Marketing: Tips for Successful Trade Shows
May 13th, 2011
Trade shows can be a very effective marketing channel for your business since they attract potential customers who are interested in your type of product or service. Whether your trade show exhibit is a large pop-up system or a small table-top display, here are some simple tips to help you stand out and get noticed.
- Work with an experienced trade show display and graphics provider to develop the right presence for your business and for the show you will be attending. Williams Visual Solutions offers a wide range of display units and accessories and has a wealth of experience in developing attention-grabbing graphics and marketing materials to display at your booth. Remember, this will be your first impression on many of the show attendees - make sure your display is professional and memorable.
- Before the show, reach out to customers and prospects who may be attending the show. Invite them to visit your booth or to a reception or dinner. Use the event as an opportunity to communicate one-on-one with customers and develop new contacts.
- Promote your presence at the show, before and during the event, on your website and on your social media channels.
- Create a landing page or microsite on your website with images or logos from the event, map of event location and information about your products or services that are relevant to show attendees.
- Make sure your display and all your materials are consistent with your company's brand and image. Use images of your product or service that visually communicate the benefit of your company quickly to passersby.
- If possible, consider using either a slideshow or video that doesn't require audio. Trade show exhibit areas are usually loud and it will be difficult to hear the sound from your presentation. Use large text, video clips and compelling imagery to capture the attention of show attendees.
- Have plenty of trade show giveaways, such as business cards, brochures, pens, magnets, and anything else that has your company name and/or logo on it. Most people who attend trade shows are expecting to take home some goodies. And be sure to use display racks for showing your flyers, specials, brochures, and such.
- Offer a prize that in some way complements your business if possible, and appeals to anyone. Have visitors and entrants sign a guestbook, fill in a ticket, or drop their business cards into a fish bowl or gift bag.
- Offer attendees a way to sign up for marketing communications from you - email newsletters, special offers, etc. Remember, the CAN-SPAM act requires people to specifically opt-in for your email newsletters, so make sure your sign up form clearly states you will be using the email addresses you collect to communicate with attendees in the future.
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Printing: Rockstock - Make Everyday Earth Day
April 3rd, 2011
Many organizations are going "paperless" in an effort to be more green. But paperless doesn't have to mean giving up on the printed page.
Rockstock from Williams Visual Solutions is a "paperless paper" produced from crushed limestone. It is tear resistant, waterproof and unlike any substrate you have seen or felt. Produced without any tree pulp, and without the use of water, Rockstock is a perfect alternative for organizations who are committed to sustainability.
Rockstock is available for digital and offset print projects, comes in both cover and text weights and will give your business cards, brochures and more a unique look and feel while preserving precious natural resources.
Learn more and request a sample of Rockstock.
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News Announcements: Kent Callison to Serve as CreateAthon Project Mentor
March 29th, 2011
Williams Visual Solutions Idea Farmer and Marketing Strategist Kent Callison will be part of the CreateAthon onCampus event in Chattanooga, Tennessee on April 8-9, 2011. The 24-hour creative blitz is a collaborative effort of students and professionals led by CreateHere and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The event will be held at the Fine Arts Center at UTC and will focus on creating design solutions for Dalewood Middle School.
As part of the team of professional mentors, Kent will work with students from the UTC Art Department to develop an effective web presence for Dalewood Middle School. "I am honored to be a part of an event like CreateAthon - an event that unites students and professionals to focus on public education and to contribute to the well-being of our community," said Kent Callison. "This type of event is evidence that the philanthropic heritage of Chattanooga is alive and well - congratulations to UTC and CreateHere for picking up the torch and empowering the next generation."
About CreateAthon: CreateAthon is a 24-hour, work-around the clock creative blitz during which marketing, advertising and public relations firms provide nonprofit marketing services on a pro bono basis. Since the program’s creation by Riggs Partners in 1998, 73 agencies have participated in the CreateAthon network, holding CreateAthon events in their respective markets.
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Marketing: Basics of Dataset Management - Removing Duplicate Records
March 25th, 2011
The first rule of effective direct mail marketing is to have a clean dataset - a record of names, addresses and other contact information that is accurate. Often, we find datasets that have been compiled from multiple sources and have duplicate entries throughout the file. If the data is in a spreadsheet, like Microsoft Excel, simple sorting is sometimes enough to identify duplicate entries and remove them. But other times, like when the dataset is very large or the duplicates aren't obvious, it requires some advanced filtering techniques to clean up the dataset.
In this video from Tech Republic, Bill Detwiler shows you three advanced techniques for sorting through your spreadsheet data to identify and remove duplicates. If you have questions about how to compile your dataset for direct mail marketing, or if you need help sorting through the data you have, contact us and we'll help you "sort it out."
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Graphic Design: Maintaining Brand Consistency with Graphic Standards
March 23rd, 2011
Your brand and visual identity is how people recognize you in the marketplace. Maintaining a consistent look and feel of your brand is critical to making sure customers recognize your product or service and feel comfortable doing business with you. To ensure your visual brand or logo is always consistent, develop-and adhere to-a written policy of graphic standards.
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