Lunch&Learn

Using Social Media to Boost Trade Show Engagement

What We’ll Cover

• Getting started• Strategy• What works• Influencers• Pre-show • At-show • What’s unique• Post-show & measurement

Some Stats

• 1.6 Billion people use social media• 2.3 Billion projected by 2017• 81% of small-medium size businesses use

social media!!!

- Digital Marketing Ramblings

Some Stats

Some Stats

Getting Started

• Research• Follow• Establish a guide• Train staff• Content is king• Best practices• 80/20

Strategy

• Measurable goals and objectives• Generate traffic: How much? • Build awareness of product: overall

activity online • Get buyers to booth: How many & sales

goals• Brand awareness: number of times

retweet etc.

Strategy

• Define audience• Connect pre-show • Develop a plan pre-show• What photos to take• What content to post• When to post on what social networks

• Reasons to come by the booth

Listen

• Who’s talking? • Google alerts• Advanced Twitter search

Target Influencers

• Who are the major players in industry? • Brands• Individuals• Other exhibitors

• Get noticed by influencers• Follow• Share / retweet / post on blogs • Engage

What works

• Photos and Video • 63% of social media consists of images

- Citrix• Facebook photos: 53% more likes & 104%

more comments• Twitter images: 150% more retweets

- Hubspot

• Engaging, valuable & relevant content• Shared content

Pre-show

• What an attendee will learn/gain from YOU• Teaser about games, contests or give-aways• Product demos• Blog posts • Staff sharing excitement• Suggested hot spots at event location• Pre-show preparation tips• Integrate into pre-show marketing campaign• Advertise

At Show

• Booth activities: attendees, contests, demonstrations, having fun

• Messages from team: welcome, schedule updates, how dinner was, how the breakout session was, show news, stand-out moment of the day

• People: celebrities, keynotes, quirky barista• Locations: city landmarks, restaurants, quiet

place to hang out• Sights & sounds: slot machines, sun rising

At Show

• Booth Activities • In booth branded photo sharing• Contests: • Works well for FB, Twitter, Instagram• Twitter mentions, photos posted with

hashtag, most likes, text or social trivia, share for discounts

• Polls / Questions• Be creative - sharable content

At Show

• Measurable goals + objectives = Tactics• Generate traffic: contest • Build awareness of product: photos/

product demos, videos• Get buyers to booth: discount• Brand awareness: fun interactive

games

What’s Unique

• All about fun - show some personality • Facebook Events• Contests• Targeted ads

• Hashtags• Contests• Promoted tweets

What’s Unique

• Photos AND video• Hashtags & geotags• Contests

What’s Unique

• Join industry group discussions• Join trade show / event group discussions• Create your own group• Advertise• Facilitates employee participation

What’s Unique

• Never ignore the giant

• Unique audience: • 94% of activity is female • 3x more moms

• Blogs are the most popular click-thru destinations

What’s Unique

• Most well known video site• Can upload any and all videos to share

now, later, on website etc.

• Content is king• Sharable, reusable content resource

Post-Show

• Follow up• Keep the momentum

Measure

• Measurable goals + objectives = ROO• Generate traffic: how much • Build awareness of product: overall

visibility of product• Get buyers to booth: how many? $ Sold• Brand awareness: reach, retweets,

mentions

Measure

• Hootsuite - or other ROI tool• Reach• Retweets• Mentions

Resources

• The Trade Group Info Center • ExhibitorOnline.com / Exhibitor Magazine• Event Marketer Magazine / Online• IAEE: Int’l Assoc. For Exhibitions & Events• CEIR: Center For Exhibition Industry Research• Hubspot• Marketo

Questions

Contact

The Trade Groupwww.tradegroup.com

800-343-2005