Your company exhibits at a big industry trade show. Your team is satisfied with the relationships you built and the leads you collected at the booth, but you’re puzzled after the show when you see your competitors’ products showing up in event news coverage, and you start wondering why their experts are continually quoted in articles and not yours.
Sound familiar? Even seasoned B2B marketing professionals overlook the role of public relations outreach in an integrated trade show marketing strategy. But major industry events are an ideal venue for attracting earned media coverage — and they offer a perfect opportunity to start relationships with key members of the trade press who can help your experts get noticed.
Here are 3 tips for obtaining more and better coverage around the next event you attend:
1. MAKE YOUR NEWS BUZZWORTHY
Trade shows are a great place to reveal new products and demonstrate thought leadership — but don’t rely on the same old Boring Press Release. Instead, break through the noise by finding angles that talk directly to your audience’s needs, and position your new product as the solution. The more relevant your message is, the more coverage it’s likely to receive.
Bonus Tip: Consider sending out a preliminary release a week or two before your event. This will give journalists time to add a booth visit to their agenda — and they might include your new product in their pre-show coverage.
2. GET YOUR EXPERTS OUT THERE
An opportunity to speak directly with an executive or a subject-matter expert will attract media attention. Setting up media briefings allows for one-on-one time to discuss everything from product news, to corporate investments, to the company’s responses to major trends shaping the industry. This is an outstanding opportunity to demonstrate your company’s thought leadership while getting your key messages across — and it gives reporters and editors the chance to get quality insights and quotes for their coverage.
Bonus Tip: Keep in mind that journalists are very busy during trade shows, so be sure to contact them and secure interviews several weeks ahead of the show, before their schedules fill up.
3. KEEP THE DIALOGUE GOING
Journalists speak with so many people during trade shows that it can be hard for them to remember everything once the show is over. So it’s critical to follow up with them within a few days after the event — and use that opportunity to offer additional information and see how your company’s insights and offerings can fit into upcoming coverage.
Bonus Tip: Be sure to look through publications’ editorial calendars and find appropriate topics to pitch.
4. WE'RE HERE TO HELP
For a number of our clients, getting media coverage is one of their top goals at trade shows, which makes PR an essential element of trade show planning and implementation. If you’re looking for a comprehensive trade show PR strategy that includes pitching press contacts, developing newsworthy press releases, and scheduling media interviews for executives, we’re here to help.