The first step to customize your follow-up strategy is to know your audience. Who are they, what are they looking for, and what are their pain points? Depending on the type of trade show, you may have different segments of leads, such as end-users, decision-makers, distributors, or media. You need to tailor your message and offer to each segment, and use the appropriate channel and tone to communicate with them. For example, you may want to send a personalized email to a decision-maker, a product demo to an end-user, a press release to a media contact, or a referral incentive to a distributor.
The next step is to set your goals for your follow-up strategy. What do you want to achieve with each lead, and how will you measure your success? Depending on the size of the trade show, you may have different levels of engagement and conversion rates. For example, if you attended a large and general trade show, you may have a lot of leads, but not all of them are qualified or interested in your product. Your goal may be to filter out the cold leads and nurture the warm ones. On the other hand, if you attended a small and niche trade show, you may have fewer leads, but they are more likely to be ready to buy. Your goal may be to close the deal as soon as possible.
The third step is to plan your timeline for your follow-up strategy. When and how often will you contact your leads, and what will you say or offer each time? Depending on the goal of the trade show, you may have different urgency and frequency of follow-up. For example, if you attended a trade show to launch a new product or service, you may want to follow up quickly and frequently, to capitalize on the buzz and excitement. You may send a thank-you note within 24 hours, a reminder within a week, and a special offer within a month. However, if you attended a trade show to build brand awareness or loyalty, you may want to follow up more gradually and subtly, to avoid being pushy or spammy. You may send a newsletter within a month, a survey within three months, and a loyalty reward within six months.
The fourth step is to segment your leads based on their behavior, interest, and readiness to buy. You can use various criteria, such as the source of the lead, the type of interaction, the level of engagement, or the stage of the buyer's journey. By segmenting your leads, you can customize your follow-up strategy to match their needs and preferences. For example, you may want to send a more aggressive and persuasive follow-up to a lead who requested a quote, a more educational and informative follow-up to a lead who downloaded a white paper, or a more social and personal follow-up to a lead who followed you on social media.
The fifth step is to automate your process as much as possible, to save time and resources, and to ensure consistency and accuracy. You can use various tools, such as CRM software, email marketing platforms, or chatbots, to automate your follow-up strategy. For example, you can use CRM software to store and manage your leads' information, email marketing platforms to send personalized and targeted emails, or chatbots to provide instant and interactive responses. However, automation does not mean impersonalization. You should always add a human touch to your follow-up strategy, such as using your leads' names, asking questions, or giving feedback.
The final step is to test and optimize your follow-up strategy based on the results and feedback. You should monitor and measure your key performance indicators, such as open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, or retention rates, to see what works and what doesn't. You should also solicit and listen to your leads' feedback, such as their comments, questions, complaints, or compliments, to see what they like and what they don't. By testing and optimizing your follow-up strategy, you can improve your effectiveness and efficiency, and ultimately achieve your goals.
Marketing often fails when assuming that the measure of a tradeshow's success is the amount of leads & prospects you add to your database. Not all industries or shows are equal: In my segment (non-profit/charity), the conferences are typically small, with attendees numbering in the low 100's, most of them coming to participate in workshops/networking. The exhibitor floor is an after-thought. Leaving a show like this with 10-20 real leads is a success. Tradeshow conferences are the most expensive source of lead generation for us, so we need to ensure that we are constantly championing the other benefits of attending these shows: Meeting clients (referrals/references), positioning against competition, supporting associations, visibility.