Exhibition Stands Are There to Lay the Foundations

Every business is unique and individual aspirations are very rarely the same. However they are all based on the same premise; to grow the business into the future. In the world that we live in, this can be done in a myriad of ways. This is partially the reason why many start-ups falter and struggle to expand beyond that early optimism. With the potential offered online, many newly established organisations often focus their efforts towards SEO and online marketing to get their feet off the ground. However, it can become easy to neglect the value of face-to-face marketing and the scope that it has for long term partnerships.

The internet and the online space is incredibly fast paced. You can release content, an ad or a video that can receive a decent response initially, but then can slump dramatically. While it is true that online grants us access to millions of consumers who you otherwise would have no way of contacting, there are very few specified ways of retaining those customers in the future. This is where face-to-face marketing has considerable value. Being able to exhibit, present and simply chat in a live environment provides insight that online cannot match.

The Concept of Authority and Building Your Exposure

When individuals look to do business with another organisation, one of the things driving them towards a particular product is the authority of who they are buying from and whether they trust them. Particularly if you’re shopping online and are confronted by two seemingly identical products at the same price. Which do you choose? The one with reviews featured on their page or the one with zero feedback? Chances are, instinct kicks in and we opt for the one that others have trusted. That makes us feel more comfortable when buying from them. When your business is just starting up and you are looking for room to grow, we often find ourselves as the latter with very little validity being attached to our business.

Building that kind of image is time consuming to say the least. Whether it is online or in person, there is no guarantee that you can simply make someone trust you. Organisations can truly begin to grow when they have developed a level of authority that consumers then feel makes them trustworthy. That could be a recommendation from another customer, a review of the products and services that you provide or a feature from another respected source. Big businesses tend to grow year on year because they have developed that authority over many years. They become a go-to source when individuals are looking for products in their sector.

Attending Events Both Locally and Nationally to Build Your Brand

The only way to begin building this authority and subsequent trust from interested customers, is to interact. This is one of the major pitfalls online. While the potential audience is massive, so is the competition. While you may get 100 hits on your blog post, there is no guarantee these hit your target market. Often this kind of content will become quickly lost within the millions of blogs which are written every day. On the other hand, a feature in a local newspaper may only be read by 50 people, but you have far better information on the people reading it and it helps to build your authority in the local community.

So while I wouldn’t discourage you from engaging with marketing online, it’s important to remember the value of face-to-face marketing. Whether you are B2B or B2C, there are individuals all around you. Developing a local consumer base as the foundation can provide a platform for later growth. Events such as exhibitions, trade shows, fayres and working lunches can appear menial, but it is all about building your brand and getting your name out there. Gaining recognition and stimulating growth cannot be achieved in a month. It takes constant work over time to continue building on the foundations that you have.

The aim with events such as these is to attempt to build partnerships which can become stronger over time. Speak with everyone that you meet and be honest about the work that you do. If they were looking at your website, the only insight they get into your company is the PR spiel on the homepage. Chatting with them at events gives both you and them a unique insight into how each other operates. This can lead to partnerships that you may never have envisioned when you were planning for the event.

How Exhibition Stands Can Help

The most important factor in all these interactions is you. However having an exhibition stand with you can help clinch a good first impression of your organisation. Obviously, the usage of one of these is situational. At trade shows and fayres in particular, exhibition stands can help to get your branding out there and start to make you more recognisable in the community. Online and face-to-face marketing can begin to work together in this sense. Others in your industry may recognise your branding from online and take that opportunity to find out more about you.

When people see branding from a major organisation, they instantly get an image of what they can expect. If you can develop a positive image for your organisation and continue growing this over time, this can help to create lasting impressions which encourage people to keep coming back to do business with you.

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At Go Displays, we design and manufacture exhibition stands such as Pop-Up Stands, Streamline Exhibition Stands and Banner Stands. From the stand itself right the way through to graphic design, we can help with each aspect. If you would like any further information, then please do not hesitate to call us on 01733 232000 or send an e-mail to sales@go-displays.co.uk.