Did you know that Americans are spending over $5,000 each month? That means you have to be savvy if you want consumers to spend their hard-earned dollars on your products. And if you’re making a trade show appearance, you need the right marketing strategy to generate interest.

Keep reading to learn 5 trade show marketing mistakes and how to avoid them!

1. Creating a Bad Trade Show Booth

Remember that a trade show appearance can be overwhelming. You don’t want to cram so much inventory into your space that your brand or goals seem unclear. Know the dimensions of your booth space and plan a layout.

Keep counter space free except for business cards and a key product. Use banners at your next tradeshow to give your brand better visibility and graphic impact. And bring enough lighting to show off your inventory!

2. Not Engaging with Customers

Any time you let a customer pass by your booth without acknowledgment is a missed opportunity. When you’re trying to make a sale, you need to take the first step. Your trade show brand representatives should offer a warm greeting to anyone nearby.

And if the greeting turns into something more, be prepared to converse. Before you head to a trade show, ensure that your brand representatives are trained on how to interact with customers. Do some practice sessions so they’re equipped with solid answers to common questions.

3. Being Too Aggressive

On the other side of the spectrum, avoid being overly aggressive. Having too many employees crammed into one booth will be a visual deterrent. After all, potential customers don’t want to feel like they’re being watched or questioned all the time.

Give customers plenty of space to look and talk with each other. Have business cards, mailing lists, and other passive ways for them to engage with your brand.

4. Overlooking Social Media Marketing

Another big mistake is not using social media to promote the event. You may have interested customers in the area who would love to learn more about your products or services in person. Take good pictures of your products, create some simple ads, and post them every day.

With social media as a part of your pre-show marketing strategy, you’ll generate buzz. You can create banner ads that target demographics most likely to be interested in your products. That way, you can incentivize people to find your booth in the maze of options.

5. Lack of Follow-Up Effort

While pursuing trade show promotion takes effort, don’t end that effort after the event. Ideally, you should get visitors to add their names to a mailing list. Then compile those names so you can send them a note.

Sending regular email blasts helps you stay relevant. You can link to websites or social media pages. And, of course, you can tout your next trade show appearance!

Avoid Trade Show Marketing Mistakes

When you’re aware of common trade show marketing mistakes, you can avoid these pitfalls. Create a welcoming vibe through positive interactions and a snazzy booth. And make sure you tap into social media and email to stay in touch.

Find more tips to keep your brand in business. Check back soon for new articles!