Social media plays a powerful role in shaping consumer behavior and perceptions, and a comprehensive marketing mix should utilize social mediums to build awareness and trust. This guide walks through best practices for social media marketing in the trade show and face-to-face events world, providing the reader with insights and recommendations for building a strong social platform and making a strong social impact on the show floor.
Press Release Distribution Evolving with Digital Trends.pdf
Exhibitor's Guide to Social Media Marketing
1. Using Social Media
at Trade Shows
Maximize your social impact at face-to-face
marketing events.
2. Contents
• Creating Your Social Media Infrastructure
• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Social Media & Etiquette
• Measuring Social Impact
3. 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
4. Have an infrastructure
before an event.
The longer your history in social media, the better your
chances of strong results.
Social Media
5. Social Media Infrastructure
• Most Popular Platforms
• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Pinterest
• Google+
• Tumblr
• Instagram
17. Facebook
1.23 billion monthly users
“Status”
updates can
include text,
links, photos,
videos and
more
Brands often use Facebook as a
casual public relations outlet
18. Facebook
Pre-Event Tactics
• Attract new followers
• Ask contacts to “like” or
“follow” your
organization’s page
• Offer pre-event contest to
drive follows
21. Facebook
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
22. Facebook
Post-Event Tactics
• Make friends
• Use social media info
on collected business
cards to connect
• Recap with pictures,
videos & content
23. LinkedIn
300 million monthly users
Share quality
content or
company
announcements
and news
Connect with peers,
clients and prospects
24. LinkedIn
During-Event Tactics
• Strengthen your company
page
• Company information
• Whitepapers or other
educational content
• Product & service pages
• Reviews & testimonials
25. LinkedIn
During-Event Tactics
• Join an events
LinkedIn group
• Connect to attendees
• Establish yourself as
an industry name
• Engage in
discussions
26. LinkedIn
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
28. Rules of Social Engagement
Friendliness begets friendliness#1
“Handshake” image by Aiden Jones via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
29. Rules of Social Engagement
Beggars lose, winners choose#2
“88/365 – 1/4/2011” image by Gabriela Pinto via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
30. Rules of Social Engagement
Diversify your message#3
“Color Your Life” image by Capture Queen via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
31. Rules of Social Engagement
Think before you post#4
“Yes and No” image by *_Abhl_* via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
32. 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)
33. The only way to
improve is to measure
Compare your investments to your return and look for
ways to improve in the future.
34. Measuring Social Impact
Rethink Your Return
• Measure costs
• Time
• Staff
• Content creation
• Measure return
• Exposure
• Brand awareness
• New connections
36. Measuring Social Impact
• Create a points system
• Assign a value to each type of social engagement
• Assign realistic engagement goals
37. Measuring Social Impact
• Create a points system
• Assign a value to each type of social engagement
• Assign realistic engagement goals
• Compare goals versus actuals