As you begin the complicated process of marketing your business, you don't necessarily have to use trade show exhibits as a strategy for doing so. There are many other strategies available – they include content marketing, social media and advertising in traditional media outlets.

There is one thing that sets the trade show apart, though – it's a unique opportunity to really get some quality time with people. If someone sees your ad in a newspaper, for example, there's no guarantee they'll be invested in it. They might set the paper aside after two seconds and read something else. When they attend trade shows, however, they're often attending such events for hours at a time, if not days.

As a marketer, this is a key difference, and you have a chance to take advantage of it.

Many hours of marketing opportunity

Among many marketing professionals today, there's a basic misunderstanding of just how valuable trade shows can be for brand activation. Most people think of trade shows as events where people simply drop in, browse for a few minutes and mingle with their peers. What they don't realise is just how much time goes into trade show marketing.

Here's the truth. According to research from Trade Show Executive, the average person attending a trade show today puts 8.3 hours into viewing exhibitions. That's more than a full working day of time spent looking at companies' trade show displays! With this in mind, marketers should know they have a golden opportunity when taking part in a trade show.

A trade show offers a unique chance to present your business to countless people who work in the same industry as you and are likely to be naturally inclined toward trying your product. If you have a compelling booth and present your business well, there's reason to believe it can pay off in a major way.

The keys to an engaging trade show booth

The fact that attendees often spend on average over eight hours looking at trade show booths is a huge potential boost to your business, but keep in mind that they spend much of that time browsing, pacing around from booth to booth before settling on one that really catches their eye.

That puts a burden on you, the marketer, to come up with designs for exhibition booths that will grab people's attention. This is easier said than done.

Is your booth attractive and approachable?

There are a few rules of thumb to consider. One big one is your booth should be approachable – if it looks overly complicated, or if the people in front seem unpleasant, attendees might quickly turn away. Another key strategy is to demonstrate expertise in your industry. People are more likely to talk to someone who looks smart and knowledgeable.

Finally, you can't deny that looks matter. If your trade show display has the right colours, images and other effects to catch people's eye, that will undeniably have a big impact.

Don't forget about graphics

If you want your brand to really pop at your next trade show, you need to go in armed with the right graphics to enhance your company's trade show displays. At Exposure Group, we're able to help you design those graphics. We have a team of in-house graphics professionals who are experienced and eager to help you craft the perfect display for your next event.

With a complete in-house production team, we're equipped to handle everything from the initial design specs to the final printing process. We're experienced with digital wide-format, offset, flatbed and screen printing. Whatever graphical projects you're getting ready to tackle, we're available to help.