Five Tips for Getting the Most From Your Banner Stand
When you're exhibiting at a trade show, it's crucial to catch visitor attention. That's where your display can make your appearance a success--if you do it right.
Because of their flexibility, convenience, and affordability, banner stands are common additions to trade show displays. That's their downside, too--everybody uses them. But if you use your banner stand well, it can still make you stand out from the crowd. Here's how.
Get the graphics right. Your graphics need to draw the eye. Common advice says to keep your banner stand colors the same as your company's logo, but that's not always true. Your booth can look polished without being monochromatic, and sometimes contrast is more effective.
Choose colors with an eye for contrast, and ask an expert for help if color coordination isn't your strong point. Look for simple, eye-catching graphics surrounded by plenty of white space--too much color and activity can turn visitors off instead of drawing them in. Dynamic photography is a great way to attract attention, but the print quality needs to be superb.
Choose your words well. Your graphics might draw the eye, but it's the ad copy that draws them in. It's a common mistake to simply add your company tagline to the stand. But in most cases, people will read your tagline and keep walking. If you want them to do something specific--like pay you a visit--you have to tell them to.
A call to action is much more effective than a simple statement. Add a message that tells people to "come inside for a chance to win," "ask us about our new product line," or any message that asks the reader to take an action. You want visitors to initiate contact--you don't want to have to chase them down.
Shape makes a difference. If you take a look around most trade show floors, you'll see plenty of tall, rectangular banner stands.
To stand out, choose a shape that's a little different. Some banner stands can be rotated to display horizontally or on an angle. There are many tension stand designs with unique and unusual shapes. Teardrop banners and marketing flags put a unique twist on the standard banner design as well. If you go with a different shape, you're sure to catch the eye.
Put your literature front and center. Many banner stands include removable literature racks. If you place your banner stand outside your booth with a catchy graphic and a "learn more here" call to action, you'll encourage visitors passing by your booth to grab a brochure as they pass.
If your brochure is well-written and designed, it should give them a reason to come back and visit later. This way, you can reach even those who don't take the time to stop at your booth.
Size matters--but bigger isn't always best. It's common to think that the biggest banner stand is the best, but bear in mind that many passing conference-goers will be seeing it from just a few feet away.
Does it catch attention as well from close up as it does from far away? Chances are it doesn't--it can take a minute to process a message on a large banner when standing close up. Don't make your prospects work to view your message; use one banner stand that caters to close viewings. If people are likely to approach from far away as well, use a second one to get their attention from a distance.
There are plenty of reasons to love banner stands. They sell products, display literature, travel with ease and convenience, set up in a snap, and get you in front of hundreds of possible customers.
But in order to use them to their full potential, you need to get the graphics, copy, size and shape, and placement right. Choose a banner stand that's suited to your business and the show you're attending, and you're sure to make a good impression at your next appearance.