How exhibitors can use technology to drive the right traffic to their booths

Exhibitors spend thousands of dollars and hours of their time to exhibit at tradeshows.  How should they measure their return on investment?  By the amount of traffic that stops at their booth?  The quantity of leads they receive?  The number of times they refill the candy bowl?

If exhibitors focus on quantity rather than quality, they may be missing an opportunity.  They’ll certainly be busy at the show, but their efforts may not result in many sales.  Instead of just traffic, exhibitors want the right traffic.  General traffic will use up time, take literature, and deplete the candy bowl.  Qualified traffic will generate a better return on investment and give exhibitors the satisfaction of time well spent.

Advances in technology are helping tradeshow exhibitors create effective campaigns that drive qualified traffic to their exhibit and get more bang for their tradeshow investment.  The best pre-show marketing programs use a combination of direct mail pieces, e-mail messages, fax blasts, and mini web pages (called Personal URLs or PURLs) that are personalized for each recipient.  ExpoPURL™, a new pre-show marketing program available from Experient, is an example. In addition to increasing qualified traffic, these campaigns allow exhibitors to line up appointments and gather information about prospects before the show even begins, and follow up with prospects after the show to close the sale.

Sound too good to be true?  How can technology allow marketers to achieve all of this?  And what are the components that make these campaigns work?

Personalization.  With new digital printing capabilities, recipients’ names can appear on their direct mail pieces, so it appears that the card was printed just for them − and in a sense, it was.  Mail merge technology also allows personal names to appear on e-mail blasts and PURLs.  According to the Direct Marketing Association, personalizing a direct mail piece can increase response rates as much as 50% because people like to see their name in print − and online.

PURLs. When attendees receive their direct mail cards, e-mail messages and/or fax blasts, they are directed to a web page created just for them.  Researchers say recipients are nearly twice as likely to visit a PURL as a generic web address, so this can greatly increase the response rate of the campaign and, in turn, the ROI of the tradeshow.  Most direct mail campaigns have response rates of less than two percent; PURL-based campaigns have generated returns in excess of 20 to 30 percent. 

PURLs also take advantage of the interactive capabilities of the Internet to gather information about recipients’ needs, creating two-way campaigns.  Instead of talking at prospects, exhibitors communicate with them.

For example, the PURL used by ExpoPURL includes a survey page with questions designed to pre-qualify prospects.  Are they interested in learning more about an exhibitor’s product?  Are they planning to buy something similar within the next 6 months?  What are their primary concerns or objections?  It also contains a contact page, where prospects can enter or confirm their contact information, including those hard to get e-mail addresses!

Multiple Touches.  Campaigns such as ExpoPURL typically begin with a personalized direct mail piece, followed by an e-mail and perhaps a fax, and each “touch” directs recipients to their own PURL.  This involves a concept that advertisers have used for years – repetition – to get their message across.  It also ensures that if prospects miss an e-mail, they’ll see a card in the mail, or vice versa.

Instant Reporting.  Because PURLs gather information via Internet questionnaires, exhibitors can monitor the success of the pre-show campaign in real-time and act on the results.  They can sort leads, eliminate those that aren’t interested or qualified, and focus on those that are in the market for their product or service.  And once attendees’ data is captured, it can be used before, during, and after the show:

• Before – Line up appointments, meetings, or product demonstrations for a full schedule that maximizes exhibition time during show hours.
• During – By knowing the interests and concerns of the respondents, booth presentations can be tailored accordingly.
• After – Since accurate contact information was gathered via the PURL, it’s easy to follow up with them as needed – particularly if they didn’t have time to stop by the booth. 

For example, one company used ExpoPURL to promote a product launch at a tradeshow, which generated a great deal of interest.  However, some qualified prospects didn’t show up at the booth.  Because the marketer had captured their contact information beforehand, he contacted them after the show and scheduled product demonstrations.  Had he just sent a postcard and hoped the contact would visit the booth, he would have missed many opportunities.

This powerful combination of new marketing technology can do wonders to support any exhibitor’s tradeshow efforts.  But even the best technology can’t cover up a poor offer.  In any marketing campaign, the offer must be strong, compelling, and relevant to the target audience.  A strong offer – combined with current technology – can drive the right traffic to a tradeshow event and ensure that money and time are well spent. 

For more information on the Experient ExpoPURL visit www.experient-inc.com/expopurl.