How to Make Your Business Stand Out At Your Next Trade Show

Has your business every attended a trade show before? If so, then you may realize how beneficial trade shows can be for your business. It’s the chance to put your products and/or services in front of hundreds or even thousands of your target customers, consumers, and other industry-relevant professionals. This can be your one chance to really garner some more sales of your products or create long-lasting relationships or partnerships with others in the business. However, being in the presence of other members from the industry can also mean more competition. With everyone fighting for sales and attention at the trade show and offering similar products and services, you’ll need to make sure your business stands out from the crowd. Here’s how to ensure you’ll make a lasting impression.

1.  Run a Press Release.  The first thing your business should do after registering and confirming your attendance at the trade show or event is to run a press release. The press release will serve as a great way to announce your attendance and to let others in your industry know to look for you there. A good press release may also be picked up by other publications which can help you to gain even more exposure and let even more of your target audience know about your expected appearance. You’ll be bound to draw a larger crowd at the trade show when you announce your appearance through a press release.

2.  Promote the Event on Social Media. In addition to announcing your appearance through a press release, you’ll also want to promote the event on social media. Be sure to use relevant hashtags to ensure maximum visibility of your posts. Most trade shows or events will have their own official hashtag. Make sure you have someone at the event to post live tweets and other updates in real-time as well for maximum engagement and to further encourage users to visit your table while at the event.

3.  Visuals Are Everything. What kind of table do you think people are more likely to go to: one with just a table and no visuals or anything to look at, or one with an amazing backdrop that clearly demonstrates what your business has to offer? The answer is an obvious one; people will be more likely to visit the table with the great backdrop because it will capture their eye first. Make sure you have plenty of visuals to help capture people’s eye and make your business really pop out. Your visuals should be rich in color and have just enough text to effectively tell people who your business is and what you have to offer without forcing them to have to stop and read big chunks of text. Tell your story in your images.

4. Host a Contest or Giveaway. Give people a reason to visit your table! Contests and giveaways always go over well at tradeshows. Who doesn’t jump at the chance to win a nice little reward? You could consider doing a raffle and donating the proceeds to a relevant charity or giveaway a package of your business’ products to further promote your business and get people talking. This will also encourage people to come back to your table multiple times so they can check to see who won at the end of the event.

5.  Don’t Forget the Freebies! Everyone knows that the best part about tradeshows is coming home with free stuff! Many businesses or organizations know this, too, and have planned their booth around this. Don’t be that business that has nothing to offer to visitors. Be sure to stock up on custom business pins, pens, keychains, lanyards, and other tchotchkes. People will be bound to stop by your table just to score some freebies and if they like what they see, they’ll be inclined to purchase one of your items or inquire about your services as well.

Is your business planning on attending any trade shows in the near future? Leave a comment letting us know how you plan to prepare!