Trade shows remain an effective marketing approach even in this digital age.

Digital giants such as Google and Microsoft still use trade shows to increase their client base. Each year, these companies join Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) to promote their digital products. It’s proof that big companies still use trade shows to build their brands.

Even today, exhibiting at trade shows is still one of the best marketing strategies to create immediate and lasting buyer-manufacturer relationships.

With 26% of exhibitors planning to scale up their event budgets and 53% of companies intending to maintain their budgets, trade shows continue to gain momentum, allowing businesses to make connections with potential buyers.

Reasons that Expos Build Better Buyer-Manufacturer Relationships

Rapid advancements in connecting with online audiences, such as social media, webinars, and video conferencing, may appear to make the need for trade shows obsolete.

However, trade shows still offer benefits that these new marketing methods cannot achieve. A trade show provides a personal and exciting experience – vital components in making a solid connection with potential clients.

Here are six reasons why an expo can help you connect with existing and prospective customers:

1. Allows Effective Face-to-Face Marketing

An in-person interaction helps build trust more effectively, especially when compared to exchanging emails. Although video conferencing may seem like an excellent alternative to interact face-to-face, it’s not as reassuring as meeting with an actual person.

In a trade show, you’re able to communicate directly with your potential customers. Shaking hands involves the sense of touch, which remains a strong method of building trust. It is a personal experience that you can’t achieve in a digital approach.

Some of the benefits of face-to-face marketing are:

• Creates a positive experience for customers: Since buyers communicate with you directly, they tend to receive responses immediately.
• Gives exhibitors better customer insights: As you listen to your customers’ challenges, you learn how to adapt your business to meet their needs.
• Better communication: Customers are less likely to misinterpret your message, allowing you to build stronger rapport.

2. Offers Great Lead Generation Potential

Attendees crowd the trade show floors because, as potential buyers, they can get immediate solutions from exhibitors. Major manufacturers who gather at shows like International Fastener Expo attract customers who need their products and services.

Aside from needing to stand out in this hectic event, you must also keep your prospects interested, or they might end up scurrying toward the next booth. Here are some ways you get fresh leads in a trade show:

• Use a badge scanner to simplify the lead generation process.
• Link QR codes that go to social media accounts or online lead generation pages.
• Ask for contact information during a presentation.
• Offer exclusive incentives to help close the deal on the show floor.

3. Boosts Brand Visibility to Targeted Customers

Joining a trade show that’s relevant to your industry can help ensure that attendees are qualified leads. Buyers who attend your chosen trade shows are typically excited to find new products and innovations in your niche. They’re already warmed up, so it’s easier to build your brand.

Trade shows can give excellent exposure to your business because the audience is relevant. Since you’re showing your products side-by-side with your direct competitors, though, you must incorporate eye-catching elements to stand out. Your booth’s presentation should make an initial connection with prospective customers.

As an exhibitor, consulting with experts before attending an expo can help you maximize the benefits of having a booth. For example, if you’re a manufacturer or distributor of fasteners, seeking advice from fastener expo experts can help you optimize your booth’s performance on the show floor.

A successful trade show exhibit is not just about how many deals you close in the booth. Even if you don’t get a contract signed immediately, the customer relationships developed can help build brand awareness. You can expand your client base in just a short amount of time.

4. Allows You to Receive Customer Feedback

Real-time customer feedback is a unique opportunity at trade shows that you won’t find with other marketing strategies, such as ad campaigns. Your customers, both potential and existing, can communicate directly with you and express their specific needs that your business can meet.

If you’re launching a new product, the expo can help provide immediate feedback about particular features that your customers love. The direct interactions that trade shows offer can give valuable insights that help you improve your products and services.

5. Provides the Opportunity to Educate

One of the ways to build better customer relationships is by educating your customers. Informative content has proven to be a valuable online B2B marketing strategy that helps build authority and credibility. Attendees will get more value from your company if you use the same educational approach coupled with your expo promotional materials.

Providing attendees with a learning experience shows that your company is one of the authorities in your space. One of the ways trade shows can help in building connections is by offering customer education using:

• Face-to-face conversation
• Panel discussions
• Seminars held in the booth

6. Helps Build Lasting Relationships

A trade show is a platform that can help you build lasting relationships with both your customers and other businesses within your industry. Joining a trade show as an exhibitor offers excellent networking opportunities, resulting in future business partnerships.

For instance, if you’re a manufacturing company, you can meet with logistics companies participating in the exhibit, which may provide you with better product shipping.

When it comes to your prospective buyers, a business relationship built on trust will last longer. Conducting follow-ups is also easier, since they’ve already personally met you beforehand.

Create the Right Connections at International Fastener Expo

Trade shows can help manufacturers connect directly with existing customers and prospective buyers. The exposure your brand receives from a vast number of relevant and potential leads makes setting up a booth more than worth your while.

Join the International Fastener Expo 2021 and build lasting professional relationships that can effectively boost your business.