Five Reasons Why Marketers Fail to Get the Best ROI From Trade Shows

Ahh Trade Shows...these are the hidden gems for leads if done right, or a big black hole if done wrong. It is important that you have a plan of attack, not only from a marketing standpoint, but also a presentation, and logistics standpoint. This is a great article on some tips to follow:

1. Not knowing why they are at a trade show: If your reason for going to a trade show is anything along the lines of “because we always go,” then you need to sit and rethink that reason. What you do for your marketing depends on your objectives.
2. Not doing any pre-event marketing: Trade shows are packed with companies showing off their latest and best wares. So, why should the attendees make an effort to visit your booth rather than your competitors’ booths? The answer isn’t tchotchkes, despite what some people think. 
3. Having bland exhibition booths: You’ve given people a reason to find your stand—but they keep walking past it. Why? The two most likely reasons are your staff or the booth itself. Though exhibition stands can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars, businesses can still make them stylish and effective. Even basic shell schemes can be made to stand out by using good graphics and a clear message. 
4. Lack of people skills: Manning a booth is hard work, especially if you’re doing it well. Staff members will need extensive knowledge about the company and its products. Plus, they’ll have to work long hours. I’m sure everyone who has been to trade shows has encountered reps desperate to tell you all about their company and what they do. How often do those reps keep your interest compared to the folks who listen to your problem and explain how they can solve it? 
5. Not following up: It’s shockingly common for staff members not to follow up on leads that they get at trade shows. That reflects a serious lack of planning. A simple solution, such as creating a table to record and score leads during the show, make the follow-up far quicker and more efficient.

Given the cost of attending trade shows, not fully preparing for one seems bizarrely self-defeating.

Why do you think marketers often fail to get the most out of their trade-show experience?

[via Marketing Profs]

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Five Tips for YouTube Promoted Video Campaigns

If you are using, like to use, or never thought of using YouTube for promoting video campaigns, I urge you to give it a shot. An interesting statistic:

"Last year, YouTube surpassed Yahoo as the world's second largest search engine. In the UK alone, it attracts 17m unique users each month, with each of these users spending an average of an hour on the site."

I use YouTube often when I need a video explanation of something...it is a great How To tool.

The five tips are:

•  Create a comprehensive Package
•  Consider your keywords carefully
•  Managing your bids
•  Remember to include an overlay
•  Interact with your audience

What are your ideas??

More details in the article by Econsultancy's Rebecca Momberg

[via Econsultancy]

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ROI for Marketing

ROI for Marketing seems to be the moving, and sometimes hidden, target for trying to measure. As quoted by Jason Miller from Marketo, "A surprising 87% of senior marketers do not feel confident in their ability to impact the sales forecast of their programs and 1 out of 5 marketers do not measure their marketing results at all." This infographic will help guide you with more metrics to legitimately measure marketing by. It is broken down into four sections:

1. How to Guide Your Measurement Insight
2. The Stages of Marketing Accountability
3. When Metrics Go Wrong
4. Picking The Right Metrics

[via Marketo]

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