Attracting Trade Show Booth Traffic

Use These Ideas to Increase Your Trade Show Booth Traffic

With trade show attendance on the rise after a number of down years, exhibitors are well positioned to leverage event participation and drive sales. Of course, having an eye-catching trade show booth that differentiates you from competitors is essential to getting noticed in a bustling exhibition hall.

Yet, you also need a comprehensive marketing plan to maximize results. This includes having promotional efforts before, during and after the show. To assist with your marketing planning, Kristin Hovde of Smash Hit Displays offers the following techniques that you can implement during a show to help increase trade show booth traffic and build your business.

Social Media

In this day and age, social media is becoming the most popular and convenient way of promoting your business. Not only is it an effective tool to use when you are advertising your company, but it can help increase trade show booth traffic.

Here are several ways of using social media to promote your exhibit display.

While you are at the convention, tweet your followers and let them know what’s going on at your trade show booth and where they can find your exhibit on the show floor.
Use hash tags with the name of the event to make it easier for other tweeters to find you.
Keep the conversation going with other attendees or exhibitors of the same convention by looking for people who are using that hash tag.
Have a call to action such as "The next 30 people to stop by my trade show booth will win a special gift."
Post pictures and videos on Vimeo, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and other related sites.

Booth Demonstrations

The exhibits that typically draw the most trade show booth traffic are the ones that have appealing activities. One of the best ways to engage visitors is through hands-on demonstrations.

Giving attendees the opportunity to watch products being used or letting them try out products themselves will increase the likelihood they will do business with you.

Appealing Aromas

One way of getting noticed in the exhibition hall is through delicious smells. Some of the most popular ways of enticing attendees to stop by your trade show booth is by having aromatic food or beverages, such as popcorn, cookies, coffee, and tea. People are drawn to these smells and appreciate the free snacks and beverages.

Have your booth staff serve booth visitors versus having food and drink on a table for anyone to take. This will provide your team with the opportunity to engage in conversation with booth visitors and identify high-potential prospects.

Drawing for an Impressive Item

Everyone likes free gifts, especially high-end items. Promotional giveaways are great ways of staying remembered long after the event. Yet, having a drawing for an item that will "wow" your audience can create attention in the exhibition hall and attract crowds.

Choose a prize that is related to your business and will have high-perceived value among your prospects.

Then, once attendees make their way to your booth to enter their names in the drawing, your booth team will have the opportunity to pre-qualify them.

Use all the entries from the drawing to make a database of prospects that can be coded, based on buying potential. This list will serve as an excellent tool for sales follow-up after the show.

All of these tips will help draw a crowd. Yet, before deciding which marketing techniques to use, always consider your target market and what would be most meaningful to your buyers. Then, with a stunning, professional trade show display and well-crafted marketing strategies, you will be ideally positioned for success.