4 Ways to Modernize Tradeshow ROI

Last updated May 11, 2022

Even if you know your way around a trade show and what it takes to get people to your booth, if you’ve been using the same tools for years, now would be a good time to invest a few marketing dollars to upgrade your trade show presence and create a big buzz around your booth (and your business!).

1. Keep Yourself Organized with HubSpot for Mobile

The best way we can think of to do that is to download HubSpot’s mobile sales app because let’s face it, a trade show is all about face-to-face relationship building, and nothing spoils that like having to run back to your laptop for a contact or to enter a lead.

Your HubSpot CRM is right there in your hand for every conversation no matter where you are. 

2. Code it UP: Create a QR Code

Speaking of mobility, creating a QR code for your booth is a must these days because just as you have your phone in hand constantly, everyone else does, too. 

Keep your QR code handy on your phone’s lock screen and let it serve as your digital business card. 

Our dev team created a landing page for each member of our sales team that works as their business card at trade shows, and here’s what it does:

• Shares what we do at Growth + our website + social media channels
• Collects business email for connecting after the show
• Allows users to choose what they’re interested in
• Let’s people book a meeting on our individual team calendars
• Connects to our HubSpot CRM

Connections can scan the code and bookmark it for later or read and engage right there on the spot.

That way, instead of jotting down notes and handing out/gathering a lot of paper, our team can do what they do best: listen to others well. 

PRO TIP: Create an incentive for people to scan your code and hand over their contact information by offering an incentive that’s relevant to your business and the needs of your future clients. 

3. Choose the Right Tech 

Understanding your potential buyer and what path they might take in their journey toward your booth is essential to figuring out your tradeshow marketing strategy. 

Consider how your potential customers will discover the tradeshow and how they decide to attend (social media, email, television advertising, newspaper ads, etc.). 

Think about what technology they use and the content they find relevant to guide them and meet them where they are. 

For more thoughts on the Buyer’s Journey, check out our blog posts that dig deep. 

4. What to Do With All Those Business Cards? HubSpot CRM!

You meet tons of people in and out of the booth at a tradeshow, and it’s THE place to hand out and gather business cards (if you or everyone else isn't taking advantage of QR codes, that is).

You leave with a stack of them, get back into the office after the show, and then what? 

We’ve all been guilty of letting them sit just a little too long. 

Remember that thing we said earlier about downloading that HubSpot mobile sales app? Well, here’s where you begin to really love us: 

• qualified leads
• potential partners
• vendors, and 
• referral sources... 

... can ALL be scanned from your phone into your HubSpot CRM and organized automatically so that you’re ready for follow-up calls to those contacts the minute you step back in the office.

Done and done.

From creating QR codes and keeping track of them to automating follow-up calls, HubSpot CRM works for trade shows better than a good old-fashioned raffle out of a fishbowl on a display table. 

If you’re looking for a team that’s all-in on helping your business, contact us and let us show you what the Growth Team can do for you. 

Psst! We’re HubSpot Platinum Solution Partners, and that means if you want HubSpot onboarding and training, hey! That’s what we do!