Although many people are waiting to get back to the real trade show floor, virtual events are here for a while longer. In fact, many shows may even maintain hybrid or virtual formats even after floors open back up given the significant cost difference. However, we are repeatedly hearing about the difficulty associated with virtual events. Common challenges include:
- Lower turn out, meaning fewer leads
- Technical difficulties
- Opportunities for real networking and engagement
- Time constraints – both in having a sales team available to staff a virtual booth and in collecting/creating the required resources (videos, product demos, etc.)
Similar to in-person events, some virtual tradeshows are better than others, but regardless of the event itself, your team can find ways to leverage the newly created content and skillset. Companies are seeing success in creating their own ‘virtual booth’ hosted right through a website or marketing automation tool. This page acts as a resource library similar to the virtual booths teams are standing up for events. Not only does this help your team collect and re-purpose all of the content you’re producing, but it can be easily updated for each new show.
A couple of examples:
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This landing page focused on giving visitors an overview of the company, introduce the team, and share resources.
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The chat feature was utilized by the sales team to help visitors find product information and schedule Zoom calls. |
This fun example feels like a booth and allowed the team to utilize booth designs while linking to different parts of the website. |
Tips for using these tools:
Calendar & Meeting Links
- Add to landing pages on your website or the organization's site
- Add to your email copy and email signature in pre and post-event sends
- Set up specific schedules if you want the meetings to only come in during the show
Videos & Educational Resources
- You’re probably already adding a ton of new resources to your virtual booth, so re-purpose the content on your site!
- Gating (or form protecting) high-value content can also help you generate leads
- Feature existing white paper or recorded presentations too. With a custom landing page hosted through your site, you won’t have to just stick to the resource options from an event host
Live Chat
- Use chat bots to direct people to important pages on your site, such as specific product pages, case studies, or even Request a Quote forms
- Live chat during agreed-upon event hours. Have your sales team manage chats through automatic assignments or create shifts for who's ‘on first’
- Be helpful – avoid the sales pitch
- Have a call to action. You might not be asking for a sale in chat, but you can use this as a tool to get to an exploratory call. Having a Zoom or Teams meeting link ready for a call is always a good idea!
Interested in finding other ways to leverage your existing technology? Sign up for our lunch and learn series! All sessions are recorded, so even if you’ve already missed a couple – you can still catch up!
