Post-Show Power Moves: The Grithaus Guide to Maximizing Trade Show ROI
Anne Renehan; Senior Media Relations and Content Strategist
Trade shows aren't just a checkbox in your marketing strategy—they're a critical investment that can drive significant ROI. In the hustle and bustle of large-scale conventions, capturing leads is just the beginning. After spending a significant chunk of your marketing budget, not to mention weeks and even months of hard work preparing, the true challenge is timely and effective follow-ups. Limited resources can hinder effective engagement. But delayed follow-throughs and lack of personalized communication result in lost opportunities. So what is your post-show marketing strategy?
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Did you know: While companies can spend up to 40% of their marketing budget on trade shows, surprisingly 80% of exhibitors don’t engage their show leads effectively. In fact, over a third take more than a week to reach out. This delay is puzzling, especially when 81% of trade show attendees have purchasing power, and 50% of buyers choose the first vendor who contacts them!
To truly harness the power of trade shows demands careful planning and robust strategies, you must continuously refine your approach. Whether you're a seasoned pro or new to the game, it's essential to measure every aspect of your efforts to strategically optimize for success. Prioritize innovation and data-driven decisions to ensure each trade show delivers maximum impact and value for your marketing spend.
Did you know: For those who make the effort to follow up, 5-10% of trade show leads can convert. As you know, the general rule of thumb is that the bigger the deal, the longer it will take to close. So that leaves a lot of time for you to continue to effectively engage your leads. Harnessing the power of trade shows demands careful planning, robust strategies, and the continuous refinement of such plans. Sustained engagement nurtures successful relationships. Several Grithaus' customers have been successful in closing major business deals by carefully following up with personalized communications after meeting prospects at a trade show.
Convert connections into coverage
Missed connections happen. You book a briefing with a journalist or analyst and they don’t show. (Hopefully, you are never the no-show!) Or they are so overwhelmed with the plethora of news that you don’t get the desired coverage despite what seemed like a productive and engaging conversation. A scattershot approach might seem like a good idea for post-show follow-up. But according to Muck Rack, journalists reject 73% of pitches because they’re irrelevant to what they cover. So instead of casting a wide net and hoping your efforts will yield results, Grithaus can help you craft engaging personalized editorials based on what is relevant to press and analysts. This can include thought leadership on industry trends gleaned from the show or repurposing a trade show presentation into a blog.
Take Grithaus Agency client Vubiquity. With strategic follow-up after NAB 2024, they were featured in multiple analyst reports, including an impressive mention in IDC’s NAB 2024 Insights and Observations. In fact, three (Ateliere, Dalet, and Vubiquity) of the 12 companies mentioned in this report are Grithaus clients! The same applies to Devoncroft’s Big Broadcast Survey (BBS). And just in time for IBC 2024, IDC recognized Dalet and Ateliere as two of the top five Innovators in Media & Entertainment 2024 report. All these mentions are the result of careful analyst follow-up and communication after a major trade show.
Transform leads into loyal customers
Grithaus Agency can help you assess what is most important for your trade show audience, then prioritize, plan, create, execute, and promote targeted content including thought leadership, editorial engagements, and downloadable resources. Together, we can build a timely, integrated plan and develop the engaging content essential for maintaining interest and building relationships post-show.
Our goal is to keep your brand top-of-mind and demonstrate your commitment to potential clients, while capitalizing on your show investment. From crucial share-of-voice to analyst reports, webinars and downloadable assets, Grithaus will help you lay the foundation for your buyers’ journey to continue long after the trade show booth has been dismantled. Let's make every trade show a resounding success! Reach out to hello@grithaus.agency to get started.