Whether you’re pitching up at a tradeshow, setting up a market stall, or even sponsoring an event, you want your brand to be memorable. If people forget about you right away when they go home, your presence at the event could have been a waste of time. Part of the purpose of your presence there is growing brand recognition, even if you have other goals that you want to achieve. So how can you make sure your brand is memorable and that it leaves a positive impression on attendees? You can use a range of strategies to achieve this objective, depending on what makes sense for your brand.
Give Away Promo Items
Free stuff is always a winner at events. However, if you’re thinking of giving away promotional products, you need to be strategic about your approach. Just giving away any items without thinking about why you’re doing it could mean you just waste time and money. It’s important to consider what type of promotional items would resonate best with your target audience. Will they find a pen useful? Are they likely to wear apparel with your branding on it? Think about what makes sense not just for your brand but also to ensure your promo products will be used.
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Host a Competition or Giveaway
Speaking of giving things away, hosting a giveaway or competition can be a good way to draw people in. It can also be a reason to contact people after the event or perhaps get them to return to your booth later in the day. You might host something like a raffle that only requires people to enter their names or get a ticket. Or it could be more of a contest, where entrants are expected to do something like answer a question or complete a quiz to be a participant.
Make Use of Social Media
Social media helps you create a buzz around your brand not just at trade events but also before and after the events too. You can use your social media accounts to promote your brand and make sure people know you will be at specific events. On the day, you can make sure to let people know you’re there and post about your experience. After the event, you can connect with people you met and use your social channels to provide a debrief, as well as thank people for coming to see you.
Put on a Workshop or Seminar
Attending a trade event could just mean setting up a stall, but there’s often more you can do to bring people in and get them interested in your brand. If you want to tell people more about what you do or perhaps teach them something useful, a seminar or workshop can give them a memorable experience. In addition to hosting something like this at the event, you could consider hosting one before the event takes place or inviting people to join you at a later date. A virtual experience can allow anyone to join.
Leave a lasting impression at your next trade event by taking steps to ensure your brand is more memorable than ever.