Trade Shows are social by nature.
Trade shows by nature are a social form of marketing and you can boost that social engagement by using social media. When you exhibit at a trade show you want to increase brand awareness, generate leads and build relationships. With some planning, you can reach out before, during and after the show to further your connections and continue to engage with customers and prospects using your online presence.
Before the Show
Update your social media profiles and website; make sure your company is visible in search engines.
- You want your business to project a cohesive online message.
- Begin highlighting products/services that you will be introducing to create buzz.
- List the shows where you will be exhibiting and your booth number on your site and in social media.
- Not exhibiting but attending? Provide a way for other attendees to connect with you at the show.
- Find out what the show’s hashtag is and add that to social media posts for further recognition. (Hashtags make it easy for people to find everything being posted about a particular event so use the correct one!)
During the Show
Yes, you will be busy interacting with attendees but here’s another opportunity to create some buzz while at the show.
- Take pictures of the team prepping for the show and interacting with attendees during the show.
- Shoot short videos of product demonstrations to be uploaded to social media and your website.
- Ask existing customers that visit your booth if you can shoot a quick two- minute testimonial video for use on your site and social platforms.
- Tag attendees, speakers, vendors in your posts to increase interaction with your posts.
- When posting to social media remember to use the show’s hashtag!
Make time for Social Media before, during & after the show.
After the Show
Everyone is tired after a trade show and often getting ready for another but this is a great time to re-connect with those people you just met at the show.
- Send a follow-up email to the people you just connected with and include a few pictures or a video from the show. Use a custom list for each event that you attend. You can merge the segmented lists into your larger database later.
- Write a blog post about the show and highlight what attendees and vendors were saying as well as industry quotes and stats from workshops and conference sessions. Share the blog on your social channels.
- Connect with leads on LinkedIn thanking them for stopping by your booth.
- Dedicate a page on your website to trade shows and include videos and images from each event your company attends.
Ongoing
According to CEIR, 81% of trade show attendees have buying authority.
At the show, you created leads and those prospects became aware of your products and services, this is the first step in the buyer’s journey. Now as they continue to do research they will be looking for answers so it is important to maintain a consistent online presence across your social media channels and your website. You want to use your online presence to help the decision process.
According to Google:
- 53% of people will abandon a mobile site if it takes more than three seconds to load.
- 59% of people are likely to recommend a brand if it delivers a frictionless experience across channels.
- 62% expect brands to deliver a consistent experience but only 42% think that most brands do.
A Few Questions to Ponder Before the Show:
- Is your website optimized for the right keywords so buyers can find you in search engine queries?
- Is your site mobile-ready?
- Do you have email software that can segment your contacts for customized messages?
- Are you using social media platforms to connect with your audience and deliver a clear and consistent message?
Want more tips you can use in your business?