If you’re attending the Natural Products Expo West 2011 at the Anaheim Convention Center March 10 – 13, try and catch up with me! I’ll be roaming the aisles, meeting exhibitors, looking for Tweetups and monitoring my Twitter feed, Facebook and blog for any connection opportunities.
Our company, Interpretive Exhibits, also will be well represented with eight custom-designed and fabricated exhibits. Come see our work – check out the following booths:
Hyland’s: 1320
Mountain Rose Herbs: 2820
Bob’s Red Mill: 2660
Nancy’s Yogurt: 2481
gDiapers: 3276
Natracare: 3316
Bi-O-Kleen: 3856
Earth Mama Angel Baby: 4120
Here are a few suggestions for you IF you happen to be at the show:
Tweet your booth number (if you’re exhibiting) to @tradeshowguy and include the #expowest hashtag. I’ll come by and say hi!
Download a PDF with the booth listings and my contact information here.
If you hear of a great tweetup, send out a tweet with the time/locale and be sure to include #tweetup #expowest hashtags.
Download the ExpoWest app from iTunes to check schedules, look up exhibitors, plan your event, get local info and more
If catch me wearing my QR Code t-shirt, fire up your QR Code smartphone app, scan it and see what goodies you get!
I keep hearing how SCVNGR is being used to engage tradeshow attendees with pics, check-ins and other game activities. So let’s take a look at how it’s being done in a tradeshow or event setting.
First, what the heck is SCVNGR?
SCVNGR is a game. Playing is simple: Go places. Have fun and share with your friends. Check-in, snap pics, do the social check-in or try a challenge! Everywhere you go, you’ll earn points and start unlocking real-world rewards at over 12,000 locations (think free ice cream!). SCVNGR makes it easy to share where you are and what you’re up to with your friends on SCVNGR, Facebook and Twitter. Start playing SCVNGR by downloading our free iPhone & Android app. SCVNGR is funded by Google Ventures, Highland Capital Partners and Balderton Capital. Visit www.scvngr.com to learn more.
Last summer the New England chapter of Meeting Professionals International looked for a social media activity that met the needs of buyers and suppliers, encouraged networking and interaction, helped give back to the community, and is really fun, too…is such a thing even out there? Turns out it is: SCVNGR.
They set up a 90-minute scavenger hunt for the 150 attendees. Each venue ponied up a sponsorship fee and once the scavenger hunters arrived they were tasked with doing something. “For example, arriving at restaurant Post 390, participants had to find the private function room. There, they had to try some hors d’oeuvres. After submitting a photo to prove they’d completed the task, participants got a text message noting that the restaurant has three private function rooms.”
The International Manufacturing Technology Show used SCVNGR in Chicago last summer, and while the attendee participation was low, the time and energy required to set it up was very low. ‘According to Lee Anne Orange, IMTS exhibitions special project manager, the decision to use SCVNGR is an outgrowth of the show’s existing social media strategy, albeit in a less demanding exercise. “We use a couple other social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter that require a certain amount of maintenance that we have a hard enough time keeping up with,” she says. “SCVNGR was appealing because it starts and ends here.”‘
Also last summer, member of SCVNGR worked the SIGGRAPH show in Los Angeles. While the article broke the daily ration of using the word ‘awesome’ it is a great endorsement for using SCVNGR at an event.
And finally…ya gotta love bloggers. Unlike a news reporter who feels she might have to stick with convention on describing something, here’s a great example of a blogger who got all enthused about how SCVNGR worked (or might work) for them in a number of situations.
…in which our intrepid reporter takes a stroll through a number of blogs and news outlets. And takes a couple of the companies to task for, well, various things…
As an aside, I was disappointed in the Alexis website for one BIG reason: they only list a toll-free number and general e-mail but NO other contact information. Who are these people? Where are they? Why the mystery?
agendas, one-to-one appointments, and personalized agendas
way-finding
and more…
The Tradeshowfeed blog is actually a nice enough blog with useful information and a good look, but seems pretty inactive. However, when you click the ‘Latest” link, the four most recent posts are from Feb 8, 2011, November, 2010; October, 2010 and August of 2010. Uhm, that’s barely enough to fog a mirror, folks.
The Monetate Market Optimization Blog offers a review of their experience using the iPad to demo their marketing software at a recent tradeshow. One thing that they like was the personal interaction that the iPad offers over a larger flat screen.
iPad photo (CC-BY-SA) by Glenn Fleishman from Seattle, Washington
Like millions I watched the Super Bowl over the weekend, not only to root for the Packers (!), but to gawk at the ads. Lots of clever ads put together which were damn entertaining. According to the Portland Business Journal, some of the most popular were produced by Portland’s Weiden + Kennedy, well known for creating great Nike ads over the years. They created the Chrysler and Coca-Cola ads which got a lot of critical and viewer praise.
My favorite (and it’s hard to choose, so if I were to write this article tomorrow, my fave choice might change) was the very popular VW ad with the mini-Darth Vader called “The Force.” It went viral before the Super Bowl and by Monday had garnered over 16 million views on YouTube:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R55e-uHQna0
While the Super Bowl is a terrific showcase for ad creativity, many critics (me included) wonder about the effectiveness of the ads. Advertisers spend around $3 million for a 30-second slot. Not to mention the time, energy and money that goes into creating the ad. Must be another three mil, at least, right?
That’s a ton of money, even if you’re Coca-Cola or Chrysler. As an advertiser you want it to pay off.
If the ad is number one on the popular charts but doesn’t sell more than a few bottles of coke or more than a few new cars, is the ad worth the investment? Hard to justify in my mind. But if the ad creates huge brand awareness and you’re able to point back to the ad as a key point in a rise in sales, you can probably justify it.
