5 ways to keep your showroom viable after the market has ended
I know what you’re thinking “we’re still a month away from the High Point Market even starting and this guy wants to talk about after the market?” Hear me out, we need to plan for the time between the markets. Now is the time to do that. You put in a lot of time, money, and effort getting your showroom ready for Market, why let the benefits end on the last day of the show? Let’s take advantage of the 25 or so weeks between the markets. Here are a few ideas on how to do just that!
1) Video Clips / Photos
This is probably something you’re already doing now. It’s a pretty basic idea but we have noticed that not everyone does it. For those who are not yet doing it and for those who are, we have some suggestions that might improve your results:
Don’t post everything immediately - Yes, take the photos and videos today, but save them to post over the following weeks. One example is if you create a video walk-thru of your showroom, create mini-edits that highlight small section of the showroom. :30-:45 clips that highlight one or two lines can be very effective.
Time the release effectively - In the same essence of don’t post everything immediately, post at efficiet times. Each platform has optimal times. For Facebook, 1-3PM on Thursdays and Fridays are the best time to post to encourage engagement. For Instagram it is best to post at 2am on Wednesday. Really. For Twitter, prime-time is noon on Wednesdays and Thursdays. It seems as though Social Media effectiveness rises as we start to look toward the weekend. LinkedIn posts tend to see the most engagement around noon during the middle of the week. I guess Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are popular times to make sure you’ve updated your resume on LinkedIn.
2) Host Private Events
This is probably the most expensive way to keep your showroom viable after market but could be very effective if targeted correctly. Inviting your best clients and prospective clients to give them private tours after the market could be a tremendous hit. Allowing them to mingle amongst each other can give a great boost to your business relationships by allowing your current client to sing your praises. It also shows that you are dedicated to giving them a first class experience.
3) Facebook Live/Instagram Stories Events
This is almost the best of both worlds. Once everyone has returned home from the market, bring them back! Facebook Live allows you to live stream a video from your phone or tablet as well as many other camera devices. But the best part of it is that your audience can interact with you during the stream. You can take and answer questions from your audience and they can even share the event on their Facebook pages during and after the recording. It is even possible to do a private event so that you can control who has access.
4) Promotions during the Market with Activations After
This one takes a little more strategy. We all know about posting a selfie in the showroom and using a hashtag or tagging the company on social media. Maybe a winner is selected from the participants. That promotion is great during the market, but it is dead on the vine at the end of the show. Why not push your activation until after the market. Encourage your clients to take photos during the show and have them post during contests in the weeks after the show?
5) Virtual Showroom
Why not have a digital copy of your showroom? A Virtual Showroom is exactly that. All the time and effort that was put into creating that showroom shouldn’t be wasted. Allow your clients to come back to your showroom at their convenience. Allow your reps to bring clients to the showroom who didn’t have a chance during the show. Interactive Content can give all the details on the products that your clients need. Advanced Analytics can tell you who is looking at your showroom, even if they are not yet your client. Privacy features can restrict access to only those whom you give access as well how many times they can view it. No need to worry about competitors viewing your great products!