Think trade shows are dead?
Think again. Digital ads are getting an increasing chunk of marketers’ budgets each year in hopes of acquiring B2B leads. However, trade show marketing continues to be one of the most effective methods of creating genuine connections and closing sales. When you have a strategic trade show marketing plan in place you can:
- Generate qualified leads faster
- Convert prospects better than clicks
- Get higher ROI than digital campaigns
And the numbers back it all up.
Here’s how it works…
Why Trade Shows Still Beat Digital Ads
Digital ads have long been the first solution companies reach for when thinking about lead generation. However, there’s a shift happening. B2B buyers are growing annoyed with infinite email drip campaigns, retargeting ads, and random cold messaging on LinkedIn. They want to have actual conversations with actual humans.
That’s exactly what trade show marketing offers.
A prospect who approaches your booth has self-qualified. They’re interested. They’re ready to engage. And they’re right in front of you. Now think of a digital ad that gets clicked and discarded in three seconds.
Setup counts, as well. Partnering with veteran trade show booth builders will help take your average trade show marketing plan and elevate it to lead capture machine status. Your booth should attract attendees, engage them, and allow your team room to create conversations that convert.
Here’s the difference:
- Digital ads = one-way messaging
- Trade shows = two-way conversations
That’s why 72% of attendees will be more likely to purchase from exhibitors they meet at trade shows. You just can’t get that kind of purchasing interest from a banner ad.
Pretty cool, right?
The Real Numbers Behind Trade Show Marketing
Statistics don’t lie. If you care about stats, trade shows outperform digital advertising when it comes to B2B lead generation.
Let’s look at the facts…
Lead Quality Is Higher
Online advertising generates millions of clicks per day. However, most of these clicks are worthless. You can accidentally click on an ad while browsing on your smartphone. Yet at a tradeshow, every visitor to your booth is a qualified lead. Unbelievable. 66% of the foot traffic through your booth has buying potential.
Try getting those numbers from a Facebook ad campaign.
Lower Cost Per Qualified Lead
Consumers think trade shows are costly. And you’re right…they are not inexpensive. However, when compared on a cost per qualified lead basis, most outperform digital channels. Digital ad costs continue to rise annually while quality declines. Trade show leads also convert quicker as they have already met your staff.
Better Close Rates
Face-to-face beats face-to-screen every time.
B2B buyers want to trust the individuals they purchase from. Handshake, demo and honest conversation build trust better than any advertisement ever will. That’s why event-sourced leads convert to opportunity at significantly higher rates than digital leads.
How To Nail Lead Capture At Your Next Show
Trade show marketing won’t work unless you have a good lead capture system. Here’s the truth… most booths don’t. They arrive, give away their business cards and cross their fingers. Then they complain why the leads don’t turn into customers.
Don’t be one of those exhibitors.
Here’s how to build a trade show marketing plan that actually generates leads.
Pre-Show Prep
The work starts long before the show does. You should:
- Build a target list of attendees you want to meet
- Reach out to prospects and schedule booth meetings
- Announce your booth on LinkedIn and email
- Prepare your team with talking points and demos
Research savvy exhibitors generate many times the leads of those who walk into the booth blindly.
Booth Design That Actually Works
Your booth is your store at the show. It should stand out and entice people to stop. An uninteresting booth in the corner will be passed over regardless of product quality.
Good booth design includes:
- Clear branding that can be seen from a distance
- Interactive elements that pull people in
- Comfortable space for real conversations
- Product demos or samples
When you lack the design capabilities internally, hiring professional booth builders is money well spent. They know firsthand what attracts foot traffic and what doesn’t.
On-Site Lead Capture
What most exhibitors do wrong is they accumulate piles of business cards and feel like they’re finished. However, cold contact information is meaningless.
Your lead capture process should:
- Grab contact details fast
- Include notes about each conversation
- Rate the lead’s interest level
- Set a follow-up timeline
Today’s lead capture apps automate this process seamlessly. Badge-scanning apps automatically import contact information directly into your CRM system. No forms. No misplaced visitor badges. Just clean, usable data for follow-up.
Post-Show Follow-Up
Did you know this frightening statistic. 80% of trade show leads go unfollowed up.
Think about that.
Businesses spend tens of thousands of dollars on booth fees, travel and personnel… only to let 4 out of 5 leads go nowhere. Don’t be THAT business.
Call/Email back within 48 hours. Make it personal. Mention something you discussed. That one gesture makes you leap frog most competitors.
Why Digital Ads Keep Losing Ground
B2B buyers are burnt out on digital.
Cold email open rates continue to decline. LinkedIn inboxes are filled with spammy messages. People are blocking/display ignoring ads. The expense to drive an actual sales conversation digitally just continues to increase.
But trade shows? They still deliver.
Every single one of your targets attending a trade show WANT to be there. They ARE researching solutions. They ARE evaluating vendors. They ARE ready to do business. You cannot create this level of intent online with a banner ad.
That doesn’t mean digital ads are worthless.
Trade shows aren’t going anywhere. However, if lead quality and pipeline growth are your primary objectives, trade show marketing should be front and center in your strategy.
The Bottom Line
Trade show marketing is here to stay. With B2B buyers overwhelmed by digital messaging, in-person events are a breath of fresh air. The data proves it. The ROI shows it. Smart B2B marketers are reallocating budget back to trade shows and they’re doing it for a reason.
To quickly recap:
- Trade shows deliver higher quality leads than digital ads
- Face-to-face conversations build trust way faster
- A solid lead capture process is the key to trade show ROI
- Post-show follow-up is where most exhibitors lose the game
- Booth design and pre-show prep separate the winners from the rest
Digital advertising has it’s place. However for actual B2B lead generation, trade show marketing dominates hands down.
