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Attending a tradeshow like Agritech Israel (or any major B2B show in your industry) is a serious commitment of time, money, and other resources. In the past, trade shows used to be the main source of lead generation for B2B companies. While they are still vital to any B2B marketing plan, in order to achieve maximum ROI it’s vital to approach trade shows differently than you did 5, 10, or 15 years ago.
To get the most out of your trade show investment, think of it as a complete marketing campaign rather than just an event. You’ll need to actively market your presence both before and during the trade show to ensure potential leads walk your way. Then you’ll want to follow up after the event to nurture your leads once the event is over. Done correctly, a trade show can be a great chance for you to talk with new potential customers, spend time with existing clients, and build your brand. Here are just three tips to maximize your ROI.
Identify who you want to connect with at Agritech Israel and prepare a marketing campaign to reach out to them before the event. You may have an existing client or lead list that is your primary target or you may want to build a list. Your goal is to create a buzz around your company through email, press, and social media. You can promote promotional giveaways, an event you’re hosting, or new technology you’ll be showcasing to get people’s interest and make sure attendees see your brand name a few times before they arrive.
The location, size, and setup of your booth play a large part in whether people walking by notice your booth and feel invited to stop and chat for a few minutes. You want your booth to grab the attention of people passing by and encourage them to look closer. Don’t be afraid to do something different, bold, or wacky – a trade show is a great temporary environment to test out a new marketing strategy.
Don’t forget that the trade show itself is not just about the booth. Attendees often steal breaks to drink a coffee and check their Facebook and LinkedIn. Catch them online with focused paid campaigns and turn digital traffic into foot traffic with compelling offers related to the trade show – a demonstration, giveaway or personal consultation are all valuable offers.
Once Agritech Israel (or your industry’s main trade show) is over, you want to make sure you continue to maximize the effort you spent at the trade show by promptly reaching out to leads. Your sales team should reach out to promising leads promptly and everyone should receive either an email or a letter from your company, or both, shortly after the event. You can continue to follow up with information they might find helpful such as white papers, company catalogs, and other educational content.
Attending a trade show is a huge investment, so you want to ensure your strategy encompasses both pre- and post-show outreach in order to maximize the number of times a lead interacts with your brand and the ROI of the event. If you’re interested in working with an experienced industrial marketing agency that can help you design and implement a high-quality strategy and metrics to track its success, reach out to StepUp for a free marketing and sales strategy consultation.
