International Marketing Practices

Figure 6. A trade show booth should be inviting, interesting, and conveniently located. Photo credits: Omar Espinoza.

Leverage social media. Social media has exploded and extended its importance into the trade show realm. It is important to be active on social media before, during, and after the show. Social media can be useful in creating awareness before the show, so people recognize the name of the company. During the show, take pictures and post tweets or other media updates, appealing to consumer preferences and suggesting they visit the provided booth number [87]. Creating a hashtag around the booth theme or using the show hashtag can also prove helpful to recruiting visitors to your booth [89]. It can also prove effective to switch forms of media, for example from Facebook to Twitter, as days or even hours progress, so that different followers are reminded of your presence and visit the booth [87]. Collect lead and feedback information. It is helpful to develop and use a form to record leads, with information that will facilitate follow-up and help evaluate results and improve future participations. Keeping track of booth attendee numbers can help to justify the need for international trade show participation [87]. Firms should keep all information gathered from the event, including notes, lists of products, staff, feedback, photos, leads, and social media post documentation [87].

Follow up on leads and track outcomes. Lead follow-up is often the most overlooked aspect of attending a trade show. Approximately four out of five — a

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