Is your trade show contingency plan in order?Smart Ways to AdaptMarketing Strategy for COVID-19
For almost all businesses, trade shows play a vital role in networking, sales, advertising, and business development. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many huge events and trade shows have been postponed or outright canceled.
For instance, JCK Las Vegas, USA’s largest jewelry trade show has been postponed. Even the Olympics 2020 which was postponed to 2021 is now looking precarious with the new dates.
Moreover, the speed at which trade shows take place will be quite slow, post coronavirus. What does this mean for your business and marketing efforts? Is a trade show contingency plan in order? If not, don’t fret. We got your covered. Listed below are some valuable tips for pivoting your marketing strategy towards an uphill direction during this challenging period.
#1 – Host Weekly Webinars
The essence of trade shows lies in directly connecting with potential customers and partners. This face-to-face opportunity helps establish a genuine relationship and leave a lasting impression. That’s why it’s crucial to keep personal interaction, especially during this global crisis.
We recommend hosting weekly webinars as they check many of the same boxes as trade shows interactions. Furthermore, you can directly connect with your target audience and put a voice and face to your brand.
#2 – Have a Dedicated Content Hub
Keep the trade show spirit alive. Start by creating a landing page on your website. Next, curate content around the products or services you were aiming to showcase at the event. Keep in mind to have a catchy call-to-action for the people to get in touch. This can be in the form of a newsletter subscription or gated content that requests users to fill out a form in exchange for a trade show giveaway – a truly effective way to win over your target audience. More on promotional giveaways ahead!
#3 – Use Social Media and Programmatic Advertising
An excellent way to drive people to your brand is by using social media and paid ads. Many people are spending more time on social media than ever before. This is an incredible opportunity to showcase the product you were planning to launch in the trade show. You can have video teasers, written content, and share nuggets of information about your new product or service on social media platforms and third-party advertising portals.
#4 – Use Trade Show Hashtags
Don’t forget to include trade show hashtags in your social media content. This will help you become a part of larger threads and create a strong online presence. You can also have a great deal of information on how your competitors are coping with the pandemic. If you have an eminent twitter presence, start hosting Tweetups to connect with the virtual trade show attendees and your target audience.
#5 – Giveaway Promo Products
This time of crisis is when businesses are adapting and finding ways to connect with their target audience. If you refuse to keep up, your current marketing strategy will seem irrelevant and your business will soon bite the dust.
One of the most effective ways to thrive in this COVID-19 economy is to ship promo products to your target audience. By adopting this smart approach, your business will make up for the trade show cancellation with heightened brand recognition even after the coronavirus threat is subdued.
Listed below are our top recommendations for giveaways. We have carefully selected economical products keeping your business and the current pandemic in mind.
1. Miniature Hershey Singles or Hershey Kiss Singles
2. 5 oz. Compact Hand Sanitizer – Antibacterial
5. Gildan® – Ultra Cotton® 100% Cotton T-Shirt
We hope you have found valuable insights here. Get in touch with us if you need more ideas to market your band. We look forward to hearing from you soon!