4 SMS Text-Marketing Campaign Types For Events & Trade Shows

Do you know how to execute a quality SMS campaign for your next event or trade show? This is a question AvidMobile has been asked a multitude of times as we have participated in campaigns for industry leaders such as Chobani, Notre Dame, and many more. The answer to this question is centered around the type of promotion or the specific product you are offering. The crux centers around this simple question, “What does your customer want more than anything else, and how might you able to provide that?”.

By answering this question it will help you determine which type of texting or SMS campaign you may want to engage in. We’ve listed some examples of potential campaigns that could work for your next event or trade show.

1. A strategically placed tablet.

As with most events, visitors will register at your table, enter through a main door, or walk by your booth. This provides you with an opportunity to engage with them using a tablet. With a member of your team manning the device they can simply ask potential customers, attendees, or any interested party to enter their mobile number in the form of the tablet to receive a video, coupon, a chance to win, an agenda, recipes, or any information your potential clients might be interested in. After typing their mobile number into the form they will instantly receive a text message with the information promised and have opted-in to your database for future marketing or follow-up. Many businesses will even continue to send periodic texts to their list they are building while the event or trade show continues.

2. Using Virtual Business Cards.

Everyone is accustomed to handing out business cards at events. The downside is that most of these business cards get thrown away and never looked at again. Instead, we suggest using virtual business cards. When you ask someone if they will take a business card from you they will always says yes. This opens the door and allows you to tell them that you use virtual business cards. From there you can click the app on your phone and have the potential customers type their mobile number into your phone. This triggers an instant text message to their phone with your information and a link to a .vcf file that they can save instantly. On top of that it provides them with a link to your products, services, or other offers and they can click instantly and browse through them on their phone. Just like with the tablet opt-ins using a Vcard enables your company to save these phone numbers for future marketing or communication purposes.

3. Running a Text2Win contest.

At some point most of us have attended an event or trade show and witnessed awesome prizes and gifts being given away to lucky attendees. The sad news is that many of these customers entered these giveaways using a paper and pencil. A Text2Win campaign allows business to use SMS to run fully interactive contests. Opting in contestants to receive the gift or to enter for a chance to win is easy with a tablet or text in from their phone to a short code.Once they have opted in they receive an SMS message indicating they’ve successfully entered and a second message letting know if they’re a winner or a non-winner. Businesses can use the opt ins and remarket to these people in the future.

4. Using SMS to deliver digital data.

Most people will hand-out printed information at events and spend countless dollars producing color brochures, books, and handouts only to find out that their ROI on this type of printed materials is minimal, to say the least. We live in a digital age and a better solution is to hand the individuals the information digitally. Start having your attendees enter their mobile number in the tablet or text a keyword to the short code to receive your virtual brochure, coupon, offers, videos, or whatever information you wish to share with them.

There are three main advantages to offering digital information

• Delivering information is cost effective. When compared to print materials businesses can use text messaging and deliver a link to a content rich mobile website, mobile coupons, video links, and access forms for a fraction of the cost.
• You’re not likely to capture customer data by handing them a form to fill out or a flyer about your most recent product. With SMS Trade Show campaigns you capture the prospect’s information allowing you to follow-up at a later date with a phone call or future texts.
• The average text message lives on a phone for 14 days. This means repeat exposures as your prospects go home or back to their offices and go through the previous text messages they have received.

Make your presence known at your next trade show or event by incorporating a SMS marketing campaign. Call us today at 1-877-511-6624.