Running a booth during a trade show is a lot like competing in a race. Everyone wants to win, but chances are most people will fall by the wayside. It’s for this reason that getting the edge over the competition is so important. Attendee attention is a limited resource. Everyone wants it, but there isn’t enough to go around.
Many trade show exhibit blogs talk about the merits of having an awesome display. And well, it’s true. Having a large, detailed or interesting trade show display will make you stand out. After all, 90% of the brain is dedicated to visual communication. Visuals play an essential role is marketing as they trigger emotions more easily than words ever could.
Cartoons add humour. Foreground images direct the viewer’s attention. Screenshots inspire and faces help us identify. The power of visuals is strong. The problem? Everyone knows this, at least any marketers worth their salt. Captivating visuals are powerful and even essential in helping your booth compete. But, it can’t be your only strategy.
So, what’s the answer then? Simple. It’s videos.
Video — A Thousand Moving Images
Our brains read visual information much faster than words. In fact, 40,000 pages of typed text translates to a little over of 1 minute of video for our brains. That’s a lot of information. The reason for the discrepancy is that video ‘feels more real’. This is also why in just a couple of years, its predicted that 80% of all internet traffic will be taken up by videos.
In essence, a video can tell a story much fast and more detailed than any single image. The entire history of a company, it’s goals or the story of it’s future can be told in a short video clip.
Tell Your Story in a Few Minutes
The rise of content such as branded videos demonstrated that this type of marketing is here to stay. There’s several options for the approach you can take. For example, you could do a basic product promo. Interviews with key staff or behind-the-scenes styled videos are another way to go if you want to humanize your organization.
Even if your having trouble coming up with ideas, the ground work is already done. Simply repurpose what you have into video form and start from there. Just make sure you test it. You have around 8.25 seconds to wow the average attendee. After that, there’s no point.
Videos Enhance, Not Detract Your Message
Most companies presenting at an exhibition have some form of displays at their booths. What we’ve presented above isn’t a reason to replace those displays with videos. Rather, it’s meant to show that adding video elements to your booth enhances the message you’re trying to convey to attendees. Use both videos and innovative displays, working in concert, to allow visitors to walk away with a clear idea of what your brand is, what it represents and why they should buy your products. Use them to tell your story.
