The next time you attend a conference or trade show, reevaluate how you put printed materials to work for you. Are you still handing out one-dimensional brochures or are you adding multidimensional context with new technology? Do you offer boring business cards or modern cards that serve double duty as coasters or stickers? Everything you produce for conference printing needs to focus on the visitor first and foremost, and how they can use this piece of material. If you are stuck in a rut and need some inspiration, here are some ideas for getting creating customer engagement with printed materials.
Go Big or Go Home
With retractable banners and oversized signs in colorful, eye-catching designs, your booth is destined to stand out from the crowd. Consider giving your logo an unexpected touch by using a font that features custom lettering or locally sourced artwork. After all, when you are using signage this big, you want to make it pop without being too loud and gaudy.
Identify Yourself
Name badges give conference attendees an easy way to identify you. Yet the old standby of “Hello My Name Is” just isn’t cutting it in today’s conference world. Update your name badges with fun and friendly concepts with a catchy slogan that generates conversation. Go above the grade and help attendees remember your brand long after they have left to go home.
Leverage Technology
Simply known as NFC, this new technology is replacing the old standby of QR codes. Instead of having to download an app or find the right function on your phone, all you have to do is get within one inch of the printed material. Your smartphone or another mobile device that is enabled to access NFC does all the work. Rather than an obtuse square infringing on your design space for brochures, flyers, and other printed collateral, near field communications tags are actually embedded within the paper itself. The applications are endless, from accessing a video ad to enabling instant payments for sales made at conferences.
Put Social Media To Work
Social media icons should be featured on all of your printed materials, such as post cards. Consider creating social media banners solely to share contact details for how visitors can find your company on Facebook, Instagram, and the like. Better yet, take a combination approach and use NFC technology to help visitors connect with you on social media.
Encourage visitors to follow your pages by creating special offers or contest entries they can access on your social media profiles. A great way to do this at even the busiest of trade shows is to include information about contests or offers on printed flyers, right along with social media-accessible NFC.
Focus On Customer Needs
If you are interested in investing in conference printing for your company, start with the end user. By printing materials that benefit conference attendees directly, you attract their attention and offer a value component. For potential prospects, this shows your willingness to put the customer’s needs above your own. It is a great way to start a new business relationship, all with the aid of printed material.
In the omni-channel world in which we exist, you need to ensure you’re providing the kind of interactions and experiences that appeal to your customers. Leveraging any or all of the above ideas can help you stand out and create real engagement with your target audiences at your next conference or trade show.