Need Your Help! $27 to Best Marketing Idea!

I've found from doing loads of shows like this, that people will hand over their business cards much more readily if there's an interesting prize up for grabs.

Maybe you could offer something like a Nintendo Wii, or an XBox as a prize, or even see if you can get a sponsor to provide bigger prizes, like a laptop or some cool software.

I like your postcard idea, which I've seen in a similar manner before. The way that I saw it was to have a postcard which offered a free consultation if sent in, but also included a tear-off business card on the side. Kind of "2 birds with one stone" approach.

Hope these ideas help!

Kind regards,
-John.

Maria, one thing I've been seeing more often is video loops that either presell or demonstrate a product. The video is only a few minutes long - the longest one I've seen was about eight minutes. Near the video player is the product display or lead capture mechanism.

In your case, I'd make a few short videos explaining the benefits of what you offer, set them up to repeat play, and burn them to a DVD. Buy, borrow or rent one of those combo TV/DVD players and set it next to a laptop with the browser home page set to a squeeze page. Let them opt in for a real life demo of what you can do for them - as well as enter for that top end website.

Edit: Put a timed redirect on the thank you page to return the browser to the squeeze page automatically. Now it's hands-off. You might even decide to offer a similar setup as a paid service...

One person wins the website, everybody else gets second prize - your ecourse via the autoresponder.

This frees you up to talk to the people who want more info right now, and gives others a no-pressure way to express interest without fear of a sales pitch at the show.

You might also come up with a 'show special' package that's only good on orders signed during the show. You have a built-in way to use a scarcity ploy that no one can question.

Your banner, background signage, etc. is all about getting people to sign up for the contest/ecourse.

If you wanted to really go whole hog, you could give away copies of your DVD as well...

Maria,

Have a couple of your computers on your site that Chris set up for you pointed at

www.WildhorsePerformanceMarketing.com

Advertise on your banners that anyone that takes advantage of your "incredible new customer contact technology" (your trial opt-in) will also receive a gift for today only.

I would sell them on your trial opt-in.

Hello Maria,

I'm suggesting that you take a moment to sit down and visualize. (Yes, I know you are a busy lady. I promise this will be short :-).

I'm sure you've gone to many of these types of business/ networking conferences before. So, with your eyes closed, try to visualize yourself (as a business owner) walking up and down each isle of the conference. Think about which booths catch your eye?

If you're anything like me, you're looking for the fFREEBIES! Forget about people selling to me. I want to take home some... stuff!

This visualizing technique is what I use when I start the marketing process on my client's ad requests.

Yes, you could offer a free massage to get your customers in the mood in exchange for putting in their contact information in a bowl for a chance to win a free trip. Say, instead of giving away one free trip, maybe give away 3 free trips that opens their eyes to the possiblity that, "Hey! Maybe I do have a chance of winning.". You could easily find a cruise deal for $250.

You could also give away, t-shirts, coffee mugs, and brief cases. Be sure to stuff your business card in any item you give away and imprint your name on it.

On the counter, have computers up that show portfolios of the types of websites they will get. Dvd's are also great.

I will first support Tim's comment again, to organize your products by offering only one major item. Now, I've read a few of the Offline Gold programs, so I believe your main offer is a free website then you upsell from there. If this is the case, all your ads, banners, flyers, brochures should indicate that you are giving away free ecommerse business websites.

Your ads could say something like... Reach Unlimited Customers With Your Free Business Website or Get Unlimited Profits With Your Free Business Website or Have Unlimited Buyers Knocking At Your Door With Your Free Business Website. or something like that.

Remember, what you really want them to do is to come to your booth, see what kind of websites you have to offer, get them interested, then show them what else they get with their website, and what other products you offer. This is where having a good sales team comes in handy, which I'm sure is already taken care of :-).

Your trip sounds like so much fun! Have a great time!

Christie, you ad copy goddess! Thanks for your suggestions!

I like the " Reach Unlimited Customers With Your Free Business Website"

or

Get Unlimited Profits With Your Free Business Website or Have Unlimited Buyers Knocking At Your Door With Your Free Business Website

*** the real thing we're selling is the autoresponder - the automated marketing system as a lot of people already have websites, but they are just like empty billboards as about 80% don't have a lead capture mechanism....

so sort of like 'The Cheapest 24/7 Employee You'll Ever Hire that Gives You Big Returns!"

The other funny thing is that most business - don't know too much about SEO - even in the domain name they utilize. I met with some board members of a non-profit and they even admitted that they don't have an automated lead capture on their profit business sites and that they aren't using the power of Google at all.

The idea at a physical function like the show you are doing is exactly the same idea as a landing page: get all the traffic to find you. Only so many will optin - period. So you need to get as many to find you as quickly as possible.

You have to have a "draw", something that will FORCE people to come to your booth...or lose out.

