As a small business owner, there are endless opportunities to market yourself. From social media, paid advertising, public speaking and of course content marketing (blogging). But one form of small business advertising, that sometimes gets overlooked, is the Vendor Table. Depending on which events you attend and how you approach the table setup, this can be an effective way to gain new leads for your business. Check out my top tips for you if you are a small business owner looking to branch out into this type of marketing.
#1 Be Choosy About Vendor Events
My first tip is to be very choosy about at which events you would like to represent your business. A trade show could be a wonderful investment, but it can also be a big waste of time and money. My small business is a local based personal concierge service. My target market is busy professional families living in the Lehigh Valley. I typically find my clients through referrals and word of mouth advertising. And after doing a few different types of vendor table events, I have found that the best events are held in the center of my town: Emmaus. These events allow me to speak directly to people who are located in my area and gives me a chance to educate about what exactly I do for people. However, it can be difficult to know what works best for you without trying a few different ones.
#2 Table Placement Is Very Important
If you have the option to choose where to setup your table, try to get a space where many people must pass by your table. I participated in one craft fair event where there were a lot of families going through but it was set up so that people did not need to pass by the inner tables, which were up against the wall of the gym. I had an inner table and did not see much traffic all night. The people who stopped by my table did so from technically the back of my table, which was a bit awkward but I was thankful to talk to them anyway. If you are able to choose your spot, be right next to the entrance/exit. Make sure you tell the organizers in advance if you need electricity. Another good spot would be right near the bathroom. High traffic areas are your friend. If you know that 10% of people will stop by your table to talk, then having 300 people go by is much better than having only 100 people pass your table.
During the course of an event, you may find that your table is not facing the best possible direction, but you can usually switch it as long as you are careful. For some events a table on an angle will help you be more visible, but if all of the other tables are straight it may be better to keep it consistent.
#3 Get There As Early As Possible
There are a few reasons this is a big on event day. You want to have extra time left over at the beginning of the event to relax before the rush of people. Another reason is that you don’t want to have to walk in front of the relaxed people as you hustle and bustle with your things, trying to set up in a rush. You most likely will have to make multiple trips from your car to your table space to bring in your table, chairs, and all of your other things. Sometimes there are people walking through the event early and you want to make a good impression on them. Print out any parking instructions and other details, the organizer will typically email them a few days before the event. Make sure to prepare your materials for transport the day before the event. If you will be doing these events frequently, a dedicated bin for all of your table materials may be helpful. Make a list of all the things you want on your table, and give yourself enough time to run to the store for last minute items. After you do table events for long enough, you will figure out how much time it takes for you to get properly setup, but in the beginning always leave plenty of extra time for yourself.
#4 Have Help If You Can Find It
It is always a good thing to have a 2nd person with you at these events. There is usually food being sold (bring cash) and if you need to go to the bathroom or want to peruse the other vendor tables and introduce yourself, you need someone to watch your things. Murphy’s law guarantees that people will usually come to your table at the worst possible moment to talk to you, like when you are eating, talking to someone else, or not at your table. If you need to hire someone to help you, it can definitely be worth it. Sometimes you can buddy up with a fellow business owner for an event and get tables right next to each other so that you can work as a team. At Here For You Concierge, we provide on-site help with vendor events within the Lehigh Valley. We also work with Valerie Bittner, who provides this type of service to businesses.
#5 Have A Draw To Your Table
Depending on what type of event you are attending, bring an item to raffle off at your table. Typically, the event organizers will ask you to bring a raffle item for their table as well. That means you will need to plan at least 2 different giveaway items to get leads at your event. I have tried many different items, but a large gift basket seems to work well for most events. You can tailor the basket to the season and the audience of the event, getting a kids snack basket for school events, or a whiskey and cigars basket for golf outings. Find a good Gift Basket Business and keep their number. We use Mountain Laurel Gift Baskets here in the Lehigh Valley, Suzanne can do a basket for any occasion at any price point, she offers personalization and even delivers! Other ideas could be a piece of technology, a large toy, or a bottle of expensive booze. If you don’t want to do a raffle you could also just give away drinks such as Free Lemonade, Hot Apple Cider, Hot Chocolate, or Bottles of Water. Make sure to add signage that says the items are free, so that people are more likely to take you up on your offer.
#6 Turn Your Table Visitors into Leads for Your Business
Always incorporate some way to collect names and email addresses during your table. Wether this be from your drawing entries, or from a short survey, these names and emails are one of the ways to get a ROI on your Vendor Table Events. After your event, go home and send out an email campaign thanking everyone for stopping by your table and give them a way to stay in touch with you and your business. If you do a survey table, send out the results of the survey. Announce the First Name and Last Initial of any drawing winners. Give them a reminder that they met you and a good way to keep in touch with you in the future, whether through joining your email list or following you on Facebook or Instagram.
#7 Follow Up, Follow Up, Follow Up
After you have added your new emails to your marketing list, remember to keep in touch with them. A monthly newsletter with an informative blog is a great way to do this. You are able to keep you and your business top of mind, provide some value through your educational content, and if they don’t want to be on the list any longer they can just opt-out/unsubscribe. Collecting names and email addresses at these types of events is a great way to build your email list with people in your area who are likely to interact with your business. It is not enough to just reach out to them one time, you have to remind them again and again what you do, why you do it, and who you do it for. When the time comes that they have a need, you will be the person they reach out to, instead of someone they have never met before, if you do your job right.
Conclusion
Vendor Table marketing can be a wonderful way to get out and meet people in the community and educate them about your business. It can also be a colossal waste of time, if you do not take certain steps to make it a valuable marketing activity. The key is to be consistent. If it takes a few tries to get the hang of things, and you will get better and better the more you do. Do your best and have a good time. Pick up some nachos and pierogies at the snack stand. Make a friend with your table neighbors, I know I did!
Extra Credit – Treat Bags
Treat bags can be really fun at tables where there are lots of children. Fill them with a few pieces of wrapped chocolate and a business card/pen. These are easier to give out because they are individually wrapped, and you can just asked people: “Would you like some chocolate?” If you are going to give chocolate, be sure that the weather is not too hot, or you will end up with melted sticky bags! It is really fun to make them, and you can post the pictures on Instagram, which leads me to my next tip…
Social Media
Use Social Media Posts before, during, and after your table event. Make sure the whole world knows that you are out marketing your small business. Last year I was able to snag a wonderful picture of myself with Santa Claus himself for my social presence. Take lots of pictures, and think of ways you can tie social media into your table. The pictures are good for exposure, and they also will help you remember your setup for your next table!
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About Here For You Concierge
Here For You Concierge helps busy professionals and families in the Lehigh Valley manage their to-do lists with ease—from personal errands and event coordination to photo management and home organization.
6081 Hamilton Blvd Suite 600
Allentown, PA 18106
267-272-5241
melissa@hereforyoupa.com
hereforyoupa.com
Let’s chat about how we can help you save time and reduce stress. Schedule a free consultation.
