Using direct mail to drive attendance at a trade show booth is a challenge. Most successful direct marketing campaigns rely on giving the recipient the opportunity to respond immediately (to call an 800 number, for example, or go to a Web site) but for a traffic builder to be successful, the reader must make an immediate decision to take an action (i.e., visit the booth) that could be weeks away.

Here are some tips for maximizing the value of your next pre-show campaign:

1. Don't send the mailer too soon.

Ideally, your campaign should reach the person's desk at a time when the show is starting to loom on his or her calendar. Mail it too soon, and the person will dismiss it as something that's not of immediate concern. As a rough guideline, try to have the mailer on the person's desk two weeks prior to the show. (Delaying the mailer also means you'll have access to a larger list of pre-registered attendees.)

2. Give the audience a specific, tangible reason to respond.

Believing that someone will remember your direct mail piece long enough to make a beeline for your booth is optimistic at best. Offer a specific, tangible incentive for someone to stop by -- a free CD-ROM, or a free t-shirt, for example. Better yet, require the person to bring the mailer to the booth in order to receive the item. That way, you'll know more precisely whether or not the campaign had its intended effect.

3. Sell the booth, not the product.

Just as with any kind of invitation, your sole objective should be getting people to the booth, period. Focus not on how great your product or service or Web site is, but why someone should come to your booth. Besides special incentives (see #2, above), talk about "exclusive hands-on demos", "experts available to answer your toughest questions," "live, multimedia presentations", "be the first to experience," etc.