Successfully promoting your business at events requires time and energy. Along with planning carefully, you’ll also need to do some research to make sure you’re as prepared as possible.
Face-to-face meetings with prospective clients and competitors might be daunting, but large events present an opportunity to prove the things that make your business so unique. In this guide, we’ll share our top tips on promoting your business while networking.
- Understand your target audience
If the big event is being held within your local area, you might already have an idea of your target audience. However, if you’re heading to a new area, it’s definitely worth taking the time to learn more about who you’ll be selling to.
Using social media platforms like Instagram for business could be a fantastic place to start. Check location tags to find potential customers and rival businesses in the area. Why not kickstart some online engagement to get people excited about your brand?
- Create effective visuals
Whether you’re going to a conference or a careers fair, you’ll need to make your company stand out amongst the crowd. Whether you use colourful banners with eye-catching graphics or a standout poster to lead the crowds your way, drawing visual attention to your stand is a must.
- Become an event sponsor
Sponsoring the event is almost guaranteed to give your business name a little bit more publicity. Plus, sponsorship doesn’t have to take a significant portion of your budget either, and you’ll usually be able to choose between fixed sponsorship tiers or donations. If you’re not completely sure how sponsorship works, it could be worth finding out more about getting sponsors for upcoming events.
- Make your stand interactive
It’s always worth trying to build engagement around your stall at an event. Why not host a competition or your very own giveaway to build excitement about your brand during the event?
Even if you’re uncertain if your product line could cause a stir, it’s important to remember that every product has significant value to the right customer. If you don’t sell physical products, why not raffle off a one-off introduction, consultation, or service package?
- Position your stand carefully
If you can, try to arrive early at the event to make sure you can choose a prime spot to set up the stand for your business. Avoid far sides and corners, aiming for a central, obvious position amongst your competitors.
We hope you’re feeling more confident about your upcoming event. If you have any tips for other SMEs considering heading to a trade fair, why not share them in the comments section below?
