Promoting Your Exhibition Attendance Using Social Media
by HISCEC Staff
April 30, 2012 - 9:26 am
April 30, 2012 - 9:26 am
Social Media marketing is an ever growing area, and as many companies have demonstrated (Coca Cola, Red Bull, Zappos), when Social Media is done well, it can really help to build and promote your brand. Companies are increasing their social media presences as they realize that it can be ideal for engaging with current and potential customers.
It’s also really good for interacting with others within your own industry, as it is a way of exchanging ideas and information, generating buzz about your products or services, or simply networking.
If you’re attending an exhibition, Social Media is perfect for making sure that as many people know about it as possible. Just being at the event isn’t enough. If nobody knows about it, then they’re not going to come.
With Social Media, there are so many channels that you can use to promote yourself. The three most well known are Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, but then there are also file sharing sites such as Slideshare or Issuu, video sharing sites (YouTube), or even your own company blog.
Here are some tips for getting the most out of Social Media when you’re at an event:
Invitations
Not strictly speaking Social Media, but important nonetheless. A few weeks before the exhibition, send out an email about it to your subscribers, telling them you’re going to be there. These people are already interested enough in what you do to have subscribed to your mailing list, and fair enough, some of them may already be customers or clients. But they may want to use this as a chance to meet you. Face-to-face interaction is still super-important.
You should then follow up with a reminder email nearer the time. You might also consider offering a promotion or special offer on the day, which you can let people know about in the email.
Facebook
The exhibition will probably have its own Facebook page, and your first step should be to Like this. If you do this, you may even get access to exclusive content! Next, start interacting on the page’s Timeline. If people are asking questions, you might be able to answer them, or you might have your own questions you can ask the event organizers.
On your own Facebook page, link to content about the show, any news items, blog posts, the event’s own website, etc. And get your Facebook fans to share these, for extra visibility.
After the event, thank people for coming to your stand. Write a post reflecting on your experience and post any photos from the event (get people to tag themselves so their friends see it too!). You could also ask people who visited your stand for feedback.
LinkedIn
It depends on your industry, but this one might not be quite so easy. Smaller events, especially, will probably not have designated pages. Larger ones might, and you can start following these for updates and discussions. Failing that, you can still update your own company LinkedIn page with information about the event and the fact that you’ll be attending.
Twitter
Twitter has exploded over the past year, and most exhibitions and events will now have their own accounts set up. Follow the event’s Twitter, and look at who else is following it. This will give you an idea of who else might be attending. Start to engage with these people and companies beforehand, so that when you get to the event, you’ve already built up a relationship with some of the attendees.
Even if there is no designated Twitter account for the event, there will probably be a hashtag (e.g. #BrightonSEO, #WorldMalariaDay), that you can use in your Tweets. When people search for that particular hashtag on Twitter, they’ll see your Tweets.
Keep Tweeting during the event (within reason – don’t sit there hunched over your phone or laptop when you could be talking to people), with interesting tidbits, like who’s there or new developments in your industry. And follow up afterwards, thank people for coming, respond to any Tweets sent your way, and keep using the hashtag. People who did not attend the event might search it for info about what they missed!
Blogging
Write a blog post on your own blog about going to the event. Let people know where they can find you and what you’ll be offering on the day. Keep people updated, and make sure that you respond to comments that they leave.
Following on from the event, write another post on your blog about your time there, what you learned, who you met, how it went, etc. Reflect on your experiences, and ask your followers for feedback.
Slideshare or Issuu
If you have a presentation that you’re running on your exhibition stand, or that you’re delivering at the event, then you could upload the slides or PDF to a file sharing site, such as Slideshare. These sites allow you to share Powerpoint presentations and PDF documents publicly. So if you can offer a really good how-to guide about your product, or a service you offer, it’s a great way of getting your content out there.
YouTube
If you have a camera to hand, why not record at the event? Try and get interviews with industry experts, or film your product demos. If you or a member of staff is delivering a presentation, record this and post it on your YouTube channel (optimized for search, naturally!). Encourage people to Like and comment – and make sure that if they do, you respond!
You don’t have to use all of these, obviously! And depending on your industry, and the event, they may not all be suitable. So think about what it is that you want to achieve and choose the channels you want to focus on. Consider where your target audience is most active, and exploit that.
