Using Giveaways to Drive Booth Traffic and Capture Leads

Trade shows and industry events are a great opportunity to promote your brand, showcase your products or services, and generate qualified leads. However, with so many competing booths vying for attendees’ attention, it can be challenging to stand out from the crowd. One effective strategy is to offer giveaways at your booth. 

Giveaways are a fun and engaging way to attract visitors and encourage them to stop by your booth. They also give attendees a small token to remember your brand by after the event is over. In this blog post, we’ll discuss how you can leverage giveaways to boost booth traffic and capture high-quality leads.

Choose the Right Giveaway Items

The first step is selecting the right giveaway items. You want something that is useful, memorable, and relevant to your target audience. Some popular giveaway options include:

• Branded pens, notepads, USB drives: These everyday items serve as a constant reminder of your brand every time someone uses them.
• Product samples: If you sell consumable products, offering small samples is a great way to let people try before they buy. Be sure to choose a reputed sample boards supplier. For example, Exalt Samples is an industry-leading manufacturer of product display sample boards and marketing materials.
• Tech accessories: Portable chargers, headphones, Bluetooth speakers are always in demand and appreciated.
• Snacks/beverages: Food and drinks draw people to your booth and keep them engaged while they enjoy the item.
• T-shirts, hats, water bottles: Branded apparel and accessories people can wear or use daily.

The key is choosing something that has lasting utility rather than one-time use promotional items. Make sure the giveaway aligns with your target audience’s interests too.

Promote the Giveaway before the Event

Once you’ve selected the giveaway items, promote the giveaway leading up to the event. Mention it in your event registration, on your website, in emails to your contact list, and on your social media channels. This generates buzz and gives people a reason to visit your booth. You can say something like:

“Stop by our booth #123 to enter to win a portable charger. We’ll be giving away chargers every hour to booth visitors.”

Promoting the giveaway in advance gets people excited about the prizes and increases the chances of them remembering to visit your booth when at the show.

Display the Giveaway Prominently at Your Booth

At the event, make sure the giveaway is prominently displayed at your booth with clear signage. Have a designated area to collect entries. Use colorful graphics and messaging like “Enter to Win” to draw attention. As people enter, engage them by explaining your offerings and collecting their contact details.

You can also run periodic drawings throughout the day to keep the energy up. Be sure to announce winners over the microphone so others are encouraged to enter. Have extra giveaway items on hand in case more people visit than expected.

Follow Up with Winners and Leads

After the event, follow up promptly with all giveaway winners to fulfill the prizes. This helps solidify your brand in their mind. You can also follow up with all booth leads, whether they won a prize or not. Thank them for their time and interest. Share any additional information discussed to further the conversation.

Include an offer in your follow up, such as a discount code for an upcoming webinar or your website. The goal is to continue the engagement and move leads further down the sales funnel. Analyze the quality of leads generated from the giveaway promotion versus other booth activities to gauge its effectiveness. With the right execution, giveaways can be a powerful lead generation tool.

In summary, giveaways are a fun way to attract visitors, build excitement, and capture high-quality leads when used at your trade show or event booth. Choosing the right prize, promoting it in advance, and following up properly maximizes their lead generation potential. Combined with engaging booth staff, it can help boost your booth traffic and move prospects toward becoming customers.