Trade shows are busy places. With limited time and so much to see, attendees often get overwhelmed with choices, and can benefit from some direction. Smart marketers will use this as an opportunity to provide that direction - right to their booth.

You can make the event less overwhelming for your target audience, and more successful for yourself, with a little pre-show marketing. The more fun it is, the better. One great idea for this is scratch-off cards. They are simple, fun, easy to create, mail, and, most importantly, a great tool to drive attendees to your booth.

Using Scratch Off Cards In Your Pre-Event Marketing Campaigns

The idea behind scratch off cards is twofold. First, you want to get your name in front of your target audience before the event. To do this, you mail your scratch off cards ahead of the event. Include your booth number and any special instructions regarding the scratch off card.

Second, you want to drive those attendees to your booth at the show. To do this, consider adding a station at your booth where visitors can scratch off their cards to see if they've won a prize. A customized sign showing the prizes and winning numbers will make it easy for visitors to see if they've won, and the excitement will draw the attention of visitors without scratch-off cards.

The result is your target audience ending up right in your booth for at least as long as it takes them to scratch off the card. This gives you time to engage them in a discussion about their needs and your products or services.

Credit unions, banks, car dealerships, retail stores, radio stations, and more can utilize scratch of cards as an effective people traffic driver in their pre-event marketing campaigns.

Provide Useful Information On Your Scratch Off Cards

There is no limit to what your promotional products can convey, and scratch off cards are no exception. You can promote a sale, offer special discounts, announce giveaways, or offer freebies available only at your trade show booth.

No matter what you use as an enticement, it must definitely contain information on where your booth will be located. Study after study shows that most trade show attendees already know which booths they're going to visit before they even set foot on the floor. That means you need to get yourself on their must-visit list. The best way to do this is to give them an incentive ahead of time.

Make sure to include the name of the trade show event or exhibition and your booth number on any pre-trade show marketing materials you send out. If you have something that can act as a landmark in your booth or nearby, include that on the card too. For example, "Look for us in Booth Number 123 at XYZ's Annual Trade Show, March 1-4. We'll be located right next to the giant windmill." Remember, it's only an effective trade show marketing tool if they show up to your booth. To show up at your booth, they need to be able to find it.

You can effectively use scratch off cards as a fun pre-event marketing tool. With the right enticement and well-trained booth staff, you can drive attendees to your booth and turn them into solid leads.