Momentum - Business to Business Online Magazine MOMENTUM December 2019 | Page 28

MARKETING
RACHAEL MORGEN
Online Marketing Manager
Empire Creative Marketing
www.empiread.com
How To BOOST TRADE
SHOW SUCCESS with
DIGITIAL MARKETING
D
igital marketing and trade shows are
powerful marketing strategies. Trade shows
establish face-to-face connections and
attending them builds leads.
Generally, a lot of work (and $$$) is put
into your booth and attending the trade show. But, after
all that work, how does one engage with and retain the
leads after the event?
The answer? Digital Marketing!
Before the Trade Show
The goal is to drive awareness and get more people
to attend.
Social Media & Website - Start getting your brand
out there to generate interest. Find the Facebook event
page and share it on your Facebook and LinkedIn
business pages. Include registration links, relevant
articles, and details about the show across social and
on your website. You can also share information about
the show, offer free ticket opportunities, announce
which booth your business will be at, etc.
Email - Send emails prior to the show encouraging
your contacts to attend. Tell them how to find your
business’s booth at the show, share coupons or
discounts, and provide useful nuggets of information.
This as an opportunity to connect with your current
leads.
During the Trade Show
Social Media - Encourage visits to your booth with
giveaways or prizes for checking in while at the show.
Photos and videos from visitors at your booth will
encourage others to interact, allowing you to reach
potential contacts outside of the show.
Email Capture - Arguably the most important digital
marketing aspect of the show. Collecting emails is a
requirement for following up with new leads. Utilize
tools provided by the show organizers to collect lead
information and emails. Remember to be proactive and
upfront about when your new leads can expect to be
contacted after the show.
Video - Videos can be seen from a distance and can
convey your business details and contact information as
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MOMENTUM
well as showcase your business or services. Videos also
entice visitors to stop and engage with you.
After the Trade Show
Email - Be sure to immediately follow up with all leads
after the show. They’ll likely be inundated with emails
from their new contacts so make sure to get in early and
continue to reach out periodically. Try to personalize the
emails as much as possible.
Social Media - Continue to share your trade show
highlights across all of your social profiles after the
show. Don’t post everything at once. Spread them out to
encourage engagement over the coming days or weeks.
Retargeting Ads - Expect a bump in social media and
website traffic after the show. Have campaigns set up
prior to the show to collect all visitor information. Turn
the campaigns on immediately after the show so that all
of your website and social traffic will see your ads in the
future.
Use digital marketing for trade shows to create a buzz
about your booth at the show, encourage visitors and
engagement during the show, and to help potential
clients you meet at the show stay engaged with you after
the show.