After the Show: Getting the Most Out of Your Trade Show Leads

So after the initial investment in the trade show, you’re feeling pretty good. There was plenty of interest in your product or service, and you collected hundreds of leads. 

But what now? How do you maximize your investment in the trade show and leverage those leads into marketing and sales-qualified leads?

Make the most of your investment

Trade shows are the ultimate in-person or virtual way to do permission marketing. How often do we get to meet the potential leads we attract face-to-face? Introducing ourselves and our product or services in person or virtually is getting a head start on what can be a fruitful relationship. 

While you are at the trade show, ask these potential leads for permission to keep in touch with them. You can scan attendee badges or digitally collect their data using a tablet, but make it crystal clear; you are asking if it is ok if you reach out with more information after the show. Even if you are collecting cards for a drawing or contest, inform people what will happen to their data after they supply it. Asking for a potential lead’s data is called “permission marketing.” 

Follow up by doing these three things.

1. Connect immediately

It’s important to stay front of mind, and the best way to do this is to have a robust CRM management system (as a Solutions Partner, we recommend HubSpot) where contacts can be automatically added to your lists. Create a welcome email to send to your trade show leads, letting them know what to expect going forward.

2. Create curated workflows

Now is the time to delight your leads! Of course, you want to give them information about the products and services they learned about at the trade show, but also create interesting content that would entice them to click through to your site to learn more. Create a workflow (an automated email sequence) built for your buyer’s unique persona. You may have to create multiple workflows if you have multiple buyer personas that you are targeting. Creative content engages your leads and, delivered consistently,  is the key to success and business growth.

*Make sure to make it easy for them to unsubscribe- by doing this, you show them you respect their time.

3. Connect on LinkedIn

Get together and target a list of your leads on LinkedIn. Connect with them by sending out a note letting them know it was great meeting with them and that you would like to connect with them on the platform. Make sure to send a friendly, inviting, and authentic message. You can also use your trade show leads list as part of audience targeting for a LinkedIn advertising campaign such as InMail.

Track and reach out at the right time

By using a CRM tool like HubSpot, you can track engagement and know when to take a marketing-qualified lead to a sales-qualified one. Tracking is a crucial step in making the most of your efforts. It is the difference between passing a “cold” or “warm” nurtured lead to your team. You may be missing the opportunity completely if you wait until a sales call to connect with your trade show leads.

A warm lead knows your brand, and when your sales team reaches out to them, they also trust it. Taking the necessary steps to nurture your trade show leads pays off with overall awareness,  business growth, and sales.

Our team has successfully provided B2B customers with tailored solutions to accomplish their business goals. Our services, including lead generation, lead nurturing, event promotion, trade show support, digital advertising, and more, have been specifically designed to help solve your marketing challenges. Contact us to book a discovery call to learn more about how we can help you get the most out of your trade show leads and more!