Hey, it’s the same with tradeshows – which is just another marketing tactic.
You spend a ton of money (it’s not cheap!), and hope the sales increase as a result.
So…some questions to ask as you prepare your creative for the tradeshow:
Is the booth pretty or effective? Or both?
Is your graphic message popular or does it ring the cash registers? Or both?
Is your in-booth demo clever and does it grab solid leads? Or is it just plain clever..?
Do your staffers have great questions for your visitors and do they use those questions to qualify a ton of great leads?
Do your leads make a nice pile of paper but fail when it comes to getting them to pulling out their checkbook to purchase your product or service?
It’s the same with websites, by the way. I’ve seen incredible looking websites which did virtually nothing for the business. And I’ve seen ugly websites that were extremely effective at turning a visitor into a customer.
Pretty and popular is nice. But sales effectiveness and lead conversion pay the bills.
Then brainstorm a bit on how you might use a QR Code to assist your other marketing efforts. Here are some brain-starters…
Tradeshow rugs or flooring: easy to put a graphic on a custom piece of flooring. Putting it on a rug will inspire people to pull out their smartphones and capture the QR Code to see where it leads.
Business cards: have too much information to put on your business card, like Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn/YouTube links, and more…? Create a web page on your blog or website that has all of that, along with a bio, photo, or whatever else you deem appropriate.
T-shirts: I saw a QR Code t-shirt for sale online (just search any t-shirt site); upload your QR Code, include an invitation such as “Scan me to win!” and wear it proudly while people stop to scan you!
Marketing materials: Of course you can insert a QR Code in virtually any piece of marketing. The trick is to offer an incentive to scan: free download, limited-time product discount, exclusive offer, etc.
At a tradeshow: link the QR code to a ‘secret’ site where visitors can find such things as streaming video of the show, a virtual tradeshow website, special offers, photos, and more.
A few more ideas: business advertising, clues for a treasure hunt, an artist manifesto, link to a non-profit’s donation page, and a bunch more on this cool collection of QR Code ideas.
If you search for QR Codes on Google, there are just a million+ results. I would bet that in another year there will be five times as many. QR codes are exploding. The more companies that get involved will spur even more companies to get involved. It’s like a snowball rolling down hill. Or like global warming. Except for the snowball thing.
Tim Patterson interviews Marie-Claire Andrews of ShowGizmo, a cool tradeshow service that utilizes QR Codes and more. Great interview if you want to get a lot of good ideas on how to use QR codes at tradeshows.
A few weeks ago Darren Hart reached out to me and offered to submit a blog post that he’d written. It was a good post and I took him up on it. After checking a little deeper on who Darren is, I decided he might be a fun interview. After all, Darren has what I think is an interesting occupation: he uses magic combined with sales skills to generate leads for his tradeshow clients.
Darren and I got on the phone recently and discussed his approach to tradeshow marketing using magic in his presentations.
In the marketing game, staying ahead of your competition is a key to being top of mind to your market. With social media adding yet another facet to your marketing mix, it gets harder and harder to keep track of all of the moving parts.
That’s where being on top of your game and using great tools to make things easier come in handy. Really handy. It puts you a step or two above your competition. They’ll find out sooner or later what you’re doing. By then, hopefully you’ll have moved yet another step or two ahead.
1. Respond in Real-Time
Want to be instantly notified when someone sends you a tweet so you can be sure to get back to them right away if necessary? Set up your smart phone to ping or beep you with a Twitter app. This lets you respond in real-time, which positions you in their mind of being extremely responsive. They feel wanted and loved.
2. Blog Regularly
Show your readers and potential clients that you understand their pain. In the blog you offer solutions, how-to’s, interviews with experts (written/audio/video), industry news and comments and more. By doing so, you’re making the blog attractive to readers. By posting regularly, you’re making it worth their while to come back and visit. If the content is top-notch, you’re making it a ‘don’t-miss’ read.
3. Make Your Facebook Page Work For You
Yeah, pretty much everybody has a Facebook page now. Companies are planting their businesses on Facebook. You should be, too. If you’re not, get it done. If you’re already there, explore how you can make your Facebook page a valuable resource for your readers. Make sure your blog posts are showing up automatically by setting up an RSS feed into your Facebook company page. Offer prizes, special deals, and fresh content (audio/video/written) on your Facebook page that they can’t get anywhere else. Find ways to increase your Facebook fanbase such as these.
4. Stay Educated
Reading great social media websites, such as the Social Media Examiner. Always full of useful resources, insight and tools, the SME helps anyone who’s interested in moving ahead of their competitor. Great stuff, including a recent post on how you can improve your blog by following top tips from top bloggers.
5. Go Mobile
Your audience is mobile. You should be mobile. Smartphones help keep people connected. If you have one, it helps you understand how your market interacts with your online outposts. You can see what they see: how your blog and website looks on a smartphone, how to interact, check-in, post updates, photos and more – all while on the run in an increasingly mobile and active world.
6. Be Active at Shows
Yes, you’re tweeting and posting on Facebook. Maybe even doing a few videos. Can you step up even further and create a virtual tradeshow website? Can you plan on bringing even more heavy-hitters in the industry into your booth to interview on live streaming Internet TV? Don’t bite off more than you can chew…but take a really close look at what you’re capable of. And if you need help, hire it.
7. Have Fun!
Really…are you having fun? Is your competition? If you’re regularly beating them I suspect you’re having more fun than them!
Okay, it’s an oldie but goodie…and it’s been downloaded about 2,000 times since it came out about 20 months ago. But it’s still a good read. And it’s still free. Grab your copy of “101 Rules of Tradeshow Marketing” here. Yes, free, gratis, no cost, no strings attached, zip, zero, nada. Click HERE or on the graphic for the PDF.
