How to Make Use of Your Exhibit While Trade Shows Are Temporarily Shut Down
Who would have thought that a worldwide pandemic would prevent your business from displaying its beautifully branded exhibit? Trade show exhibits are extremely thought out, time-consuming investments that are worth their potential results (when you can actually use them.)
Well, since our current reality is that trade shows are inoperable, here’s a list of ideas for your business to make use of its exhibit in the meantime! Please note that these tips all rely on your team having the ability to set up part of, if not your entire exhibit, in a safe environment.
Tips for Making Use of Your Exhibit While Trade Shows Are Temporarily Shut Down:
1. Use Your Exhibit in the Background When You Go Live.
Since you’re currently unable to meet with your audience in person at trade shows, showing up online and working to continue generating connections is vital.
We know the impact that in-person marketing can have; from relationship building to receiving instant feedback on products, to generating interest at a much faster rate. However, sitting back and waiting for trade shows to resume won’t help your business achieve any of these things in the meantime.
Finding ways around these setbacks could include going live on your business’s social channels.‘Going live’ is an extremely relevant way that many businesses are able to create more of a connection with their audience. Click To Tweet And while trade shows are shut down, speaking to your audience in real-time online is going to be the next best thing to standing next to them in person.
This in-the-moment marketing tool makes viewers feel more connected to the speaker, and the good news is that you can use many different platforms, from Instagram Live to Facebook Live, and the list goes on.
If you want your version of ‘going live’ to feel more planned out, consider hosting a webinar. Your exhibit will act as the perfect environment for your live presentation.
Using your exhibit as a backdrop when you go live is a great way to show off the feel and look of your brand. Click To Tweet Whatever you’re doing, whether it’s letting a key person in your business answer questions from your live audience, a group of employees talking about your business, or a sales representative discussing a relevant product or service, creating a sense of brand identity in your live video will go a long way.
2. Share a Virtual Tour of Your Exhibit.
If your business sells directly to customers and this is your key audience at trade shows, a virtual tour of your exhibit could be a perfect opportunity for creating awareness! Sharing a tour of your exhibit is a great way to introduce potential shoppers to what they can expect at a trade show, and more specifically, in your booth. Click To Tweet
Many people have never been to a trade show. So, helping them understand what they can get out of attending your next event, discussing the types of things they can expect from visiting your booth, and providing them with insight on what they’re missing out on is a perfect way to make use of your exhibit while you’re unable to show it off at an actual event.
Depending on your industry and what your main trade show marketing goals are, share information with your audience that speaks to these goals and emphasize the benefits of attending. Reaching your audience online is one thing, but capturing their attention, hearing their feedback firsthand, and having the chance to speak to them in person will be a great way to win them over and generate brand loyalty.
Also, note that you don’t have to show off your entire exhibit if you don’t want to reveal certain aspects of it until your next show. And if your exhibit is brand new, share a couple of sneak peeks, leaving your audience wanting to see the rest in person!
Once you work to convince your audience that trade shows should be added to their to-do list, make sure to let them know of future shows to watch out for and where to find you when social distancing rules become less strict. Don’t let this virtual tour be a one-and-done either! Keep your audience updated as things begin going back to normal and continue keeping them posted on upcoming shows!
3. Do an Online Product Launch Video From Your Exhibit.
As you’re probably noticing, there are many ways to implement your exhibit in your digital marketing efforts, even when you’re unable to attend your trade shows for the time being. If you have a product launch coming up, what could be a better place to do it than in your trade show exhibit?
Regardless of whether you were planning to be able to do your latest product launch in person at a trade show, or you were planning to do it online, regardless, your exhibit will make a perfectly branded backdrop for any photos or video that you release.
Any way that you can speak about your business live online during this pandemic is an effective way to show your network that they’re still a top priority, will keep your brand top of mind, and help you stay in touch with your network. Don’t hesitate to reach out to Skyline Entourage if you have any questions about setting up your exhibit. We’re here to help you get through this!
by: Briquelle Neyens –
