Tradeshows and Social Media: a winning combination

Tradeshows and expositions are integral to most industry marketing plans. They build networks; create face to face with customers, suppliers, and distributors; stimulate new business; and introduce products. Climbing travelling costs, and somewhat reduced attendance, are causing some businesses to cutting back on these events. Event marketers are facing threats to attendance levels and revenues.

The potential cure for this problem? Social media… if done right!

Social media directly addresses most issues event planners and organizers face. If used properly social media can:

• Attract new show leads and engender new activity from existing customers.
• Increase conversion of probable purchasers to bottom-line customers, win new exhibitors, draw sponsors, and upsell other services or products.

For social media to be the proper tool, don’t forget tradeshow marketing should include the past, present and future:

• Before. Build interest with blogging, social network conversation, videos, viral campaigns, podcasts, and interviews. That will open access to a huge number of potential attendees and exhibitors, before entering the sales cycle.
• During. A blog can offer a nexus for conversation throughout the whole event: this is primarily to augment attendee and exhibitor connection. But those who were unable to join the event can still be a monetized participant. Every demo on the floor can be recorded and uploaded in real time: that createes the social proof marketing that tradeshow exemplify. And with numerous photo-sharing site, encourage a contests and incentives for exhibitors to share snapshots of your event.
• Following. Use of Social media can maintain and develop relationships begun within the show. Most every tradeshow, you have a hundred business cards, a bag full of literature amd fuzzy memories. Social media can recapture that top-of-mind presence… and grow it.

The Details

If you manage tradeshow exhibits for a specific company, what you do with social media will probably be integrated within the company’s strategic plan for Web 2.0: well, I can dream can’t I? It is starting to happen, but sometimes social media is falling to the IT department instead of Marketing or communications. That will change. But for event planners expo and tradeshow organizers:

• Social media builds natural links, optimize your search engine rankings. Google, Livesearch, Yahoo, Ask, love social media. One of the best ways to rank for a specific keyword is to publish quality content.
• Get writers of all types on your side. Staff, exhibitors, advertisers, attendees, speakers, all can be content providers. Maintain editorial control…

Social media can revolutionize your show… it makes for happier exhibitors, who want to see a healthy return on investment for the space rental. By knowing people before the show, having the ability to cature more meaningful information and follow-up data during the show, and having a means to continue a relationship with them after it’s over, your exhibitors will have an event they can rave about.