What are the most common mistakes to avoid when developing a trade show media strategy?

Going to a conference should NOT just be a checkbox for your sales and marketing team. Using the SMART framework, you can make sure your team is on the same page and ensure success. You'll be empowering your team to navigate the conference landscape with purpose. For example, is your goal based on meeting quotas? Engagement at your booth? Social buzz? These are all different things that require different resources and planning. It makes sure everyone is working towards the same goals and tracking the same thing. Also, do not have "# of badges scanned" as your goal! That doesn't mean anything.

Trade shows and events are not a one thing event. They can generate for months of content it set up right. So make sure you have everything in place, video recordings, interviews, Q&A's, Round Tables... One day easily can generate for 3 months of weekly LinkedIn posts and shorts.

Every executive will tell you that its important to be at XZY event since our competitors are there. But just showing up or sponsoring is not nearly enough. Understanding which of your clients or prospects will be at the event, what content or thought leadership will be provided, and how your team can engage in all of the above will help you understand what objectives or goals are necessary for any specific event and will act as a starting point to figure out what level of involvement is needed from your own teams to reach existing or new customers.

AVOID THESE 3 TRADE SHOW MARKETING MISTAKES! A Boring Booth Missing Opportunities for Relationship Building Forgetting to Collect Data

It might be hard to convince your executive supervisors to go all in with your investment figures unless you are able to show the return that you are expecting from that investment. Do some math and come up with the expected number of visitors, rate of them turning into leads/MQLs, the funnel conversion rate for SQL and SRL (and other labels relevant to your particular sales process) and finally how many people you are expecting to convert, their LTV and the revenue you are expecting to generate from the whole show.

In the words of Warren Buffett, "Risk comes from not knowing what you're doing"- In B2B marketing, not knowing your trade show inside out is a risky venture Research is your armor against uncertainty. Dive deep into your trade show landscape, understand your audience, and make informed decisions to ensure your marketing strategy thrives

Let's be real here, trade shows are a massive drain on budgets. Without being extremely clear on revenue created to provide black and white ROI, you're not going to get sign off for much. In business, everything is about revenue. If you're not building your objectives around the generation of revenue, you're focussed on the right metrics. Especially in live events, you can easily get swept away with vanity metrics... footfall, engagement, sign ups, giveaways etc all just nonsense if you're not bringing in more than you spend. Build everything in your event to focus on getting people to rapidly educate and move through your funnel to become opportunities and then (hopefully) signed deals. Just please make sure your deals are attributed!

Ahh Research. Ok - so you should know all the visitor pain points, needs, etc. already. Otherwise don't exhibit. You should make sure the show in question is drawing the right crowd. Ask for invite/ticket/visitor data pre-booking, and also a few times in the build-up to the show date. That way you get a 'feel' for the crowd. And they can provide that data. Finally. Once there. Forget research. It's time to be yourself, and make sure your staff do the same. Poor turnout? Tough break. Be yourself and push on through.

I would say that the most crucial aspect here is to truly understand your ICP, the size of the ICP market, and the market share you currently hold and aim to achieve. Based on this understanding, you can evaluate whether a specific event will align with and support your main business strategy. - Will my ICP be present at the event? - Do I have sufficient resources to reach and impress them? - What exactly is the strategy we plan to implement at the event? - Which KPIs are we going to measure? Remember, it's not just about the event itself; it's about how it fits into your overall strategy.

Doing enough research is crucial when it comes to trade shows. Without proper research, you may end up wasting your time and resources on activities that are irrelevant or ineffective. It is essential to gather as much information as possible about the trade show itself, including the theme, agenda, exhibitors, speakers, sponsors, and media partners. Understanding the expected attendance and the target audience is also important, as it allows you to tailor your message and offer to meet their needs and preferences. Moreover, researching your ideal buyer persona and their pain points will help you create a compelling value proposition. Additionally, identifying and reaching out to key media players and influencers .

Brand, Brand, Brand. Make your stand at your stand. This is a Wild West face-off. You Vs the Audience. Leave them wanting more. You need to create a narrative that runs through the entire event. One that makes people talk. One that will pay dividends for months and years after. Get creative, and outsource humor points if needed. Make the Stand one they visit more than once. Think outside the box. Make it Sizzle. Boredom rarely sells.

Having a compelling story is indeed crucial when it comes to trade shows. It's not just about showcasing your products and services, but also about creating a connection with your audience and the media. A well-crafted story can help you showcase your brand personality, values, and vision, and demonstrate how you can solve your audience's problems and add value to their lives. To avoid the mistake of not having a compelling story, you need to focus on answering some key questions. First, define who you are as a company and what you do. Then, explain why you do what you do and how you do it differently from others in your industry. This will help you differentiate yourself and stand out from the competition.

The biggest truth about storytelling (and the world, hehe) is that two different people can perceive the same object in different ways, depending on their perspective. Your objective is to ensure that your audience views you and your solution from the same perspective. - What does your audience need to believe in order to be convinced by your product? - How do they need to perceive the market to understand the real value of your product or service? Knowing the answers to these two questions is essential. Then, you can gradually build a narrative that achieves your desired outcome.

ndeed, overlooking the development of a compelling narrative can significantly weaken a trade show media strategy. Here's why storytelling is crucial: Engagement and Connection: Without a captivating story, your brand might struggle to engage and emotionally connect with attendees. Storytelling humanizes the brand, creating a deeper and more memorable impact. Differentiation: A compelling story sets your brand apart from competitors. It highlights your unique journey, values, or customer successes, helping you stand out in a crowded trade show environment. Audience Relevance: Absence of a compelling narrative tailored to your audience's interests and pain points can lead to disinterest or a lack of resonance with the attendees' needs.

