Generate Leads at Your Trade Show Using Online Marketing Tactics
If your purpose for exhibiting at a trade show is, “Well, we can’t NOT be there – our absence would raise questions,” we’ve got a few tricks up our sleeves that will help you turn a passive presence into a lead-generating event. Trade shows 20 years ago were a big deal and a significant part of a brand’s marketing plan; today, they suffer from low turnout and lack of real lead-generation power. In 2012, the Chicago Tribune reported that McCormick Place, one of the country’s largest convention centers, saw total trade show attendance down nearly 10% from the prior year, and overall has been trending down since 2009. But they’re here to stay, probably, so the question isn’t, “Should we go?” but “How can we make it work harder to generate leads?” Most attendees’ memories of trade shows are aisle after aisle of small groups of bored salespeople pacing around awkwardly waiting for someone – anyone – to come to their booth. I’m exaggerating to make a point, but this example isn’t too far from the reality. But, what more can you do than stand and wait? You can turn your interactions and your handouts into opportunities to direct people to that critical “next step.”
