Four Engaging Ways to Use Small Touchscreens at Your Next Trade Show

Trade shows are a beneficial and valuable way to connect with customers and gather leads. But, as they are a large investment consuming a healthy part of your marketing budget, it’s critical to ensure you are optimizing your return. Using technology should certainly be part of this equation. However, while many folks know that they can utilize digital displays to play content and bring in booth traffic, that’s only one way to integrate technology and have an impact.

 There are also many opportunities to use small touchscreens at trade shows. They can act as a great tool to stand out and engage users, who according to Exhibit Surveys, spend about nine and a half hours, on average, on the exhibit floor.[1] Check out these four ways you can apply these screens at your next trade show.

1. Capture Leads with Ease

Most large trade shows offer a badge scanner to collect leads. Sure, it’s easy to scan a badge, but the cost for this type of device could be $500 or more. As there’s no universal scanner you can purchase that works at any event, you’ll likely need to rent a badge scanner for every trade show you attend, which isn’t the best use of your funds. Instead, arm your trade show staff with touchscreen monitors. Simply develop a landing page for a prospect to enter their name and email address. They can use the device themselves, as most people are familiar with tablet technology. These touchscreens can be mobile, either in the hands of staff or sitting on a table. You could also choose to put them in a kiosk, so they are stationary.

2. Empower Buyers to Choose the Documents They Want

In addition to printed material, give visitors the option to email information on products or offerings. They can do this on touchscreen kiosk directly from the trade show floor, rather than carrying it around. Decision makers want options for how they collect and compare products across different vendors. With small touchscreens, you offer them this flexibility.

There are other benefits, too. Your collateral won’t get lost in their many bags of trade show goodies, which are prone to end up in the trash. Instead, your information shows up in their inbox. Offering visitors the option for a digital copy of your materials also reduces your print costs. Further, it shows that the prospect wants to know more about you. It offers an opportunity to glean insights about which of your products trade show attendees were most interested.

For example, perhaps your organization is in the healthcare field and sharing use cases for your particular product. A use case can be a long and detailed document. So, why not give your audience the choice to email it to themselves instead of taking home binders? Plus, you can track who used the kiosk and send them a follow-up email post-show relating to the materials they received.

3. Display a Demo

This tip is especially applicable to software demos but can work for almost any industry. Use small touchscreens to create an interactive space to show, not tell attendees how your product works. Invite them to a hands-on demo. In this demo environment, attendees can interact with the device with ease, and explore the different functions or the software or application. By offering them the touchscreen, it creates a more intimate setting. They get to “drive” the demo experience.

If you sell a physical product, use your touchscreens to show how the product works in different applications, focusing on those that relevant to your buyer. These are things you can’t show in the booth. Rather, attendees get the opportunity to see the product in its natural setting via touchscreen. If your product is a unique kind of shingle, for example, your audience can feel the actual product. But they can’t see how it’s applied or how it stands up to the elements. Short videos can make this possible.

4. Share UGC Content for Social Proof

In addition to demo videos, incorporate user-generated content (UGC) to engage visitors when they stop by. This is an opportunity to influence attendees, as 93% of buyers saying it was helpful in the purchasing decision according to AdWeek.[2] UGC delivers social proof to your audience.

UGC is media that can come from several different channels. There are many opportunities for UGC as visual representation. Here are a few ideas:

• Circle charts: Show polling results from a survey that represent a feature or benefit of your product or service
• Q&A: If your brand is hosting a session or talk during the event, include questions you’ve received in connection with it. When you promote your session, include a way for attendees to ask question (i.e. use a hashtag on social).
• Caption contest: Present visitors with a fun image that ties to the industry, trade show theme or campaign. Allow users to add their own caption, offering a prize for the cleverest one.
• Social media proof: If you have a lot of great reviews on your Facebook profile, include this as well because it’s a genuine response to what you offer.
• Videos about your product or service: The most traditional form of USG is videos that your customers create based on their experience with your brand. Depending on what you offer, this content could be focused on how they use your product, or their review and opinion of why your product or service makes their work life easier.

Get Interactive at Events with Mimo Monitors

Using small touchscreen monitors helps you stand out amongst the multitude of exhibitors. The interactivity they offer provides potential for deep connection and opportunities for direct engagement at trade shows. Employ small touchscreens to capture leads, empower attendees to get the information they want, display demos, and show user-generated content. Our small touchscreen monitors are easy to transport, durable, and simple to deploy in any trade show location. At Mimo, we believe every experience can be more powerful with interactivity. Learn what you can do with our touchscreens and how they’ll impact your presence at your next trade show.

[1] http://www.exhibitsurveys.com/trends

[2] http://www.adweek.com/digital/why-consumers-share-user-generated-content-infographic/