Because you aren't online, you can't use keywords - you'll have to have something physical to put in their hands when they walk into the show. Whatever that "something" is has to have a seriously awesome "Come to my booth now" message...even a sense of urgency.

"Bring this coupon to Booth #231 Immediately! You may have won one of our FREE ________, but we only have 10 to give away so hurry on over".

DRIVE traffic. Have your two other folks stand at the front doors to the show and pass out this coupon or goodie or whatever.

Once they get to your booth, now you can use the optin thing for them to see if they are a winner or not.

Let every 1000th person get your seminar free or give them a site with optin and autoresponder already set up.

Give everyone else your eCourse through the autoresponder.

If you don't do something to make them come to YOU, they will just walk right by and smile at you.

Maria -

If you want to focus strictly on the auto responder than that is all I would talk about to them. We know the other stuff but they don't need to you. You are just trying to get them in the beer funnel at this point.

Think about your booth and how do you want to position yourself? Seriously, do you want to have a couple of paper handouts and some cheap pens or do you want to have a nice folder with a fancy looking paper, etc.

Think about spending a few bucks and making yourself and your booth stand out from others.

I sold a cigar at one time called White Trash Cigars. We had them packaged in "beer cans". When we sold them at a trade show we had a travel trailer hauled in and put two of the most redneck people we could find in broken lawn chairs and "fishing" into a kiddie pool.

All of our sales people were in wife beater tshirts, shorts, and flip flops. You want to talk about a show stopper. We were the most visited booth at the trade show. Not to mention some people took their photos with the white trash girls - but that is another story.

You have the same potential - what about setting up your booth as a mini coffee stop? Hire a friend to make and serve coffee and set up little rented bistro tables. Have a flat screen TV playing at the back talking about your auto responder, etc.

They want a cup of coffee, they give you their business card.

Then you can follow up via mail with a "coffee ring" stained napkin reminding them you had coffee that is attached to the letter offering them to help you.

Only offer one thing, get your foot in the door and once you sell them once, sell them again and again and again.

Tim - she only has a 2x6 area... that'd be one tiny kiddie pool

read the Launch of the Potato Gun Story.

It was rolled out at a trade show and they gave all the kids that came (they brought some of their own too)FREE potato guns and brought in a truckload of potatos and dumped them at their booth.

Everyone had to go back to the booth to refill their potato guns over and over. It was the hit of the show and form what I recall, sold a couple of million at the show itself.

I think it also made a big mess but who cares?

Get t-shirts made that has some sort of a clever hook on it and your website. Then put those tshirts on good looking women, maybe you can find some at Hooters or the local college.

On the back it could say:

Do you want more repeat business?
Do you want more clients?
FOLLOW ME to booth #123
Wildhorse Performance Marketing

Guys and girls have trouble not looking at beautiful women so they are looking at the girls you have hired and see the message.

How about running a free drawing....just have a fishbowl there, and either let them drop in their business cards...or have simple forms they need to fill out with all kinds of questions about their business?

That will get you some leads.

Why not create a create a simple survey... Give everyone who participates a cool lil' gift.

1) Find out what they love the most about marketing.
2) Discover what they hate the most.
3) The ask them their biggest question about "blank"

This survey will tell you what they like to talk about and what they will pay a lot of money to know.

Then give them an invitation to a webinar where they can pick the brains of a few successful warriors! The survey will give you ton's of content to talk about plus you can always get more feedback and questions before and during the webinar.

Find out what your market truly wants and GIVE IT TO THEM!

Your webinar will give you a chance to build credibility, rapport, and trust with some really great people, plus you will probably make some new friends, not to mention a lot of business partners! Plus... you can always transcribe the event and sell it!

It's true everyone wants to take something home but we all want to take money to the bank too! By offering a free webinar revealing their biggest questions about "blank" you're offering them a chance to solve their biggest problems.

Some people think about these problems all day long trying to come up with ways to overcome them. If your solutions will help them sleep better, you'll be a hero.

What ever you decide to do, keep your table as busy as possible. When people see everyone at your table, it will make others wonder whats going on. Keep them entertained with games, videos, drawings, anything to keep the ball rolling. Good Luck!

Well,.. I know there almost nothing people wont do for a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie, especially if its free,... and warm,.. ooooh,.. and those things are so smelly when your around them they are irresistible !!

Congratulations Maria - Your really tearing it up and being an AWESOMESAUCE!! example for the rest of us!

Hey everyone- I got a couple of pms asking me how it went - it went fantastic!

Here is a picture below showing me signing an offline business client to my upcoming workshop!

I included the photo to show you all the stuff in action! the banners, the free gift, the flyers printed, the postcards, the video done and showing on the cool screen (with nice music too!)

Thanks again for all the ideas and positive energy!