Why Exhibitions Should Be Part Of Your Marketing Strategy

As the world starts to open again, it is fair to say that there has never been a better time to get out and re-establish face to face relationships with existing and potential customers. As human beings, we crave social interaction. This, now more than ever, should not be forgotten when developing your marketing strategy.

Virtual exhibitions have helped bridge the gap throughout the pandemic, but is this really a substitute for seeing your customers in the real world? There are so many benefits of having a physical exhibition stand. Trade shows are the perfect platform to be seen and get your business noticed, and by providing a memorable experience, you can establish your place in your industry.

Choosing to attend an exhibition or trade show is a perfect opportunity to blend your digital and physical marketing strategy – with the ability to leverage your attendance online before, during and after the event for lead generation and follow up.

TIP: You must ensure you measure and report on what matters to the business and what drives continuous improvement. This matters not just for success for a specific show, but also for management. Marketing has become more sophisticated than it once was. CMOs and leadership teams now expect robust marketing analysis with results improving over time. They want to see meaningful numbers aligned to metrics from other channels and linked to business outcomes.

Focused Buyers

Most business decision makers will receive sales emails, cold calls and see targeted adverts daily. Still, the truth is when they have a million other things on their to-do list, they are often ignored even if the service or product is something they could genuinely benefit from.

When people attend a trade show, their mindset shifts, they are focused, are there to be sold to, and are looking to build long-lasting, genuine connections. According to a recent report from CEIR, 81% of trade show attendees have buying authority, so by attending the right exhibition, you have the opportunity to connect with your ideal audience directly.

TIP: Capturing leads is critical and analysing qualified leads to evaluate impact is highly recommended, however, a badge scan is not a lead. It could be anyone and totally unqualified. Find a way to qualify them quickly and preferably while they’re on your stand to save precious time afterwards.

Building Brand Awareness Through Exhibiting

Attending an exhibition provides you with the perfect opportunity to build brand awareness and keep your business at the forefront of the minds of both your ideal customers and also your competitors.

Attending an exhibition is about more than the day itself – and provides your marketing team with the ideal opportunity to create a strategy that covers both physical and digital touchpoints along the way.

We will take any brief and create a fully bespoke exhibition stand design that will guarantee an impactful trade show presence. We are a team of passionate design professionals; driven to deliver and build you bespoke exhibition stands that will transform your exhibition space in line with your goals. With a multi-disciplined team, we bring together a collection of expertise, ensuring we can create you an exhibition stand that is both practical and visually powerful.

Attending the right exhibition can be a key point in your annual marketing calendar, but like all campaigns, it needs to be well planned, with measurable goals in mind. Contact one of our dedicated account managers for further information on how Tecna UK can help, or just send us a scribble.