Thoughts on Marketing

How do you get value from a tradeshow?

It’s all about “meaningful conversations.” Not scans.

[Originally published as The Marketing Mix newsletter on Substack]

I remember arguing with a company founder about his favorite “cost per scan” ROI metric. I told him I could absolutely get him a lot of scans…but they’d probably be crap. 😏

There’s always a way to get people to the booth and get a scan. Give out T-shirts, hire a barista, bring in a racecar… But are they the right people, and are you getting your message across?

One approach I like is to focus on is to “book an appointment.” It’s a way to capture serious interest, in addition to the tire-kickers and swag-grabbers.

Pre-event:

Invite prospects to book time at the show to:

  • Get a private preview of new features
  • Play with a prototype and give feedback
  • Meet with the CTO to talk through the roadmap

At the Event:

  • Get booth visitors to book a post-event meeting

Offer a premium incentive to any qualified lead who books a post-show call during the event – and send the gift after they attend the appointment (to decrease the cancellation rate).

This doesn’t stop you scanning badges. You can still build a wider list of people to add to your newsletter, and for the sales team to cherry pick for follow-ups. But the appointment approach adds a layer of measurable ROI on top of the usual metrics.

Tradeshows account for 20-30% of a typical B2B marketing budget. So you need to drive real value from them. By focusing on meaningful conversations.

Need ideas on maximizing your tradeshow ROI? Let’s talk!

Book a Call

Expertise and Experience: The Human Layer in AI

With all the focus on how AI removes the human element, I found it refreshing talking to Greg Brooks, CMO of SearchTides. His belief is that we’re entering the “Human Era” of Search Marketing.

And it makes sense. If AI is going to be creating a ton of content, then the stuff that sets it apart will be the type of content that can’t be generated. And that means material that’s based on our own personal experiences, and the expertise we’ve built up from actually doing the thing.

If you’ve been thinking about SEO and AI, and where it’s headed, then this episode of The Marketing Mix is for you!

Drink of the Week

Greg chose a Japanese whisky on the rocks for The Marketing Mix. Which took me back to my many travels to Japan, and happy times spent in cosy whisky bars.

One thing that always intrigued me was the intricate ice cubes that the bartenders would carve for each individual glass. [This 2 minute video shows how to carve an ice diamond]

Now, I don’t know enough to recommend a specific Japanese whisky [I can recommend Dewars Japanese Smooth scotch whisky though – fantastic and reasonably-priced. h/t Steve St. Clair for that one]

So I’m going to offer up a Japanese Old Fashioned. There’s variations on the theme, but I like one that has a hint of ginger, and yuzu.

  • Japanese whisky 2.5 oz
  • Honey-ginger syrup 0.5 oz
  • Yuzu (or lemon) juice 0.25 oz
  • Ginger bitters 2-3 dashes

As a bonus, if you make enough of the syrup, you can use it to make a Penicillin another time (one of my all-time favorite cocktails)!

If you’ve enjoyed this article, please consider subscribing to The Marketing Mix newsletter – my thoughts on B2B marketing, sent out every 2 weeks.

Cheers!

Steve