Post on 13-Apr-2017
Using Social Media at Trade Shows
Maximize your social impact at face-to-face marketing events.
Contents
• Creating Your Social Media Infrastructure
• Social Media & Etiquette
• Measuring Social Impact
The biggest expense in social media is time.
Pick and choose your social media outlets wisely, selecting the ones that offer the greatest return.
Social Media
Have an infrastructure before an event.
The longer your history in social media, the better your chances of strong results.
Social Media
Social Media Infrastructure
• Most Popular Platforms• Facebook
• Google+
• Tumblr
Social Media Infrastructure
STEP 1
Research social platforms
STEP 2
Research your audience
STEP 3
Choose 1-3 social platforms
Social Media Infrastructure
STEP 4
Build your audience
STEP 5
Tailor messaging and tone to expectations of the platform
Twitter288 million monthly users
140
character
messages
called
‘tweets’
Tweets appear in
chronological order on a
users profile
Pre-Event Tactics
• Automation• Send weekly posts 3
months prior to a show or event
• Use automation tools• Hootsuite
• TweetDeck
Pre-Event Tactics
• Event #hashtags• Track engagement by topic
• Get in front of new audiences
• Promote event campaign and drive traffic
Pre-Event Tactics
• Pay attention!• Monitor the event’s
primary Twitter and/or hashtag
• Listen and contribute to pre-event conversations
• Gain followers by contributing quality content
During-Event Tactics
• Antennas up!• Monitor the event’s
profile and hashtag
• Receive and respond to feedback in real time
During-Event Tactics
• Empower your staff• Encourage booth
staffers to use personal Twitter profiles to engage and draw in attendees
During-Event Tactics
• Video streaming• Periscope allows for
live streaming on Twitter
Post-Event Tactics
• Recap & thanks• Thank visitors for
connecting• Use booth staff!
• Share recaps such as pictures and videos
Post-Event Tactics
• Tweetwally Recap• Tweetwally groups
your tweets collected under one hashtag, giving a full overview of the campaign
Facebook1.23 billion monthly users
“Status”
updates can
include text,
links, photos,
videos and
more
Brands often use Facebook as a
casual public relations outlet
Pre-Event Tactics
• Attract new followers• Ask contacts to “like” or
“follow” your organization’s page
• Offer pre-event contest to drive follows
Pre-Event Tactics
• Create buzz• Educational content
• New product sneak peeks
• Special offers
During-Event Tactics
• Connect products to people• Show others engaging or benefitting with product
• Encourage sharing and build buzz
During-Event Tactics
• Videos work• Facebook’s internal video app lets you share
content and track engagement
• Keep videos short• Show floor activities
• Contest teasers
• Attendee testimonials
Post-Event Tactics
• Make friends• Use social media info
on collected business cards to connect
• Recap with pictures, videos & content
LinkedIn300 million monthly users
Share quality
content or
company
announcements
and news
Connect with peers,
clients and prospects
During-Event Tactics
• Strengthen your company page
• Company information
• Whitepapers or other educational content
• Product & service pages
• Reviews & testimonials
During-Event Tactics
• Join an events LinkedIn group
• Connect to attendees
• Establish yourself as an industry name
• Engage in discussions
Post-Event Tactics
• Thanks and connections• Find LinkedIn information on business cards
• Connect with visitors
• Send thanks and appreciation
• Share product page links or ask for reviews
Social Etiquette
Rules of Social Engagement
Friendliness begets friendliness#1
“Handshake” image by Aiden Jones via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Rules of Social Engagement
Beggars lose, winners choose#2
“88/365 – 1/4/2011” image by Gabriela Pinto via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Rules of Social Engagement
Diversify your message#3
“Color Your Life” image by Capture Queen via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Rules of Social Engagement
Think before you post#4
“Yes and No” image by *_Abhl_* via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Rules of Social Engagement
Tweet unto others as you would have them tweet unto you
#5
“Trust Yer Neighbor But Brand Yer Cattle” image by Wesley Freyer via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The only way to improve is to measureCompare your investments to your return and look for
ways to improve in the future.
Measuring Social Impact
Rethink Your Return
• Measure costs• Time
• Staff
• Content creation
• Measure return• Exposure
• Brand awareness
• New connections
Measuring Social Impact
• Create a points system• Assign a value to each type of social engagement
Measuring Social Impact
• Create a points system• Assign a value to each type of social engagement
• Assign realistic engagement goals
Measuring Social Impact
• Create a points system• Assign a value to each type of social engagement
• Assign realistic engagement goals
• Compare goals versus actuals
Mastering Social Media at Events
Research Engage Measure
Download Your Guide Now
Download the
Exhibitors’ Guide To
Social Media