How Social Media Can Boost Your Trade Show Results

Because people can talk to each other so easily on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social media sites, there was a concern that the need for in-person trade shows would be wiped out entirely. But that has turned out to be far from true. In fact, social media has become a tool to supercharge trade show efforts, making these events more useful than ever.

With a smart communications plan that includes social media, you can keep your trade show audience engaged with your business well before and well after your in-person meeting at the conference center, resulting in a much better return on investment.

Here are the steps to take:

1. Well before the show, alert people about your planned exhibit on all the marketing channels that you have in place, particularly your website, Facebook, e-mail blasts, and your Twitter account. Tell people about your specific plans and remind them how your offering benefits them. It helps if you also offer some value-added content, such as how to solve a timely problem. Perhaps you can link to a video on YouTube that covers some issue in your industry. Make sure you don’t alienate people with a strong sales pitch. Remember, you are trying to start a relationship.
2. Closer to the event, offer your audience incentives to visit your exhibit. Besides the typical free trinkets, you can promise them a publication related to your field, access to hard-to-find research material, special pricing, or something else more useful than a pen with your logo on it. Again, use Facebook and Twitter heavily, reinforced with direct mail, e-mail, and ads. To build buzz, some companies like to give their Facebook or website audience a special code they can use when visiting their booth to get a gift certificate to their company.
3. Make sure you don’t abandon your audience once you are at the show; continue to give them some attention. Attending a trade show is a fluctuating, in-person, real-time experience. Once people are part of your online audience, thanks to smartphones, tablets, and other devices, they want real-time communication as the experience is unfolding. Make sure you check your Facebook page, Twitter, and e-mail so you are aware if anyone is commenting about your company or your booth during the show. It’s a good idea to post a notice on social media sites giving the location of your exhibit, welcoming people to visit, and requesting comments. This encourages people to express thoughts online that they might not have time to tell you directly in the midst of the trade show hubbub. It also gives you the ability to collect names of future business contacts.
4. After the event, post messages that include a friendly greeting outlining your offering, ask for a sale, and thank visitors for their interest in your exhibit. You know it is crucial to follow up with the people that came to your booth and expressed interest in your company. And following up with your social media audience is equally important. If anyone has asked for specific information, provide it as fast as you possibly can.

Now that you have built a deeper bond with these potential clients, you can include them in other marketing communications and reap sales long after your booth has been packed away.

Business journalist Joan Voight covers marketing, social media, and technology for MediaPost Publications, ClickZ, and other publications and was previously the editor of two West Coast business magazines aimed at small and midsize companies.