A trade show brings together many businesses, often from the same industry, to connect with peers and their target audience and strengthen their networks. While different companies might have other goals when attending trade shows, there are some common ones, such as promotion.
One business might be interested in marketing a new product, service, or brand. Everyone involved (attendees, exhibitors, event organizers, sponsors) must understand the type of promotion at trade shows. This will allow them all to maximize their time and resources.
What type of promotion is offered at trade shows?
Before we dive into the type of promotion at trade shows, we should review the different types of promotions available and determine if they fit within the scope of trade show marketing.
Advertising uses mass communication channels such as TV, newspapers (conventional media), the internet, and others. The goal is to spread the word and make the message as widely as possible. This could be about creating awareness about a brand, product, or service the company might launch. Localized advertising campaigns may be more effective for businesses that don’t usually benefit from general advertising when it comes to tradeshows.
Self-promotion: This is where an individual promotes their services or products (e.g., books, digital products, etc.). Although it is less common at trade shows, it can be seen at other niche events. Even though they are more expensive than professional trade shows, the cost of attending them is still significantly lower than professional ones.
Trade shows are a familiar venue for personal/direct promotion. Trade shows allow B2B and B2C exhibitors to engage directly with their target audience to educate and promote.
Public Relations: Although the goals are similar to direct promotion, the purpose of public relations is different. A business aims to create positive impressions and engage with its customers. It includes networking, which allows firms from the same industry to connect.
Sales Promotion: This is one of the most popular types of promotions. Sales promotion is meant to increase sales, sometimes temporarily, but it may help sales gain longer-term traction. Many trade show exhibitors set this goal. The trade show booth may be the best way to make sales. However, a rise in sales numbers after the trade show, which directly correlates with the amount of interest generated at the show, is often considered when calculating ROI.
Trade shows are home to many types of promotions. It varies from one trade show to the next and business to business. It’s often a combination of several types of promotions. If we were to determine the most popular type of promotion at trade shows, it would be direct/personal marketing. Expositor participation allows businesses to connect with industry stakeholders and engage the public in person. Direct/personal promotion is critical.
How do you promote a trade show?
Promoting at a trade show can be very different than promoting at a trading show. Exhibitors (businesses that attend the trade show) are responsible for setting up and engaging their customers.
The organizer is responsible for promoting a trade fair. They have to make sure that there is enough attendance, which is what will attract the most exhibitors.
In some cases, however, exhibitors may promote trade shows in their industries or circles. This allows more people to attend the trade show from their target markets than organizers might have expected.
These tips will help exhibitors and organizers promote trade shows.
Start Promoting Trade Shows as Soon As Possible. You will have ample time to reach large audiences with multiple marketing campaigns.
Use digital marketing to promote trade shows. Show-specific landing pages and social media are three ways to use digital marketing. A digital map can be used to make it easier for attendees to register and will be updated regularly as new exhibitors book booths.
Please provide accurate information: It is essential to attract more exhibitors by giving precise information about past attendees. Information about the likely exhibitors and their potential offerings for their target audience can also be a great way to attract more visitors.
Promoting your trade show to as broad an audience as possible and targeting the right audience is essential. If you attract large numbers of people but need more to connect with exhibitors, your attendees may not return to the show again.
What is the Trade Show Sales Promotion?
Sales promotion: An event or campaign that generates or increases interest in a product, service, or company. This is a marketing strategy that sparks interest in the target audience. A trade show is one example. This is different from promotions that aim to increase product or brand awareness. Its results are tangible and quantifiable. ROI is significant in comparison to other types.
A trade show promotion can be more effective for B2B than B2C companies, as B2B marketing focuses on targeted marketing. B2B businesses use digital marketing and personal connections to reach their target audience, which is often smaller than the B2C target audiences. A trade show is a great way to directly engage with their target audience, mainly if they limit entry to participants and stakeholders from one industry.
This is a great opportunity for them to get interested in specific products (or a group of products or services). B2B companies might even be able to get sales orders at the trade show.
B2C businesses are different. A smaller audience or niche products and services might be more successful at trade shows. A B2C company might launch a product that targets a particular audience. For example, it may target people who live in a specific area or are high-net-worth. The trade show that attracts this audience segment is a great way to promote their products/services and kickstart sales.
A variety of factors are essential in determining the success of a trade show promotion.
All of these activities are done before the trade show. The material you have prepared before the trade show is critical to your marketing.
Following up on trade shows is essential for both B2B businesses and B2C companies, but more so for B2B. You might lose out if you don’t follow up with leads generated at the trade fair and make a good impression on attendees.
Are Trade Shows Sales Or Marketing?
Trade shows can be used for both marketing and sales. Manufacturers, service providers, and tech companies can make all exhibit at a trade show to market their products or services and generate sales, or at least interest in sales. It is possible to approach two different ends with different approaches.
Trade Show Sales
You might wonder what kind of promotion is done at trade shows to generate business. The answer is much more complex than “sales promotion” because many strategies can be used during and after the tradeshow.
To increase their sales at trade shows, exhibitors can employ the following strategies:
They can offer discounts or customized shipping for sales made during the trade show.
They can provide more information about their products and services through direct interaction than their advertising and marketing campaigns. This will help to bring in more customers and increase sales over the long term.
Offering product samples or demos can increase interest and generate more sales.
Trade Show Marketing
Everything that leads to the sale is called trade show marketing. Although the lines blur between trade show promotion and marketing, the former has a broader scope. As with all marketing methods (digital and ads), trade show marketing is also a form of marketing. Trade show marketing is designed to create interest among the target audience even if it does not convert into a sale immediately (or soon after) the trade show.
Tradeshow marketing is more than just about products and services. You can use it to promote new businesses or new brands introduced by an existing company. It can be used to educate potential customers about business repositioning.
Trade show marketing is more than just generating sales for a few products or services. Trade show marketing creates awareness about the company and its brands. The trade show marketing is so successful that customers interested in something other than the current exhibitor focus might become customers later.
Conclusion
Promotions via direct/personal means – This is the most common type. But it’s not always the best. Businesses/exhibitors employ a large spectrum of promotions to impact the target audience regarding the business as a whole or any brand, service, or product in particular.