The concept of analog: What does that bring to mind?
A Beatles vinyl reissue?
A 1974 Ducati 750SS?
Attending a private art exhibition in NYC?
Whatever it may be, it’s likely agreed upon that analog is about a physical connection – a connection that involves substance and real value. Because, ultimately, it’s something you can touch.
In the world of marketing (where digital is king), it’s often convenient to forget about doing any type of physical outreach. Because why should you? There are all these data-driven tools available to get your message across on a variety of digital channels. Quick and convenient. From your laptop to your global audience. With just the basic programs, you can set up a series of email campaigns, sign up for some banner ads, and even schedule a webinar for your product team.
With amenities like this, who needs to spend any time putting together a brochure or postcard?
AND THAT’S THE ISSUE
Many marketing pros are so accustomed to all the digital tools available to them that they would never consider doing anything that involves a printer or some courier service. Not only is print expensive, but it’s tricky to track ROI and risky considering you don’t know if anyone will even look at it.
But even with all that mentioned, direct mail is finding its way back into the marketing spectrum, and forward-thinking companies are starting to realize just how much it can complement their digital efforts. Direct mail is not here to replace anything; it’s here to add an additional layer of substance to your overall message.
The reason that any trade show marketing pro should consider direct mail is because of the friction it can create. As we watch the marketing world evolve – especially in the trade show biz – we wanted to provide a few reasons that you should start adding in direct mail to your efforts:
Better Responses. Believe it or not, people respond to direct mail much better than emails (around 50% better to be precise). Just imagine: If done right, your audience will take the extra step to reach out to you just because of the collateral they received. That’s huge!
Serious ROI. Direct mail has an ROI of 112% when prospecting – higher than the top five digital strategies. That alone should be enough to convince the forward-thinking marketer to get on board.
Tangible Is Hard To Ignore. It likely won’t be tossed aside until it has been somehow looked at. A physical mailer still resonates much more than some random email advertisement. And if it’s well-made, it may stay on the person’s desk until they follow your call to action.
Less Competition! In a marketplace where exhibitors are competing for the attention of attendees, why not set yourself apart? You know that most of your competitors are sending out email campaigns during the months leading up to the show. Take time and create a list of registered attendees that fit your customer profile and create something compelling and tangible just for them: something they can hold on to and are encouraged to read and absorb.
Direct mail hasn’t gone away. In fact, the brands that are doing it are elevating it into an art form. With colorful brochures or content-packed catalogs, it’s a new era for the marketer who wants to embrace the analog touch point. In the world of digital and analog marketing, there is no need to choose one over the other. The idea is to create balance.
IMTS Exhibitor Passport is a comprehensive communications tool providing exhibitors access to pre-registered attendees. Along with a revamped email campaign manager, exhibitors set themselves apart by building lists of attendees and their physical addresses for their own direct mail campaigns.
If you already have Exhibitor Passport and are ready to do a direct mail campaign – click here to access your account. If you need some help or would like to see how Passport works, reach out to me and we can always set up a quick demo.
This is the second article in our series on exhibitor marketing. Be sure to check out the full list of articles here:
