Four B2B Marketing Ideas To Do When Your Major Trade Shows Have Been Cancelled

Many B2B marketers rely solely on trade shows and industry conferences to connect with their audience and meet new customers. However, with COVID-19, large gatherings across the globe have been cancelled, leaving many marketing teams unsure how to reach their audience during this time.

Fortunately, there are some things you can do in the interim to continue building your brand, fostering new leads, and gaining new customers. Here are four strategies to get you started:

1. Attend Digital Events

A lot of trade show and industry conference organizers have moved to digital platforms to host their events. These digital events can provide your sales and marketing teams with the opportunity to generate leads and keep long-standing business relationships alive.

Start by reaching out to the organizers of your most important conferences and see what digital events they are offering. Then, get together with your team and make a strong plan to capitalize on those events. As digital events are different than in-person ones, you want to make sure that the technology you use is functional, your messaging is succinct, and your materials can be easily distributed on a digital platform.

2. Host A Virtual Meeting

Another idea is to consider hosting your own virtual event. There are a number of ways you can do this, including a lunch and learn, an informative webinar, and even a live product launch. Get creative with your ideas to hold interesting, memorable events your customers will want to attend. Make sure that before you host, you test your technical setup and do a couple of practice runs to ensure everything goes smoothly.

3. Capitalize On Social Media Marketing

A lot of B2B marketers overlook social media outreach because of the nature of their business. However, more companies are using social media to connect with one another due to trade shows being cancelled.

Start by reviewing your social media presence to make sure it is reflective of your brand, and then put in the legwork. Follow your current and potential customers alike and engage with their content. Make sure to post great content of your own as well. This will broaden your reach and help create opportunities for conversations.

4. Plan For Next Year

Many trade show and event planners are often very busy and don’t always have time to execute the plans they believe will up their game. So with less work on your plate, now is a great time to look at your future strategies.

Maybe it’s time to redesign your brochures or merchandise. Perhaps it’s time to finally start planning the off-site events you’ve always wanted to host. Or maybe it’s time to get a new trade show booth that functions better for your growing team, showcases your products more effectively, and more accurately reflects your brand identity. Take the time to review your strategies, materials, and booth to see if there are any ways to make improvements so you can make a big splash when trade shows return.

At Lighthouse Exhibits, we understand the pressures that COVID-19 has created for B2B marketing teams. We’re here to support you with alternative options to help you continue growing your business until trade shows return. Check out our blog for more ideas, and let us know if there is any way we can help you stay on track to achieve your goals.