Businesses today participate in trade show exhibits to increase brand recognition and network with other companies in similar or different fields. But trade shows are competitive, and if you want your company to stand out, you need to invest in the right marketing tools and strategies. Advertising and marketing can be done effectively through a variety of mediums, but not all are suitable for a trade show setting. Experts recommend that the following marketing tools are what every trade show exhibitor needs to use.

Market research

Every marketing plan begins by conducting market research. The purpose of this research is to gather information about your company’s target audience. The data collected is used in creating a customer profile which is crucial in choosing which group of people to target during the exhibit.

In addition to gathering information about the target audience, you can also carry out market research to learn about the demographics of the intended audience and expected attendees at the event. Through this process, you can determine whether there will be suppliers, retailers, and customers at the event. This information will give you a better insight into what marketing strategies and tools to use for the exhibit.

Promotional marketing tools

Promoting products and services during a trade show involves making use of a variety of tools such as a display stand, samples, demonstrations, and giveaways. Display stands are considered one of the most effective ways to attract the attention of consumers at a trade show. You can include crucial details about your company products and services and make attendees aware of your brand.

Giveaways are small tokens that you hand out to exhibit attendees. These little keepsakes usually bear the company or brand logo. Some of the most common trade show giveaways used today are stress balls, pens, key chains, and water bottles.

Product demos and samples are useful when used appropriately. By sampling your products or by viewing demonstrations, you can get immediate feedback from attendees and determine how to improve your product or service better.

Marketing through social media

Social media is the latest trend in marketing and using this strategy can result in an immense advantage for your business. If your company already has an active social media presence, you can use it for advertising the event and encouraging followers to attend.

During the event, you can use your company’s social media accounts to run contests and actively promote your booth. Social media is effective in engaging customers and keeps them updated about what is new in your business.

Blogging

Another effective method of promoting a trade show or exhibit is via blog posts. Active followers of your business can read about the trade show and encourage them to attend. Blog posts have the added advantage of providing readers with extensive information about what customers can expect with the upcoming event. Blogging using your company website or posting on third-party sites increases not only visibility but also the company’s chances of being associated with the trade show or event.

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Over the years Google Hangouts has steadily improved the quality of its video calls and in most cases they are actually quite good. That being said there are still steps that you should take to ensure your video calls are up to scratch in terms of their quality and overall appearance.

Some of the best ways that you can improve your video calls on Google Hangouts are by:

• Using a fast and stable internet connection

The quality (read: resolution and frame rate) of the call will depend heavily on the bandwidth and stability of your internet connection. If possible you should free up bandwidth by making sure you aren’t downloading any files (and no one else on your network is).

Ideally you should also plug in your computer to your router using an Ethernet cable. That will make the network connection much more stable than Wi-Fi could ever hope to be.

• Adjusting the bandwidth setting manually

If you find that your video call on Google Hangouts seems to be lagging or stuck, try adjusting the bandwidth setting in Google Hangouts and lower it. When you do Google will optimize the video call accordingly and may lower its resolution slightly to ensure that it look smooth.

• Getting a good microphone

If you rely on the built-in microphone on your webcam you can expect the audio quality to not be that great. Instead you should invest in a decent external microphone, as it will make a world of difference.

• Wearing headphones

As a rule it is best to wear headphones or earphones while you’re making video calls. At times the audio from your speakers may get picked up by your microphone and sent over the call – which will sound like an echo.

By wearing headphones or earphones there isn’t much risk at all of that happening.

• Improving the lighting

Just like any video the lighting can have a big impact on the quality of your video calls – and you should try to improve it. At a very minimum there should be lots of light but the light source should not be in the frame of the video call. Instead it should be positioned above and behind your display.

If you want to improve it further you should consider using a softbox or some other type of diffused lighting.

Keep in mind that you can record Google Hangout using Movavi Screen Recorder or some other screen recorder. Its features will let you easily set it up to capture the area of the video call, along with its audio. In fact you can even adjust the volume level, frame rate, and other recording parameters.

As you can see improving the quality of Google Hangouts video calls isn’t that difficult. In fact you should be able to see the improvement firsthand with each and every step that you take – and it should translate into video calls that look and sound far better, and have fewer issues overall too.

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As the remote office platform takes form, the virtual office is taking centre stage as a way to support office space that functions primarily online. The remote worker is not the only group of professionals who have found the virtual office a great tool. Freelancers, startups, and small businesses have also joined the virtual office revolution because it can provide your business infrastructure online.

The virtual office platform is one characterised by great versatility because of the ability of users to manage it from any location in the world. However, it is marked by affordability as well because the office requires users to pay on an as-needed basis depending on the plan. When it comes to virtual offices – Servcorp US, for example, is one provider that offers a plan through a serviced office that provides business with technology and brick-and-mortar office space. The idea is really an ingenious one, but because there are so many, finding the right one can be a challenge.

Read more to learn about what you should enquire about before purchasing a virtual office plan.

Virtual Office Types

Of the many types of virtual offices, there are two main types that you might find in the office landscape. The subscription-based offices can be used anywhere in the US, and it is simply software a business would purchase that allows them to do a number of business activities online. This type of online suite works well for home businesses or for those who do not need an onsite meeting space.

Then, there are the serviced office virtual offices. These offices provide businesses an internet connection and a business address and phone number with some also providing businesses with access to meeting and boardrooms. These offices typically have a receptionist or some type of answering service, and some come with concierge services like a mail courier. This particular office lease is great for businesses with employees and for those who have to travel frequently.

Office Rates

The subscription rates might vary depending on the number of tools the software offers, but they usually need to be renewed every six months with some even lasting for at least twelve years. Alternatively, the virtual office lease through a serviced office is one that can be as short as a month-to-month. The virtual office lease is great because it allows businesses to transition into other office space styles easily with little downtime if leasing from the right office provider.

Advantages

The advantages of using the virtual office are plentiful. Of course, overhead costs are reduced, but those who purchase a plan might find that their business runs a little more efficiently. With productivity a little higher, you can expect to get more growth out of the virtual office.

Another benefit to adopting the virtual office is that it allows businesses to grow into the online landscape and for free. A business needing to transition but not necessarily sure that they want to do so in an office will only need to modify the combination of applications used to run their office or tweak their website to adjust to company growth. In no other situation can a business expand into other space without taking on a whole lot of extra costs, but the online format can this for many businesses.

In The Know

The virtual office has allowed small businesses to leverage the business community simply by providing access to some of the tools needed to do well. While virtually eliminating the commute on any one of the American highways and drastically reducing costs are immediate benefits, being able to launch an idea with little start-up costs is one of the best reasons to go with the virtual office. Worst case scenario, if it does not work out, all you need do is simply log off – no harm done.

Author Bio:-Alexandra Richards is a business consultant, located in United States. She takes a keen interest in the business structures and work culture of US based businesses. She has recently been working with Servcorp to help deliver tailored solutions to local businesses.

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