Use Your Graphic Messages to Pull in Target Audience

If the graphics in your booth are only telling passing attendees who you are and what you do, you’re missing the piece that’s going to get your target audience’s attention and actually maybe get them to stop and come in to talk. That is, WIIFM or What’s In It For Me. Make sure that you have some signage in your booth that tells your target audience the benefits to them of the products/services that you’re promoting.

Role play with me for a minute. Let’s say you’re a full-service exhibit company that provides booths (among other things) to companies for their tradeshows. Your company has identified its smaller booth and pop-up markets as those that they want focus on at this year’s show (even though you do lots of other things and have many clients that buy bigger more expensive booths), which of the following messages is likely to stop your target audience (TA) – exhibit managers who have smaller budgets and need a small booth (or several for their regional shows):

• We’re number one in the tradeshow booth industry
• We have awesome booths, bannerstands, tabletop displays, interactive games, graphics…”
• Creative solutions to help you look like a million bucks without breaking the bank – Let’s talk!

Now these messages are a little simplistic, but I think you get the idea. The first company may have solutions that could be helpful to their intended audience, but it’s not clear to the target. The 2nd one gets a little closer – at least the target audience might get that because you have lots of features listed, you might be able to help them. But it’s the third one that speaks to the target and gives them a benefit statement. You can “look like a million dollars for not a lot of money” Cha-ching! This speaks directly to your target, they don’t have to try to figure out if you might have something that they need. It’s clear, it’s concise and it’s more likely to get the target to stop and have a conversation.

So think about your target audience for your next show and create graphics that demonstrate benenfits to them. Your target audience will get the message.

Do you have a good example of a message you use (or have seen) that was a benefit statement that helped attract the target audience?