Trade Show Guru

Trade show exhibit booths are a lot like websites and blogs. If you want traffic at your trade show exhibit booth (and why have an exhibit booth if you have no traffic), then you’d better understand and practice SEO for trade show exhibiting. S.E.O. stands for Search Engine Optimization, and it’s necessary for blogs and websites if you want to rank high on the search engines and get traffic. The same SEO ideas and principles apply to trade show exhibit booths. Just because you have a trade show exhibit booth, that doesn’t mean people will come. It isn’t like the movie Field of Dreams where “if you build it, they will come…” Well, maybe the trade show zombies will come, but that’s another post. Here are the basics of trade show booth SEO.

WHAT’S YOUR POINT! First you have to figure out why you’re exhibiting in the first place. Why are you at the trade show? What are you selling? What makes you different? What makes you better than the other guys with other trade show booths? What is your USP (unique selling proposition). What is your trade show marketing message? If you don’t know these answers, how will your prospects know, and why should they come to your booth? You need to figure out your “point” and make sure it’s clear, compelling, and communicated.

KEYWORDS! You’ve got to figure out your keywords, and make sure they are big and prominent on your trade show display design, just like you would want them to be prominent on your webpage or blog post. What are people searching for or looking for that you provide? Figure out your keywords, and put them in your booth design and all your other trade show marketing materials.

LINKS! just like people on the internet will never know about your blog or website if you don’t create links to it; similarly, people that will be attending the trade show won’t know about your trade show exhibit booth if you don’t send out pre-show mailers to people that will be attending the show. Don’t rely on random foot traffic (or that they’ll notice you on the list of 1,001 trade show exhibit booths. Let people know in advance about your exhibit booth. And of course, your pre-show mailer must have your clear marketing message and keywords on it.

REWARD! Why should people visit your website or blog, and why should they stop by your booth? Of course, your mailer should explain what benefit you can provide to your prospects, but how about offering a reward as well? Consider having and handing out trade show giveaways, such as trade show giveaway pens. Put your company name and contact info on the trade show giveaways so people remember you.

TRAFFIC! Remember, the key to a successful trade show exhibit booth is traffic. Don’t cross your fingers and hope for traffic. Plan ahead and optimize. Figure out your unique selling proposition. Figure out your keywords. What are people searching for, and what do you offer of value? Get those “links” with pre-show mailers. Publicize and advertise! Build hype in advance. Get the word out! And reward people that click through (or in the case of trade show exhibit booths, that stop by your booth space).

So remember for your next show to practice SEO for trade show exhibit booths. Here’s to your “optimized” trade show exhibit booth being a huge success, and may you have more exhibit booth traffic than you can handle!