’re trying to get customers to purchase bathing suits for summer. Use wearable technology products only when it makes sense for the message you are trying to convey.
3. Stay simple
There’s no need to purchase an extremely complex or intricate wearable promotional product. If you choose to include a wearable tech product for your next campaign, remember that not everyone will know how to use it. Your campaign must connect with a wide audience range, so it’s essential to keep that in mind when choosing the product.
4. Wearable promotional products are a great way to theme events
Wearable branded products are an excellent way to promote an event even when it isn’t occurring.
For example, when Red Tomato was working with the Peninsula Private Hospital for their annual “Fun Run” event to engage community members and promote the services at the hospital. Our team helped them design a branded drawstring bag for each event participant. The branded bag included a branded reusable water bottle, t-shirt, cap, and ice pack.
All products were bright teal and were branded with the Peninsula Private Hospital logo and tagline. The wearable products and it helped participant feel like they were part of a larger community because everyone was matching. The wearable promotional products given away during the event were worn all year round and help promote the upcoming events indirectly.
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