Can’t Attend a Trade Show? Think Again!

Have you heard that attending a trade show is a great way to build your writing business? The invites seem to flood my mailbox daily. But to find one in my backyard — or close enough to make a day trip — is another story.

Plus, attending trade shows isn’t always free. Factor in travel and meal expenses on top, and you’re left with an expense new writers often can’t afford.

But there is an alternative. A free alternative.

Recently, I attended the All About Email Virtual Conference and Expo (AAEVCE).

There were 10 presentations given by industry leaders, on a variety of topics related to email. There were nine vendors in the Exhibition Hall, all fully staffed and ready to answer questions. There was even a Networking Lounge where you could hang out between (or during) the presentations.

I logged in around 10 a.m. … Just in time to enter the Auditorium and catch the Opening Keynote. It was headlined by the VP of Silverpop.

Some of the day’s session topics were:

• Is Marketing the New Sales?
• Getting Creative with Email and Social
• Ways to Leverage Data for a More Effective Email Program
• How to Use Email to Create Loyal Customers

And, my favorite presentation of the day …

• Which Test Won: Tracking Email Subject Line Success

The presentations ranged from about 15 minutes to an hour in length. You could watch them all, or stop in for the topics you wanted. And in case you missed something — or wanted to replay it — all the presentations were archived and made available to review for attendees.

All that content … and I haven’t even mentioned the Resource Kiosk yet. Over 60 downloadable resources, made available by the exhibitors and presenters. There were cheat sheets and white papers, articles and e-books. Sure, some of it was purely promotional, but much of it revolved around thought leadership.

All told, there was a ton of content.

For a writer, all that content is like a gold mine. Because now you can use it to write your own articles, blog posts, and newsletters.

Just as importantly, participating in a virtual trade show gives you valuable insights from the thought leaders of your industry or area of specialty. You learn what the important issues are, how the industry is reacting to them, and what they’re planning for the future. So you can write (and speak) with more authority, and be more convincing, for your prospects.

How to Choose a Virtual Event

There are two categories of virtual events you should consider.

The first is for your market. In other words, industry shows where your prospects are the presenters. For example, my niche is Technology, so I would look for virtual events where Tech companies present their products and solutions. The key point in choosing an industry show is finding one where the presenters and the exhibitors are your target prospects. If you have a large niche industry, try narrowing it down to the categories where your ideal clients would be.

The second category is functional. These are the shows which can build your skills and credibility as a writer. They also give you lots of content to work with in promoting your own activities. For example, email is not my targeted niche, but all my prospects use email. So attending the AAECVE gave me lots of ideas on how to address the email issues my prospects face. And by spinning some of these ideas into articles and blog posts, I attach the authority of that industry event to my own persona.

Both types of conferences are valid for establishing your business. Industry shows help you make connections with your prospects. They also give you insights as to what’s important in your market, and how companies are approaching these issues.

Functional shows will give you lots of ideas and best practices. You can then spin these ideas back to your target market in the form of content.

Try making a list of 10 virtual events in each area (we’ll discuss how to find them in the next section). Note when they take place. Many are scheduled well in advance, so you can see how they spread out. They are time intensive, however (especially when you follow up by developing content), so I recommend no more than one or two per month.

Where to Find Virtual Events

So where do you go to find virtual events? There are four main avenues I’ll share with you here.

1. Search for them.A simple Internet search may turn up plenty of results. For example, searching for Technology “Virtual Trade Show” turns up all kinds of opportunities. You can also try online instead of virtual and conference instead of trade show for your keywords. Get as specific as you can with your niche market. You can even put in specific months if you’re putting a calendar together.
2. Look on Trade Organization sites.If you’ve found trade organizations or trade groups serving your niche, look on their sites. Often they’ll have ads promoting upcoming events, whether they’re in person or virtual. Make sure you sign up for their newsletters. You can even query about upcoming virtual events in their forums.
3. Get on mailing lists.I could probably fill up a calendar of virtual events just by going through the promotions tab of my inbox. That’s how I found the AAEVCE. The more mailing lists you’re on, the more things like this you’ll see. Start with big marketing companies like Marketo, Target Marketing, Silverpop, and Direct Marketing News. They publish tons of content.
4. Look at the Virtual Conference providers.There’s a few virtual event software companies providing the platform for most of these conferences. If you want to see what’s coming up, you can search through their sites and join their mailing lists. It won’t be targeted to your needs, but you can search through the topics to find ones that interest you. On24, INXPO, Marketplace365, and InterCall are a few that should be on your list.

How to Use Virtual Events

How you approach a virtual conference determines how useful the event will be. Here are 7 tips for a successful virtual experience:

1. Make a list. Your list should include the industry problems that were addressed (your market’s pain points) and any article ideas you get during the presentations. You can separate these into two lists if you prefer. The bigger the list you generate here, the better.
2. Attend each presentation and take notes. Even if the presentation doesn’t appeal directly to you, consider the presenter. Just listening might allow you to make a valuable connection.
3. Download the good stuff. Make sure to grab the slides for each presentation — you’ll want to refer back to them (and your notes) when writing your content. Then look through the other offerings. At the AAEVCE, I mentioned there were over 60 downloadable resources. I downloaded about 20 that might spark ideas for content, or to use as reference material.
4. Thank the presenters. Most of them will spend some time in the “chat” area of the conference following their presentation. Follow them there and say “thank you.” If you have insights or comments to share with them, go ahead.
5. Network with the vendors. Visit each vendor booth and say “hi” to the representatives there. Most of them are marketing professionals who could be contacts for you down the road. Sometimes you’ll only see their first names, but often you’ll get more information. Just take note of who you speak with.
6. Thank them again. This time, with email. If you can find the email address for any presenter, vendor, or even the hosts of the conference, send a quick thank you message and let them know you enjoyed the session. Your email signature should have your contact information, but your email shouldn’t be about yourself at all.
7. Connect with them. Look up the people you interacted with on LinkedIn or Google+ and connect with them there. Remind them that you were an attendee of the event when you send the invite.

Oh, and don’t forget the most important thing: WRITE YOUR CONTENT!

If you follow these guidelines, your Virtual Conference will be a hugely rewarding experience — all, of course, for free.