When you run a small business, there’s nothing that can replace the benefits you get from joining niche and sector events such as conferences or even trade shows. Unfortunately, securing your spot in business events comes at a price and, for small companies, it can seriously affect their chances to get noticed. Indeed, with a limited budget, you can hardly compete against larger brands that can happily invest in an XXL stand surface with coffee machine and delivery of freshly baked pastries on the stand. Does that mean you can’t make the most of your minimal event presence? Of course not! You need to be smart about it to make sure your audience has no difficulty finding you. Ultimately, the secret to making your presence known has nothing to do with the size of your exhibition stand, so there’s no point breaking the bank to upgrade your lot. On the contrary, you need to diversify your presence to catch visitors both online and offline.
Visible but not OTT signage
First of all, a small stand is not a bad thing as long as you understand the key rules of visibility in a crowded space. Indeed, neutral colors tend to blend in, which means that visitors are likely to walk past your stand without noticing you’re here. You need to use a bold and colorful statement to attract their eyes. A bright and vibrant decor can go a long way. Additionally, you can encourage visits by using strategic signage from a traditional teardrop banners cheap investment with huge ROI to a sponsored map presence investment with enhanced footfall. You don’t need to order large banners and signs as these might make the stand appear even smaller!
Create a landing page or short site about the event
If you want to create a buzz around the event, it’s a great idea to establish a purposeful online presence for the occasion. You could build a simple website that is entirely dedicated to the show and your schedule for the event. To keep things smooth, a landing page structure lets you guide your leads to your preferred conversion – such as making an appointment to come to the stand – and lets you set up the site in virtually no time. With a handful of pages only, you can rapidly test and fix issues. Using professional services, you can ensure your site is not only mobile-friendly but also shareable in a click.
Ask for a scheduled presentation
Last, but not least, don’t hesitate to ask for a conference slot. You’ll find that most events struggle to fill all their presentation slots, so that you can get discounted prices in the last few weeks before the event. Preparing a quick presentation might seem daunting at first, but you can use it to let your personality shine and address current trends and issues with the crowd. A speaker’s trick is to imagine you’re talking to a friend. This will make you feel more relaxed about your public appearance. Besides, it will also encourage visitors to listen to you.
How do you make sure that big brands don’t outshine your small business at a business event? Forget the budget differences. Instead, focus your attention to maximizing your visibility through a bold stand design, a dedicated website and a friendly and casual speech at the show. Being seen is all about your preparation!