Trade shows vs social media: where B2B leads come from

Key takeaways

Trade shows vs social media is a contest between a few days of face-to-face contact and a year of steady presence. A show can produce your best conversations of the year at a high price. Social media costs less, runs all year and decides whether those conversations turn into business.

• Trade shows: a small stand costs about £3,000 to £10,000 all in.
• Social media: most UK SMEs pay £950–£2,500 a month managed.
• Trade shows: dozens of real conversations in two days.
• Social media: keeps you in view for the other 363 days.

What does exhibiting involve?

Exhibiting means renting floor space at an industry event, building or hiring a stand, and staffing it for the duration. For a small firm the real commitment is people: two or three staff away from normal work for several days, plus preparation and follow-up.

• Social media marketing vs traditional advertising: what works better for SMEs?
• What is traditional advertising? A plain guide for small firms

What does a trade show really cost?

As an indicative range, a small stand at a national UK show costs £3,000 to £10,000 once space, stand, travel, accommodation and print are added. Staff time is extra. Three people for four days is 96 working hours before any follow-up. Always budget the whole figure, not the space fee.

• Space and shell scheme.
• Graphics, furniture, power and lead scanner.
• Travel, hotels and meals.
• Staff time before, during and after.

• The hidden costs of traditional advertising
• How much does advertising cost a UK small business?

How do the leads compare?

Show leads are fewer and warmer. You have met the person and heard their problem. Social media leads arrive throughout the year and vary more in quality. Research from the LinkedIn B2B Institute suggests only about 5% of business buyers are in the market at any time, so most people you meet at a show will buy later, if at all.

• Cost per lead by channel: comparing social media and offline
• B2B social media when the sales cycle is long

Why does follow-up decide the result?

Follow-up decides the result because a badge scan is not a sale. Contact every lead within two working days with something specific to the conversation. Then stay visible: connect on LinkedIn and keep posting useful material, so that your name is familiar when their need arrives.

• Losing leads to slow follow-up? When to outsource it
• Reaching B2B decision makers on social media

How should you use social media around a show?

Use social media before, during and after. It makes the stand work harder and reaches the people who did not attend.

• Before: say you are going and book meetings.
• During: post what you are showing and who you met.
• After: share what you learnt and follow up contacts.

• Best social media platform for promoting an event
• LinkedIn strategy for UK small businesses

When is a trade show worth it?

A trade show is worth it when your buyers attend, your product is better seen than described and each sale is large enough to repay the cost. It also has value for meeting existing clients and suppliers in one place.

• When traditional advertising works better than social media
• Advertising a logistics company: winning B2B contracts

When is social media the better use of the money?

Social media is the better use when the show's audience is mostly competitors and students, when sales are small, or when you cannot spare the staff. Visiting without a stand and posting about it costs a fraction and still puts you in the room.

• B2B social media content that attracts decision makers
• Trade magazine advertising vs LinkedIn for B2B firms

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see with B2B firms: the stand is booked a year ahead, the business cards go in a drawer, and the firm's LinkedIn page says nothing about having been there. The show itself was fine. The value leaked away in the fortnight afterwards.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

Checklist before booking a stand

• Ask the organiser for audited visitor figures by job role.
• Ask three clients whether they attend.
• Budget the full cost, including staff time.
• Set a target number of qualified conversations.
• Plan follow-up and social posts before the show.

Next step

Take last year's show cost and divide it by the orders you can trace to it. Compare that with what a year of social media would cost.