How do you host a successful trade show, pop-up, or other types of marketing events? The best experiential marketing events are those where consumers engage emotionally with the brand, product, or service. If you’re failing at that, it’s disastrous and can impact future sales and business. To create these engaging events, the professionals have a few “musts.”

Understand What Your Audience Desires

Put yourself in your target audience’s shoes. What would you want to see, experience, and hear? Ask yourself what would get you to return to a company. What would they have to do to win you over? As you think about your ideal experience, take notes.

Before the big day, see if you can do a test run with friends of friends or your employees’ family members. Get a lot of feedback to see how they react. Put their suggestions into action before the marketing event.

Appeal to the Senses

You’re selling more than a product or service, you’re selling an entire experience. Put all of the senses to use. You want a design that catches the eye and keeps attention focused on you. You need your table, booth, or event space to stand out, but you need to go a step further.

You want signs to draw attention to you. You need your employees to be dressed in attire that people notice and are drawn to. You can use sounds, aromas, and visuals to create appeal. You need them to want to approach you and learn more.

Don’t Skimp on Technology

Use technology to your advantage. What are you trying to sell? Have you thought about setting up a demonstration using VR systems to give consumers a chance to really interact with your product or service? If you’re the owner of an inn, use the VR system to allow consumers to explore your inn virtually and see what the rooms and grounds look like.

Photo booths draw crowds. People like the souvenir of their day. A mirror photo booth is even better. People can take interactive selfies while standing in front of a floor-length mirror that also allows touchscreen technology for adding graphics and words. The mirror allows consumers to see exactly what they’ll look like before the photo is taken. It’s a unique experience that will wow your target audience.

Present a Lasting Impression

Most trade shows and marketing events offer pamphlets and brochures, samples, and someone to talk to. Is that enough to leave a lasting impression? Do more. Use swag bags to really leave a lasting impression. Pens and notepads are nice, but they’re commonly offered. Why not include discount coupons or codes, customized hats or scarves, and reusable travel mugs with coffee samples from a local coffeehouse?

Create a Strong Social Media Presence

Before and after your event, social media can help convert interested consumers to your brand or service. Use social media to remind people of the contest, what your company offers, and what they can look forward to receiving or experiencing at your event. Read feedback and respond as quickly as possible to keep your target audience engaged.

Using social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, host a contest and announce that the winner will be chosen during the experiential marketing event. Make that giveaway worthwhile so that people want to go to your booth or table.

Make Sure Your Brand Ambassadors Relate to Consumers

We mentioned earlier that the attire your brand ambassadors wear is important. They need to look approachable, so smiles and a warm and friendly persona matter. Make sure you work with an experiential marketing agency that trains brand ambassadors prior to the event. Factory 360 always goes through what’s expected of them and go over questions they’re going to hear so that they have answers prepared and can answer clearly and with authority.

Offer What the Competition Doesn’t

Offer what your competition hasn’t thought of. If you think about events like trade shows, people will be tired after walking for hours. Comfortable seating and tasty hors d’oeuvres may be unexpected from your brand. If you take that step, you’re going to be unforgettable.

Think outside the box. Let’s say you own a small brewery. People expect to taste your beers. They may expect a personalized magnet, stickers, or a bottle opener. What if you had small charcuterie plates to go with those beer samples? You bring the feeling of sitting in the brewery to the trade show.

What do companies like ESPN, Salesforce, and PayPal have in common? They’ve all turned to Factory 360 for help with experiential marketing! Your experiential marketing campaign must capture the attention and emotions of consumers. If you fail at that, you’ve wasted money and lost business. Let the experts at Factory 360 help!