The best bit is, all these tips cost nothing to implement!
The first question I hear you ask is, "why would I want to promote myself before a trade show, isn't that what the event itself is for?" and my answer is yes and no.
Of course the exhibition is there to help you promote your business, but say you have a new product coming out, or a new piece of technology that no-one has seen before. In this instance, the power of 'hype' can have a huge impact on the attention your stand will draw at the event. If journalists and industry commentators know there is an exciting feature being announced, you bet they're going to make sure they are there, drawing extra publicity for your brand.
Even if you don't have anything new to unveil, getting word out to the right people (i.e people attending the exhibition), you are making sure they are aware of your company name so when they see you at the event, they will usually make the effort to come over and check your stand out.
So, where do you start? Here are 5 tips on how to promote your attendance at an exhibition or trade show:
- Forums/Trade Directories - ever read a forum, seen a comment with a link and follow it? If you approach the relevant sources (Google is your friend here) you will find a receptive audience for your promotion. You don't even have to include a link to your website, though if there's the option to I say do it! Just a couple of lines saying what your company does, and that you will be at a certain trade show is enough. Here is a great place to start.
- Facebook Events - hopefully you have a Facebook page for your company (if you don't, shame on you!). You may or may not be aware of the feature to set up an event. This contains the usual details such as when, where etc. but the key to this is to put relevant keywords into the title and description. Naming the event something like 'Company X @ Exhibition Y', will lead to getting hits for both your company name and the name of the show. You can invite everyone on your friends list, and what's nice is that Facebook give them a reminder on the side of their profile of any upcoming events, with the title you have just created.
- Viral Marketing - The most relevant form of this is the YouTube video. It has to be short, and capture the general populus imagination. One of the most viewed videos of all-time is a skateboarding dog! Imagine how simple that is to create, and how many millions of people have seen it. On YouTube you have two options of promoting your event; in the main video screen, though this is less likely to be embraced by the public, or the less intrusive method is to announce it in the description. If it works, not only are you promoting your next trade show, but also your brand as a whole. The key to viral marketing is to not push it too much. E-mail a few of your friends telling them to check it out, and if you've got it right it should spread like wildfire. Most importantly be creative. Here is an example of a great piece of viral marketing on YouTube.
- Write a Blog - as you can see, you don't need to be the next Oscar Wilde to write a blog. There are lots of free ones to use, such as the one this is written on; Blogspot or create one on your site. Over time you will build up a following (put a link on your Facebook page for instance), and what better place to announce your next trade show!
- Word of Mouth - as you might have noticed, I'm a huge fan of Internet marketing, but often the best way of increasing awareness is word of mouth. Now, hopefully the techniques listed above will generate word of mouth promotion for you, but next time you meet a client/customer why not just mention you will be attending 'Exhibition X'. In fact tell EVERYONE you meet, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. If you talk to people in your industry, you will likely hear a response of, "Actually, I'm going to that, I'll have a look out for you." and you've just got one more person interested in your stand for 5 seconds of work.
These tips are just a starting block, hopefully they will inspire you to think of other great ways to promote your appearance at the next event you attend. Good luck!
Aaron,
