Your brand’s participation in a trade show has a core objective of generating maximum traction in enhancing its visibility. To accomplish this objective, you need to plan every step to generate leads and drive traffic.

A method commonly deployed by corporate executives and managers for the said purpose is to use trade show giveaways in a very tactical way.

But, you can’t keep using the same old giveaway ideas. Things that worked years ago, won’t work now. You need a unique presence to attract people with credible and exciting giveaways.

You need to understand different market segments relevant to your business. Then, plan a giveaway strategy for each segment. This guide will help you do so!

 

Importance of Giveaways AT  Trade Shows

 

With giveaways, you give something out. So, obviously, it should bring something back to your brand as well. Trade show giveaways help with lead generation, brand education, and reputation.

These goals are relevant to every business model. Hence, trade show giveaways become an important aspect of your exhibit. You also get to attract more traffic to your exhibit, which increases the ROI of the money you spend.

 

1. Major Challenges At A Trade Show

 

Driving Traffic To Your Trade Show Booth

 

The basic goal of any trade show exhibit is to obtain traffic. If your booth is unable to get traffic, you can’t even begin the process of generating leads.

This becomes a challenge when all industry competitors are under the same roof competing for the same visitors.

 

Engaging visitors in conversations

 

Even if visitors come to the booth and leave without any interaction, it is a loss. Holding the visitors at your booth requires genuine efforts of making them happy and interested.

 

Ensuring Brand Memory And Word OF Mouth

 

You need to find ways to involve visitors onsite and online. Otherwise, they can easily forget about your brand. And if they forget your brand, they won’t help with word of mouth marketing.

 

 

Getting visitors In Trade Show Videos And Photographs

 

Your brand has to be perceived as a relationship builder. So, you need evidence of visitor involvement during your trade show.

Involving them in trade show videos and photographs can help with that. However, convincing visitors can take some giveaways.

 

B2C Giveaways VS B2B Giveaways

 

Most businesses have two major target market segments- B2C and B2B. What is the target customer profile that your brand aims to engage with at the trade show?

You have to plan your giveaways targeted at the audience depending on whether your brand deals with consumers (B2C) or professionals (B2B).

Let us simplify the B2C and B2B market segments for you and what these segments mean in the context of the audience at the trade show.

 

B2C market:

• End users
• Family
• Friends

B2B market:

• Corporate executives
• Managers
• Business operators
• Franchises
• Professionals

 

2. Trade Show Giveaway Ideas

 

Offer Free Subscriptions OF Valuable Resources

 

Your B2B market can benefit from your business-related resources. If you publish online or digital editions of business magazines, dictionaries or newsletters, use them.

These generic resources can enhance brand awareness among your stakeholders.

So, offer a free subscription and let corporate executives, professionals, franchises, managers and other B2B stakeholders learn more about your business.

 

 Offer Free Subscription OF  Business Directories/Research Databases

 

For the B2B market, you can provide special research databases and/or business directories as a giveaway. These are premium resources, so you should over a limited subscription.

But it will definitely attract corporate operators to your brand.

However, it is important that you ensure the authenticity and quality of the databases you provide. It should be able to actually help the receivers.

 

 Give Out QR Codes For Loyalty Points

 

This idea is best-suited for your B2C market to generate leads and sales. If you run a loyalty program, offer QR codes with loyalty points.

The consumers should be able to redeem these points when making an online purchase on your platform.

This will increase consumer traffic at your trade show booth. At the same time, you will become successful in ensuring brand recognition.

 

 Provide Free Online Content Subscription For Learning

 

Do you want to attract corporate executives, industrial workers, engineers, and high-end researchers?! These B2B market groups feel excited about tutorial videos and other learning-based content.

You can provide free online subscription as a giveaway for such visitors at a trade show.

This becomes the next step of involvement, which keeps the visitors connected to your brand after the show as well.

 

 Hand Out QR Codes For Premium Digital Content Access

 

You can develop high-quality digital content and keep it under premium subscription on your company website. Then, use QR codes during trade shows to offer access to these contents.

This idea is best-suited for knowledge-driven industries such as electronics, healthcare, IT, software, and others. You can use this idea for both B2C and B2B market segments.

 

 Give Trial Access To Software Apps

 

Do you have any kind of software apps related to your business?! Then, give limited trial periods for your B2B and B2C market segments. The limited trial allows potential buyers to understand the benefits of your applications.

Then, you can convert a big percentage of those users into a buyer. Business sectors such as software, IT, and cloud computing get the most benefit, using this idea.

 

 Offer Free Premium Journal Subscription

 

Has your business ever collaborated with an academic institution?! You can generate premium journals with the help of tech, law or business schools.

Then, offer a free subscription as a giveaway to your B2B market segment. If possible, you should collaborate with a relevant institution to come up with a special edition of a sponsored journal for an upcoming trade show.

For instance, the Harvard Business Review would be a premium quality journal suitable for trade show giveaways.

 

 Give Sodexo Meal Passes

 

For companies, Sodexo is a reliable resource to acquire meal passes. You can give out these passes to your consumers, end users, family and friends.

These passes allow them to enjoy meals at their favorite local restaurants.

There are other leisure passes and vouchers available, which you can utilize as giveaways at a trade show.

 

 Distribute Branded/Printed T-shirts

 

Want your trade show visitors to remember your brand?! Then, distribute branded or printed t-shirts among them. This also becomes a convenient way of increasing brand awareness. T-shirts are a casual giveaway item.

Hence, you should use it to target your B2C market. Friends, families and other end users will enjoy wearing a fashionable t-shirt flaunting your brand name.

 

 Distribute Branded/Printed Laptop Bags

 

Shifting to the B2B side, you can impress industry professionals and executives with laptop bags. Acquire printed laptop bags with your brand name and logo.

Almost every professional carries a laptop to offices, meetings and on business trips. Your laptop bag proves to be a useful gift, which enhances the value of your company among stakeholders.

 

 Hand Out Free Passes To Attract Traffic At Company Events

 

A trade show can become a promotion ground for your company event. In fact, you can share free passes with corporate executives, professionals, and managers.

This pass engages them with another event of your business. You can use trade shows to promote a product launch event, branding seminars and other kinds of events.

 Share Sponsored Invitations

 

You can giveaway sponsored tickets to invite consumers and industry professionals/executives to visit your headquarters.

Sponsor their journeys and meals to attract them to your offices, factory premises, and other operational facilities.

This allows target market segments to understand your operational procedures and the high standards of quality control. Using this, you can gain strong leads and valuable contracts.

 

Conclusion

 

The goals of a giveaway change, depending on the market segment you are targeting. When you target a B2C market, the ideas should create an emotional attachment and build brand value among consumers. On the other hand, you need to focus on relationship building when targeting the B2B market.

It would be wise to select intangibles such as content, digital resources, and others for giveaways. Intangibles are safer to maintain than tangible items.

Don’t forget to personalize your giveaway items for social media promotion and word of mouth. Now, you can decide on a  streamlined trade show giveaway strategy for your next trade show.