You’ve reserved a prominent location, prepared your booth, and trained your sales team. Now what? Preparing for a trade show isn’t easy, and making the most of the opportunities a trade show provides can be very difficult for a first-timer.
One of the best ways to capitalise on your first trade show is to use social media to enhance your business’s presence. These five tips have been provided by trade show product supplier Display Wizard to help you succeed at your next trade show.
Use Facebook and Twitter to build anticipation
The key to effective marketing is building anticipation. When your prospects know you’ll be attending a trade show with great promotions on offer, it’s easy to market to them using social media.
In the weeks leading up to your next trade show, contact prospects on Facebook and Twitter to remind them that you’ll be exhibiting. You might also want to reach out to your email list with information about your exhibit and special trade show deals.
Promote your competition using social media
One of the best ways to attract interest at a trade show is by holding a competition or special event. From giveaways to fun, quirky promotions, think up a way to get people into your exhibit and promote it using social media.
Maximise your social media exposure by encouraging everyone to retweet or share your competition information. This is a great way to generate interested followers in the weeks (and even days) before a trade show.
Comment on blog posts and news stories
A lot of trade show attendees will read blog posts and news stories about the event before they attend. First-timers will also read guides and FAQs about the trade show to learn its customs and schedule prior to attending.
Give your business an enhanced level of visibility by commenting on blog posts and news stories in the lead up to the event. A single blog comment can often attract an entirely new audience to your exhibit, and eventually to your business.
Reach out to bloggers and journalists
Bloggers attend many different trade shows. From free merchandise to increased traffic to interviews with company represetatives, they’re always eager to capitalize on the benefits of trade shows and events. Reach out to a selection of bloggers in your industry to see if they would be interested in stopping by while you’re at the show – and more importantly, consider building a relationship with them that extends beyond the short-term needs of your show.
Contact attendees via Twitter and LinkedIn
Trade show marketing doesn’t end when the event begins. During the trade show, contact your best prospects using Twitter and LinkedIn to encourage them to visit your booth.
A lot of attendees feel overwhelmed by salespeople at a trade show, making them far more likely to accept your invitation if you come off as warm and welcoming rather than direct and overly focused on closing the deal.
Scott Monty