Here in Washington DC, the first signs of spring are starting to show. You wouldn't know it by the 30 mph winds and the sub-40 temps outside, but we had sunny T-shirt weather the other weekend and I swear I can see buds on the trees.


source: freedigitalphotos.net

In sales and marketing, spring marks the beginning of trade show season. To help you prepare for the months ahead, Sonic is here to share our top tips for effective trade show marketing. Today's post will focus on pre-show marketing. Please be sure to check back for Parts 2 and 3 to learn more about best practices during and after the show.

Strategic pre-show marketing is one of the keys to a successful trade show. It is also one of the steps that many marketing managers overlook.

WHY is pre-show marketing important?

Make a first impression.
Trade shows are a hub of activity, filled with noise, distractions, and your top competitors just a few booths away. Wouldn't you rather make the first connection and grab your prospect's attention in a quiet office?

Qualify prospects. By contacting attendees prior to the show, you ensure that visitors to your booth will have some prior knowledge of your company.

Save your breath. If you have ever worked several hours at a booth before, you will appreciate this point. A pre-show mailer does the work of starting the conversation for you. On the day of the show, you can focus more on answering specific questions and closing sales and less on giving your sales spiel.

WHO does pre-show marketing target?

As an exhibitor, you can obtain a mailing list of all registered attendees from the trade show's management team. Your budget and your goals for the show will determine whether you contact every single attendee or just focus on those you consider to be your very best prospects.

WHEN should I start thinking about pre-show marketing?

Start planning your pre-show promotion 6-8 weeks out. Aim to contact your prospects 8 business days before the show. Any earlier and they may forget your message. Any later and you miss the opportunity. Remember- opportunities don't go away. Other people take advantage of them.

HOW do I implement a successful pre-show promotion?

The main goal is just to introduce your company and product. Don't overwhelm your prospects with information. Give them just enough so that they recall your name at the show. You want them to know more about you than the other companies present, yet eager to learn even more.

Worried about pulling together a creative and attention-grabbing mailer? Let us do the work. Check out some of the mailers we've done for clients in the past.

      

  


You can read full details about these projects here.

Still to come: Part 2- Presentation Tips and Part 3- Post-Marketing and Follow-Up.