Content marketing maybe a new term for you. For those of you unfamiliar with this term, here is a definition from Joe Pulizzi of the website, Junta42:
Content marketing is a marketing technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action.
Basically, content marketing is the art of communicating with your customers and prospects without selling. It is non-interruption marketing. Instead of pitching your products or services, you are delivering information that makes your buyer more intelligent. The essence of this content strategy is the belief that if we, as businesses, deliver consistent, ongoing valuable information to buyers, they ultimately reward us with their business and loyalty.
When I start talking about harvesting content and sharing it with prospects and customers, most trade show and event suppliers say they don’t have content. Actually they do have it, they just are not familiar with how to develop it into something that is meaningful.
Every day thousands of exhibitors are displaying their products and services at some type of show, and most of them have use a supplier(s) to help them for that show. These suppliers have witness the best and worst of exhibitor offerings and have gathered all types of insights from their clients, as well as general observations by being on the show floor.
Successes stories abound!! The supplier community can share a multitude of them and relate what worked for the exhibitor and why. There are only a handful of suppliers who do communicate these stories via their blogs and that is a shame, in my opinion.
Your opinions and observations are valuable!
Most of you have some type of smartphone. I know on the iPhone, it has a voice memos feature. I would start by recording some of your observations when you are on the show floor. As you are walking the aisles be thinking in these terms:
- If this exhibitor only knew that their exhibit could be enhanced by doing this or that [your knowledge/expertise]. It could be lighting, graphics, etc.
- Check to determine how the booth staff is engaging you in a conversation. Is it “can I help you?” which is awful, or do they have a clever opening line. One could write an entire article on the various “pick up lines” exhibitors use to start a conversation.
Think in terms of what is being done correctly and what has room for improvement. Readers love lists! It can be easy to come up with the top 3 or 5 or 7 things one should be doing or not doing at a show.
Another tactic you can use to uncover your knowledge is by having a meeting with your internal staff. While you are brainstorming on your current clients requirements, ask yourself:
- If I could give them one piece of advice, it would be [xyz]
- As a new exhibitor, you really consider doing [this]
- If a new technology is available, like the iPad or new lead retrieval solution, give them advice on how to incorporate it into the plans.
Hopefully, you are getting the drift of my thinking. For further ideas, you might download a white paper by Junta 42 on How to Attract and Retain Customers with Content Now.
Speaking of Content
Please check out some of my paid content, From Conversations to Contracts by clicking here. Two show organizers answer the question: what does it take to become a preferred suppler? Some insightful material for your marketing and sales team to review.
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