The recent government orders prohibiting events have made things more complicated in the manufacturing industry, one that is typically heavily reliant on events such as trade shows to market and sell their products.

Now, manufacturers are being forced to find new, creative ways to promote their products and connect with potential customers.

Many companies have chosen to allocate some of their trade show budgets into digital marketing tools, but may be uncertain about where to start and what will actually have an impact.

Using Content as an Alternative to Trade Shows

The entire purpose of trade shows are for you to be able to introduce and discuss your products with your target audience. And with trade shows currently on pause, you must find ways to deliver that same level of value in the digital space.

We suggest that you think about any resources that you may have available already that you can use to demonstrate and sell your products online.

For instance, you may have an engineering team who creates designs for your products that you can display on your website along with information on how the product operates.

A client that we have been working with recently came up with the unique idea of including 3D models of every brewery they have built on their website. This allows them to showcase their work just as they would at a trade show and include contact forms to discuss the products more in-depth with potential customers.

Another option that you may consider is adding some form of e-commerce functionality to your website. With e-commerce, you can display all of your products and services directly on your website along with any information that a customer may need to make a purchasing decision.

Achieving Long-term Results

Since it is uncertain exactly how long it will take for trade shows to resume, it’s important that you are still doing everything you can to deliver value to potential consumers and inform them about your products or services.

Whether it is targeting potential trade show attendees on LinkedIn or another creative solution, the effort that you put in during this period will give you a leg up on your competition in the long run.

If you wish to learn more about how your manufacturing company could be adjusting its advertising and marketing strategies throughout this pandemic, click the button below to watch our most recent webinar!