There are countless considerations for developing an effective marketing campaign. One must identify and research a target market, then begin to strategize on how to best reach and influence that market. Once the audience is properly understood, there will be a number of marketing techniques that could be used from social media and content marketing to print advertisements and television commercials.
Not only must the most effective strategies be identified and implemented, they must coalesce to form an overall marketing plan in which one strategy complements the other. Beyond all of this, a company would then have to utilize a number of sales techniques and strategies to close the deal once the marketing has brought them in. All of this can require a hefty budget, thousands of man hours and countless amounts of time and energy for business owners.
The Ultimate Business Tool
While these elements of business will still be necessary, trade shows provide a way for business owners to combine effective marketing and sales all into one forum, within one platform. An effective trade show booth will allow your company to choose and display the most important and appealing aspects of the business and present it to an already targeted audience. Those at trade shows already have an interest in your service or industry– which is why they are attending– and the majority of them have purchase authority to make a deal on the spot.
Additionally, an effective trade show booth will present immediate and impactful branding for your company, allowing it to be displayed to those within the industry and potential customers in a highly visible forum. It also gives business owners an important chance to network within the industry, building meaningful business relationships and providing a showcase of industry trends and standards.
Of course, while trade shows can be the ultimate business tool with countless benefits for a growing company, none of these benefits come without proper planning, design, development and implementation. Below are some of the most important tips to create an eye catching trade show display & booth, as well as some steps to implementing an effective trade show strategy.
Planning and Preparation
The most crucial steps of any successful trade show strategy will take place well before the actual event. Proper planning, design and development are critical aspects of creating an appealing and effective display, and you should not skimp on the costs or time involved.
The first step will be understanding the audience you hope to reach at the show and developing realistic sales and networking goals. You will also need to develop a creative team to come up with ideas and begin interviewing designers and display companies that match your vision. Additionally, you should determine the staff that you will need on-hand at the event and schedule them generously enough for them to maintain energy, excitement and enthusiasm throughout.
Design and Development
Your level of involvement on the design and development of your trade show display and booth will be entirely up to you. If you want to completely trust the professionals and not have to worry about it, there are many full-service firms that will take over all of the creative and constructive aspects of the process. But assuming you want to have at least some level of involvement and input, you should remember a few keys to success.
In terms of visuals, simplicity is always preferable to complexity, and your audience should be able to immediately identify the value of your product/service with the first impression of your display. If your company has an established color scheme and logo, these should be the basis for the visuals of your display. Make sure that your company name and social media information are displayed prominently so customers (and competitors) can find you later on. Keep headlines short and to the point, always focusing on the specific value and benefits your product has for customers.
Additional Elements
In addition to the main visuals of your display, you will also need to ensure that you have proper lighting, flooring and music. A strong trade show booth is often utilized to create long lasting content such as video trade show interviews that can be used long after an event to showcase a business. In the end, you must remember that your trade show booth and display are visual representations of your business. While you want them to be unique and eye-catching, they should also be tasteful and directed at the needs of your target market.
