If you are wondering whether networking provides large companies with marketing results, the simple answer is yes. You, however, need to appear professional, approachable, and easy to do business with in order to get the most out of your networking. Whether you are planning on having a booth in an exhibition or attending a trade show to gain new partners and customers, you will have to plan carefully and choose your target audience to tailor your company’s message to their needs. Find out more about the power of marketing below.

Professional Events

If you are a consultant and are looking for new clients, you can attend professional events. If your company offers virtual assistant services for companies, for example, you can sign up to attend a meeting for lawyers and real estate companies. If you are in the catering business and supply you might want to attend corporate events for restaurants and wedding planners.

Networking Events

If you book a place at a networking event, you can attract hundreds or thousands of company leaders in your industry to engage with you. All you need to take part is ordering a few pop up bars where you can show off your company’s offer or give out treats, drinks, sweets, as well as promotional gifts and leaflets. Networking events often involve a session when you can talk about your business to every participant or your selected audience. You can even sign up as a featured partner and offer a discount code for people who get in touch with you at the event and exchange details.

Festivals and Shows

You can also take advantage of large festivals and shows to showcase your business and make the most out of your networking. If there is a large festival in your area, such as a music festival or a sport event, you can sign up as a sponsor to be featured on advertising. However, having your name out there is not enough. You need to make sure that you can be contacted by the participants and you offer a special discount so you gain some new customers. Having your logo displayed is great for branding, but you want to grow your business as well.

Business Networking

If you already have a target audience in mind, you can take your business networking to the next level. You will need to let your potential partners and customers know that they can get in touch with you at a certain event. You must send out invitation with special discount offers and codes to make sure people actually attend your networking event. You might want to get some professional marketing materials printed for the occasion, and talk to your existing customers about the deals you offer. The more people will be at your event booth on the day the more new customers you are likely to gain.

“Small Business Event at NASA Goddard” by NASA Goddard Space Flight Centeris licensed under CC BY 2.0

When designing your marketing and branding strategy, you should not neglect the power of networking  and getting your name known by your target customers. Make sure you look out for corporate events, trade shows, and large local festivals where you can connect with potential customers.