Market Your Brand at a CBD Industry Trade Show

There are many ways to market your brand, but how many of those tactics allow you to meet your target market face-to-face, poised to make a purchase or establish a working relationship? CBD industry trade shows are among the best ways to market your Austin CBD company and meet new potential customers. In fact, trade shows happen to be the second-largest source of B2B revenue in the US. So let’s discuss 5 ways your brand can benefit from exhibiting at a CBD industry trade show. 

1. Create brand awareness

Brand awareness is the extent to which consumers are familiar with the distinctive qualities or image of your brand and its offerings. Whether you’re a new business or have been established within the industry for some time, building your brand awareness is and should be a consistent marketing initiative. The way your business grows is by being top of mind when a need is realized. 

The ways in which you present your brand will have a big impact on brand awareness, so it’s important to consider the plan to execute those initiatives well in advance. Ways you can showcase your brand include:

• Booth design – Your booth has the power to leave a lasting impact and message about your brand and the services it provides. Utilize branded and brand-consistent imagery like table coverings and displays, branded video content on mounted TVs, wall wraps, product displays, marketing collateral and more.
  
• Sponsorships – Expos have tiers of sponsorships available including prime corner booths, lanyards, mentions in email blasts, advertising in expo programs, mini networking gatherings, sponsored refreshment tables and more. This puts your name and branding in more locations for guests to see.
  
• Interactive demos or displays – As they say, the proof is in the pudding. There may be no better way to leave a lasting impression than to demonstrate the effectiveness of your product or service live. Similarly, allowing interested attendees and potential clients to interact with your product, service or booth creates a memorable experience – which may lead to future conversations with peers or a salesperson about your brand.
  

2. Create a pipeline of new business

Professionals across all industries agree that networking at in-person events on behalf of their business is crucial. It’s no wonder that a whopping 68% of B2B marketers use in-person events for lead generation initiatives, and even more noteworthy when you consider that 73% of marketers prioritized lead quality in 2018.

Create a strategy for the attending employees complete with helpful scripts, sell sheets, marketing collateral, a centralized contact they can refer clients to and ensure a senior level manager is present for any pressing questions. Invest in an app that captures business card information to quickly input lead information for easy follow up. If done correctly, your business could leave with a new pipeline of warm and hot leads to follow up on within the first 48 hours after the show.

3. Meet pros from Austin CBD companies

Although there can be bad players, the majority of your cannabis industry peers are passionate professionals and good people. Your network has the potential to bring you more business, make referrals, act as mentors or glean insight on hurdles you or your business face. You never know when networking can turn into lasting and beneficial relationships, so be kind and respectful as you brush shoulders with other professionals in the industry.

4. Generate sales

Many expos allow for exhibitors to sell products or services on site during the conference. Depending on your product, it may be a good idea to have inventory on hand for in-person purchases. If and when you run out of inventory, be sure to have a way people can purchase your products digitally to be shipped. Having a predetermined conference promotion with special pricing is a great way to incentivize conference sales. Want to add additional benefits to a promotion? Set up a photo booth and give customers an extra discount for posting the image with a caption on their social media.

Additionally,  future deals may help to hook your customer for purchase after the conference. Keep in mind: getting the ROI for your conference exhibition costs is easier with an omni-channel approach to marketing there and beyond.

5. Learn from other brands and experts

Many Austin CBD companies are in their infancy, which means we could all learn from veterans who have been the backbone of cannabis marketplaces in other legal states. CBD industry trade shows are the best place to soak up a wealth of knowledge, gauge your place amongst competitors, interact with mentors and discover industry pain points your company may be poised to solve.

It’s no shock that according to business owners, becoming an exhibitor is a great way to engage your target audience and make real-time connections that turn into partnerships. There are many ways to benefit from exhibiting at the next Lucky Leaf Expo. Especially after such a pause to regular business practices, attendance and exhibiting at conferences will be even more important than before the pandemic. 

Are you interested in exhibiting at a Lucky Leaf Expo, the top CBD industry trade show in Austin? Register to become an exhibitor today and secure your spot on the showroom floor.