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Social media platforms have the potential to exponentially outperform the ROI of attending and exhibiting at trade shows. B2B business owners, while spending thousands on trade shows, will express doubt that investing in social media will bring a return on their investment. This is an understandable mistake but one they need to get past if they don’t want to risk missing an opportunity to grow.
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The ROI of Exhibiting at Tradeshows
Have you calculated the cost of travel & food, exhibit fees, employee time, and promotional displays in light of actual sales made at the show?
For most industries, the value of exhibiting at a tradeshow is so they can increase visibility in the marketplace and connect with current and prospective customers.
Few sales teams expect to close big deals at a tradeshow. Yet, they recognize the value of attending tradeshows because a successful sales funnel will build on trusted relationships. The value of visibility and connecting with customers is especially true for manufacturing and industrial companies.
If relationships that lead to sales are formed and strengthened at tradeshows, what would be possible if that experience could be expanded 24|7|365?
Tradeshows are attended several times a year and commonly run only two-to-four days. Connections are made, yet the only thing many sales reps have at the end is a stack of business cards, some with little notes to remember details.
Picture your tradeshow exhibit: the effort put into making it look professional to attract people in the hope that they stop at your booth. At the least, your team has spent time and money planning, packing, and setting up the banners, table throw, product displays, sell sheets, and promo items.
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Now, let’s imagine that your booth is empty. No backdrop, display, or people with smiles waiting to talk.
How many potential customers are walking past?
What would it say about your company?
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Social media platforms have the potential to serve as your virtual tradeshow booths.
Just like when you have an empty tradeshow booth, having your social media channels empty of your company branding, or sparsely posted is causing potential customers to walk past. At worst, it creates a negative image of your company.
One may argue that your customers are not on social media. WebFX reports that “ 82% of industrial manufacturers are on LinkedIn.” 1
According to Google, “53% of shoppers say they always do research before they buy to ensure they are making the best possible choice.” As the younger generation fills more leadership roles, social media becomes an increasingly important part of a brand’s marketing strategy.
Hop onto the top social platforms listed below and evaluate your appearance. Is your company’s social platform one of the following?
- Unclaimed: You’re not on it.
- Gray: You’ve claimed your spot but left it blank.
- Outdated: The last post is months…or (gast!) years old.
It’s tempting for manufacturing and industrial companies to put social media pages like LinkedIn out of mind and think it’s not important. It is. Having a nonexistent or ignored social presence is a disadvantage to your brand.
Would your company show up at your tradeshow booth without banners, a backdrop, or collateral? Would your sales team ignore tradeshow attendees?
People are online, including your prospects and future team members. Is your company showing up in the online world to meet them?
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7 top reasons your industrial company needs to show up on social media platforms:
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1. Builds Brand Awareness and Credibility:
By consistently posting on social media, companies build brand recognition and attract new customers and followers.
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2. Attracts Talent:
Is your business a great place to work? When researching companies for employment opportunities, people want to see the human side of the business. Social platforms are perfect for sharing glimpses of life inside your company. If you have a healthy company culture, show it off, it’s a talent magnet.
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3. Drives Traffic to Your Website:
As a referral source, social media can increase traffic to your website. Sharing content that links back to your website brings customers from the virtual tradeshow booth to your online location, where they can learn more about your products & services. (Adding marketing automation lets you capture leads from your website and connect with them directly.) Clicking to your site from social pages also boosts your organic search ranking.
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4. Increases Customer Engagement:
Would you ignore someone who visited your tradeshow booth? Of course not. Engaging with people on social platforms is no different. Companies create a more personal connection with their audience by responding to comments, messages, and reviews. People buy from people: this is a golden opportunity to humanize your brand.
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5. Monitors Industry Trends:
With the advantage of a wealth of information at their fingertips, companies can stay in touch with what is happening in their market and industry by connecting with others in their field.
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6. Connects Virtual Teams:
For regional sales teams and employees who have shifted to working remotely from home, it can be challenging to connect teams and create a strong company culture. Sharing company events and spotlighting employees gives teams another way to learn about each other and build relationships. Their connections also learn about your team and see the camaraderie firsthand.
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7. Educates and Nurtures Potential Clients:
Sales through social media is the long game. With a cadence of posts that educate potential customers about the products or services you offer, your company is creating more touch points that help to close the deal in the future.
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With over 4.48 billion social media users worldwide, there is every reason why companies should be investing in social media.
When you’re at your “virtual tradeshow booth,” you can get past the gatekeepers and closed doors and be seen by potential customers as they scroll.
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Establishing your virtual tradeshow booth, where do you start?
Which social platforms should you be on? This can be daunting, especially if you’re not on social media yourself. Don’t let this mindset keep you out of the 21st century. The big players on social are LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. “Ninety-three percent of industrial manufacturing marketers used LinkedIn as an organic social media platform and claim LinkedIn produced the best results.”2
What about video? Video content continues to grow. Does a YouTube channel make sense? Video provides an “instant introduction” to you and allows them to meet you virtually face to face.
To do immediately: ensure you’ve claimed your Google Business Page and keep it updated!
Give special attention to your virtual tradeshow booth’s graphic display. Make sure all your profiles and headers accurately reflect your company’s brand standards. Read our blog about it here.
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Create a unified brand look for all your social profiles.
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If establishing a presence on social media sounds about as fun as going to the dentist, talk with a marketing professional you trust. In the same way you would research which tradeshows to attend, do some research on how your company can sustainably implement a social media strategy.
People are walking past you and taking notice of your competition. It’s time to set up your virtual tradeshow booth!
Sources:
2 https://backlinko.com/social-media-users
https://www.webfx.com/industries/industrial/industrial-companies/marketing-statistics/
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