There is a clear need, especially nowadays, to make sure that in person transitions to online and then back again seamlessly. One aspect that I personally believe affects this is moving between person to brand. Imagine the scene... You're at a show, talk to sales and strike up good rapport, get some details and sign up for a demo... Then get automated emails from the brand, with a different (albeit approved) tone of voice, different take of what interested you in the first place. Instead, write automations that are from your sales team, so that the same person that signed you up in person, pushes you through the funnel, answers questions and nurtures you through to closed. Almost an anti-marketing approach but very much pro-RevOps!

Having a diversified media mix is crucial for a successful trade show media strategy. Relying on only one or a few media types can limit your reach and effectiveness. By incorporating various channels, formats, and stages of the buyer journey, you can expand your audience, boost brand awareness, and drive more leads and conversions. To avoid this mistake, it is important to carefully plan your media mix. Consider your objectives, budget, target audience, and message when selecting the right combination of media options. It is also essential to align your media mix with the different stages of the buyer journey. Providing relevant and valuable content for each stage will help guide your audience from awareness to consideration to decision.

Absolutely, the absence of a diversified media mix in a trade show strategy can limit its reach and impact in several ways: Limited Reach: Relying solely on one or two media channels for promotion (e.g., only using social media or email campaigns) can restrict your message's exposure to a narrower audience, missing out on potential leads. Audience Diversity: Different audience segments prefer different media channels. Failing to diversify means missing opportunities to engage with a broader range of attendees who might not be active on your primary channels. Lack of Engagement: Overreliance on a single channel might lead to audience fatigue or overlook potential prospects who prefer alternative platforms for engagement.

A lot of times trade shows/conferences are seen as top- funnel marketing activity. However, in my opinion they should sit at bottom as a conversion driver for MQL's and SQL's. That is why its important to do AMB pre-campaigns for the target audience you want to meet at the trade show. If you set this up properly events could be the main driver of your pipeline.

Measurement is critical. One thing I've noticed, especially in legacy (or lifestyle) businesses, is mindless booking of trade events. Personally, I believe the most important thing you can build into your strategy for live events is the escape clause. Once your events start to show declining performance its time to rethink... or even negative ROI, its time to pull the plug. In our case, we saw a negative ROI on events and recycled the budget into better performing channels. There is nothing saying that you can't revisit in time, but don't be afraid to act on the numbers!

1.Missed Insights: Without measurement, you're unable to gauge the success of your strategy. You miss valuable insights into what worked and what didn't, making it challenging to refine future approaches. 2.Inability to Prove ROI: Without quantifiable data, it's hard to demonstrate the return on investment (ROI) to stakeholders or justify future budget allocations for similar initiatives. 3.Failure to Adapt: Lack of analysis means missing opportunities to adapt in real-time. It limits your ability to make on-the-spot optimizations during the event or in post-event strategies.

Avoid common mistakes for better outcomes when creating a trade show media strategy. Establish clear goals, understand your audience, and promote your participation well in advance. Develop a post-event plan to follow up on leads and sustain momentum. Regularly track key metrics and use technology tools for efficient data collection. Maintain consistent branding across all channels for recognition and trust. Leverage social media actively throughout the event phases. Stay informed about competitors and industry trends. Lastly, seek stakeholder feedback to refine your strategy for future trade shows.

Do you want to i) create, ii) capture, iii) convert, or iv) expand demand? Results equal revenue, and revenue equals converted demand. This understanding is crucial. You need to know what your demand goals are; otherwise, it's easy to get sidetracked by the event itself. For example, if you have a long sales cycle, you might organize a small event to present case studies and invite prospects already in your pipeline. Alternatively, you could invite well-known speakers to a large venue to attract a big crowd. These are two different events, each with a distinct approach to working with demand.

Understand that your audience MAY be at the tradeshow or MAY NOT be there. It's best to understand and test a mix of event designs to truly capitalize on events as a channel. Examples could be: - Industry Tradeshows - Lunch and learns - Trade Associations - Meet and Greets - and so much more!

The biggest mistake that most people makes when launching a trade show event is not having a clear plan to nurture the leads that they will generate from it. As important as it is to follow a checklist to make sure all the aspects of organising and marketing the event goes smoothly, it is also essential that one comes up with a comprehensive post-show plan containing how they are going to the nurture the leads, how they will be scored, preparing a nurture-resource hub - tying it all back to the main objective.

Don't skimp on pre- and post-show marketing directly through the trade show. While most won't offer direct access to the attendee list, they should have ample opportunities to help you stand out from all the other exhibitors.

Not many companies think about the trade show as a place to interact, create relationships, and create content with your peers, industry subject/matter experts, influencers, and potential customers. Make sure to create awareness before going to the event (check the bullets above), and think outside of the box. Don't look at events as only a chance to get content information. That's probably the biggest mistake you can make having in mind how much it costs you to get there.

It's important to note that an event's impact doesn't end when the event does. Focusing on post-event activities is essential for maximizing its benefits.