Trade show marketing is not only a fantastic way for companies to meet new prospects and generate leads. It’s also one of the best ways for marketers to meet again with prospects they’ve already done business with, and cement professional relationships in the long-term.
Exhibition shows can be fantastic opportunities for you to engage potential customer and produce a real ROI for your business. Download our guide on how you can make the most of your exhibition with an effective strategy.
For ambitious managers, repeat business is essential for company growth and for reaching the next level of personal development. 61% of SMBs say over half of their revenue comes from repeat customers, while loyal customers are worth up to ten times as much as their first purchase.
A budget increase as small as 5% focusing on customer retention can also increase a company’s probability by 75% – again highlighting how effective a successful trade show appearance and consistently exhibiting can be for business growth.
The trade show industry doesn’t stand still
More experienced trade show attendees will understand that a successful exhibition isn’t just a case of turning up on the day and watching prospects flock to your booth. Trade show marketing takes an incredible amount of effort to be successful in generating initial leads, targeting the right prospects and engaging with clients to build on your existing relationship.
A recent Global Visitor Insights report by UFI and Expori revealed some interesting facts about the state of trade show marketing in 2017. Trade show attendees have a lot in common across the globe, with the report finding that they visit exhibits to ‘see new products and services, keep up-to-date with marketing trends and find new ideas and inspiration’.
Prospects want to hear from you. They’re visiting a trade show specifically to meet with brands in your industry, discover new industry knowledge and hear what you have to say.
The report also highlights that there are a lot of attendees to shows who are defined as ‘apostles’; people who scored highly in regards to brand loyalty and satisfaction. Trade shows across the world have an apostle visitation statistic of more than 70%, meaning there is a lot of customer loyalty there to be won at the average exhibition.
Trade show marketing with a creative approach
What attendees aren’t visiting an exhibit for, according to the report, is a ‘bad show.’ Away from apostles, there are many individuals who feel aggrieved at the lack of breadth of exhibition opportunities within their chosen industry.
They may again have a high loyalty rating, but don’t specifically like what they see at the event. They’re particular about where their loyalties lie. Approaching those prospects with a creative, engaging and energetic strategy, and standing out from the competition, could go a long way to making your mark.
Show them something different by complementing a creative strategy with a team that goes above and beyond to represent your business. This simple step can make all the difference at an exhibition, transforming your booth into an engaging and welcoming hub of communication.
This year has also seen brands finally realise the potential of experiential marketing; using creativity at events to better engage with prospects and reach them on an entirely new emotional level. A marketing manager who can build a core lead generation strategy to reach out to prospects, as well as utilising staff to execute it in the right way, could see their business blossom throughout 2017 and beyond.
Find out more about what 2017 has in store for the events industry by contacting the Expo Stars team. We are experts in building a strong lead generation strategy with experienced trade staff, for a huge range of industries and events.