The Power of BuzzWritten by Susan Friedmann, CSP
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4. Think about ways to tap into these groups to spread word about your products/services. Use these in addition to your existing marketing efforts. Never rely on just one means of connecting with you target audience. Your credibility is enhanced through different marketing mediums. For example, exhibit marketing could include pre-show advertising, at-show sponsorship and post-show, a trade publication article. The more ways people can hear and see you better. 5. Offer prospects easy ways to try your product/service. For example, makers of Pictionary gave demos in parks, shopping centers and other gathering places. The tradeshow floor presents excellent opportunities for this. 6. Come up with other creative ideas to enhance tradeshow show demonstrations. What can you give people to take away to remind them of your company, products and positive show experience. Think about something that will help create buzz. It’ll have to be more creative than a keychain or stress ball. The more product-related better. You want people to remember and talk about you – positively! 7. Look at special groups whom you might offer a product discount, a loaner or even for free. You’re looking for groups/individuals where direct product experience will help spread word. For example, when FedEx started out, it offered free shipping to show people how their program worked. America Online continuously finds ways to offer hundreds of free hours of trial usage to entice new users. I recently saw a display of free CDs at WalMart. 8. Use press conferences for major announcements, new product introductions, but only if they are truly new or improved, or general industry trends - what’s hot and what’s not. Realize that editors are interested in timely newsworthy information; industry trends, statistics, new technology or product information. The media get very upset attending a press conference which is poorly organized and where there’s nothing newsworthy. 9. Use sneak previews at tradeshows to build anticipation and help create a buzz on show floor. Give people a fun experience and a behind scenes view of what’s coming. TV and movies have got this down to a fine art with their coming attractions. Siemens just did this extremely successfully at recent CTIA show in Las Vegas. They organized a live marketing presentation with a futuristic theme that featured a digital phone prototype. They certainly created a buzz, which had people, including myself inquiring about product’s availability. 10. Make use of tradeshows to educate your target audience. People are hungry for information. Investigate opportunities to speak either during workshop sessions or incorporate an educational session into your display. The power of buzz far exceeds many conventional marketing vehicles. It is probably oldest, most well-used and valuable one out there. Look at how you can make it an integral part of your existing marketing plan to influence voices in your industry.
Written by Susan A. Friedmann,CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, author: “Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies,” working with companies to improve their meeting and event success through coaching, consulting and training. Go to http://www.thetradeshowcoach.com to sign up for a free copy of ExhibitSmart Tips of the Week.
| | 10 Benefits Of Submitting Articles To E-zines Written by Jeff Schuman
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6. You might get extra income from people wanting to hire you to write other articles, books, or even ask to speak at seminars. This is a great way to multiply your income. 7. You could allow e-zine publishers to publish your articles in their free e-books. Since people give them away, your advertising could multiply all over internet. 8. You will get your article published all over web when you submit it to an e-zine publisher that has a free content directory on their web site. They'll allow their visitors to republish your article. 9. You'll gain people's trust. If they read your article and like it, they won't be as hesitant to buy your product or service. You will then be able to increase your profits. 10. You could get your article guaranteed to run in an e-zine. You could agree to run one of their articles in your e-zine if, in exchange, they run yours in their e-zine. It's a win/win situation.
Jeff Schuman's Ezine-In-A-Box helps people publish their own ezine without writing a single word. Your own email promotion and internet marketing program set-up for free for 365 days. http://www.ezine-in-a-box.com
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