In order to generate trade show leads, you must first attract people to your exhibit. Don’t wait for the day of the event. At any given trade show, there will be dozens, even hundreds of trade show exhibits, clamoring for attendees’ attention. In order to attract trade show visitors, you need to think outside the box. Even if your booth staff is engaging and your displays are attractively designed and strategically placed, traffic may be scarce.
Having said that, if you plant the seed among your customers and prospects before the trade show, you can create excitement leading up to the event. Do it in a compelling way and you can help ensure your trade show exhibit is flooded with visitors. Today, I’ll describe two promotions you can use to increase your trade show booth traffic and generate a larger number of qualified leads.
Using A Scratch-Off Cards Promotion
You’re likely already sending mailers, newsletters, and other marketing materials to your in-house list. Several weeks before the trade show, send customizable scratch-off cards to everyone. Colorful and light, they ride along easily with your other marketing collateral and immediately grab the recipient’s attention. Plus, on the day of the event, have an employee give out the cards to each person who comes into the convention hall.
Don’t list the prizes on the scratch-off cards, though. Instead, use numbers or symbols as a code for the prizes. That way, your customers, prospects, and other attendees will be excited to visit your trade show booth to see what they’ve won. When they visit, they’ll approach your staff, who can begin qualifying them as leads.
Using A Treasure Chest Promotion
Treasure chest promotions work under the same principle. The purpose is to generate excitement about visiting your trade show exhibit. There are a few ways to do this. First, you should let your customers know about your treasure chest promotion weeks before the show. Mail out customized keys with a special invitation to visit your booth and for a chance to open the locked chest.
Second, create a page on your website that allows people who are not yet on your in-house list to request a key. Once they submit their request, add them to your prospect list and mail the key to them. Third, have one of your employees give out keys to attendees as they come through the exhibit hall’s doors. They won’t be able to resist trying to open the treasure chest.
This type of promotion is a fantastic way to introduce new people to your company. You control every aspect of the promotion. Choose the type of treasure chest, prizes, and the ratio of winners and losers. When people visit your booth to try their luck, your staff can engage them in conversation and qualify them as leads.
Lead generation is at the heart of successful trade show marketing. It begins with attracting booth traffic. With a creative and exciting promotion, you can draw that traffic to your exhibit.
About the author:
Jonathan Edelman provides helpful advice about trade show strategies. With years of experience in the trenches, he is an expert on booth displays, follow up techniques, and using trade show marketing strategies to boost revenue.
