The journey from in-person to virtual trade fairs has driven an urge to innovate more and create authentic lifelike experiences for both audience engagement & business benefits. The goals, strategies and post-event marketing concepts of traditional live events may no longer be useful, as the virtual trade shows are the most advanced and technically evolved. There is a unique approach & strategy pipeline for lead generation and follow-up in virtual trade fairs. Making new-qualified conversions & turning the existing customers into potential leads require. We have observed that focusing on unique & diverse virtual trade show lead generation. And this helps create a successful 3D virtual trade show.
So, let us drive you through the 11 Virtual Trade Show Lead Generation Ideas.
Market research states that, for live shows, it seems like a big challenge for businesses to drive good event results & generate leads. The issue just got bigger with the launch or uprise of virtual trade fairs. Every event is unique and so must be designed exclusively to cater to diverse event goals & strategies. There will be numerous options for client communications & follow-ups while hosting a 3D virtual trade show.
Table of Contents
Virtual Trade Show Lead Generation Ideas
- After framing your event goals & strategies, all you need is a reliable lead follow-up plan. Your success rate depends on how and who will perform the lead analysis, categorize, prioritize and do the follow-up. Figuring out the usage of touchpoints and CTAs for follow-up will ensure your audience has received the right information.
- 2 Powerful tools CRM and marketing automation ensure faster follow-ups. The data collected from the system helps prioritize leads and plan and schedule an email chain for enhanced engagement. Recording all communications in the CRM facility helps seal the deals faster and build a good rapport with the audience.
- After recording all the data into your CRM, classify the leads into 3 priorities – first (high), second (medium) and third (low). The follow-up should be quick and based on the audience engagement with event elements, pain points, budget, time frames etc.
- Live & automatic lead management platform instantly delivers leads to traders. The information goes to multiple dealers based on their location, performance, etc. Email templates are designed and sent to leads & dealers backed up with follow-up strategies and emails. SEO-optimized landing pages with integrated contact forms also help in lead generation. The platform handles, converts and reports lead data gathered from all sources.
- Follow-up email content must be personalized to audience or business interests & demands. For information, on-floor attendee activities like link clicks, interactions, files downloaded & shared, videos watched etc., can be taken as reference.
- Most clients check use cases & samples to make purchase decisions. Displaying the product demos or live samples entices your audience and helps you seal a deal.
- Following a 3D virtual trade show, you can use CRM tools to track activities online. Downloaded content, time spent on videos etc. shows audience interest in your product. For them, sending emails with added CTAs is suggested.
- Creating groups on WhatsApp, Linked In, and Facebook helps attendees stay connected and share concepts post-event.
- Make your speakers & presenters perform Q&As for engagement & reviews.
- Make your content available on-demand post-event. It helps the audience to come back for the content they missed.
- Virtual swag bags on a 3D virtual trade show, are considered virtual trade show’s best practices. Sharing goodies at events encourages the audience to attend and participate more in the virtual venue.
Understanding The Change: From In-person Events to a 3D Virtual Trade Show
Sponsors, organizers & event planners see a great future with virtual trade fairs and hybrid shows. Recent statistics state that over 70% of attendees have shifted their interest from life to 3D virtual trade show platforms. The future is virtual, and event organizers are working on virtual trade show strategies to convert them into virtual trade show practices, all for extensive audience engagement and business growth.
What is a 3D virtual trade show?
A 3D virtual trade show is not just any event it is an experience. Immersive, interactive and 360-degree view designed for extreme engagement and experience. Different tools are designed & integrated into the 3D virtual trade show platform to enhance the audience experience and deliver value.
Interactive booth spaces with live chats, webinars, live streaming, embedded videos, product demos, keynote presentations & exhibitions in AR & VR models etc., are identified as some creative solutions to keep the audience engaged on a 3D virtual trade show platform.
3D Virtual Trade Show Platform and its Benefits
Virtual trade fairs today are the best means for lead generation for both b2b & b2c markets. With all those virtual trade show lead generation in mind, let us look into some of the benefits of a 3D virtual trade show.
- Cost-effective
- Scalable
- Excellent lead generation
- Branding & engagement
- Continuous network and interaction
- Gamification
- Eco-friendly
- 100% safe
Making a Successful 3D Virtual Trade Show
If you want to maintain audience engagement, follow the virtual trade fair tips & suggestions below.
- Create exclusive content and key sessions.
- Make efforts to follow up post events for lead conversions.
- Review and enhance team performance for better future event planning.
- Gather feedback post-event. Ask for tips to improve the event experience.
- Analyse to prepare the best lead follow-up strategy for the next event.
Success Story: Discover the HexaFair3D Virtual Trade Show
Globally, we have run numerous virtual trade fairs. The result has been remarkable compared to live events. Extremely delighted with the outcome, here we share one of our success stories.
Ateneo Virtual Career Fair 2021:
The Loyola Schools (LSOPCS) of the Ateneo De Manila University organised a virtual job fair, on the HexaFair platform on 15th&16thApr 21. The event outcome was a grand success in terms of exhibitor/employer participation and attendee turnout. HexaFair gave them a great platform & opportunity to connect, pre-screen, assess, and build connections virtually. Further, the virtual trade shows designs and features of the platform amplified their business presence and served as an effective tool for their branding. For more information, read our complete success story here.
Conclusion
Virtual trade fairs are the future. The capacity to accommodate diverse patterns and host exclusive shows is what makes them unique. They provide valuable insights on attendee behaviour & interests. A well-planned follow-up strategy leveraged with technology enables a seamless flow of data trading through CRM and Marketing Automation Systems.
For more information on a virtual trade show, book your demo today.