Tips from Astro Exhibitions, who specialize in designing and building bespoke exhibition display stands. Astro have many years experience in the exhibition sector, and have built up an extensive portfolio of clients, including BASF, Siemens and Shell.
If you’re attending an exhibition, Social Media is perfect for making sure that as many people know about it as possible. Just being at the event isn’t enough. If nobody knows about it, then they’re not going to come.
With Social Media, there are so many channels that you can use to promote yourself. The three most well known are Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, but then there are also file sharing sites such as Slideshare or Issuu, video sharing sites (YouTube), or even your own company blog.
Here are some tips for getting the most out of Social Media when you’re at an event:
Invitations
Not strictly speaking Social Media, but important nonetheless. A few weeks before the exhibition, send out an email about it to your subscribers, telling them you’re going to be there. These people are already interested enough in what you do to have subscribed to your mailing list, and fair enough, some of them may already be customers or clients. But they may want to use this as a chance to meet you. Face-to-face interaction is still super-important.
You should then follow up with a reminder email nearer the time. You might also consider offering a promotion or special offer on the day, which you can let people know about in the email.
The exhibition will probably have its own Facebook page, and your first step should be to Like this. If you do this, you may even get access to exclusive content! Next, start interacting on the page’s Timeline. If people are asking questions, you might be able to answer them, or you might have your own questions you can ask the event organizers.
On your own Facebook page, link to content about the show, any news items, blog posts, the event’s own website, etc. And get your Facebook fans to share these, for extra visibility.
After the event, thank people for coming to your stand. Write a post reflecting on your experience and post any photos from the event (get people to tag themselves so their friends see it too!). You could also ask people who visited your stand for feedback.
It depends on your industry, but this one might not be quite so easy. Smaller events, especially, will probably not have designated pages. Larger ones might, and you can start following these for updates and discussions. Failing that, you can still update your own company LinkedIn page with information about the event and the fact that you’ll be attending.
Twitter has exploded over the past year, and most exhibitions and events will now have their own accounts set up. Follow the event’s Twitter, and look at who else is following it. This will give you an idea of who else might be attending. Start to engage with these people and companies beforehand, so that when you get to the event, you’ve already built up a relationship with some of the attendees.
Even if there is no designated Twitter account for the event, there will probably be a hashtag (e.g. #BrightonSEO, #WorldMalariaDay), that you can use in your Tweets. When people search for that particular hashtag on Twitter, they’ll see your Tweets.
Keep Tweeting during the event (within reason – don’t sit there hunched over your phone or laptop when you could be talking to people), with interesting tidbits, like who’s there or new developments in your industry. And follow up afterwards, thank people for coming, respond to any Tweets sent your way, and keep using the hashtag. People who did not attend the event might search it for info about what they missed!
Blogging
Write a blog post on your own blog about going to the event. Let people know where they can find you and what you’ll be offering on the day. Keep people updated, and make sure that you respond to comments that they leave.
Following on from the event, write another post on your blog about your time there, what you learned, who you met, how it went, etc. Reflect on your experiences, and ask your followers for feedback.
Slideshare or Issuu
If you have a presentation that you’re running on your exhibition stand, or that you’re delivering at the event, then you could upload the slides or PDF to a file sharing site, such as Slideshare. These sites allow you to share Powerpoint presentations and PDF documents publicly. So if you can offer a really good how-to guide about your product, or a service you offer, it’s a great way of getting your content out there.
YouTube
If you have a camera to hand, why not record at the event? Try and get interviews with industry experts, or film your product demos. If you or a member of staff is delivering a presentation, record this and post it on your YouTube channel (optimized for search, naturally!). Encourage people to Like and comment – and make sure that if they do, you respond!
You don’t have to use all of these, obviously! And depending on your industry, and the event, they may not all be suitable. So think about what it is that you want to achieve and choose the channels you want to focus on. Consider where your target audience is most active, and exploit that.
Tips from Astro Exhibitions, who specialize in designing and building bespoke exhibition display stands. Astro have many years experience in the exhibition sector, and have built up an extensive portfolio of clients, including BASF, Siemens and Shell.
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