Utilizing social media to boost traffic to your trade show booth is an excellent option. With that said, it is important to realize that you cannot be lazy. Social media may seem like an “easy way out”, and while in some sense it is more efficient, it is imperative to foster business relationships formed on these platforms. Because face-to-face communication is lost, it is the business that goes above and beyond who succeeds in building these relationships. The social media impact on trade show attendance is something that cannot be ignored, and your social media trade show exhibit promotions can greatly impact the traffic to your booth.
Need some inspiration? Check out these engaging and creative ideas for trade show promotion, social media-style:
1. Countdowns
When promoting via social media, you must be consistent. One post will simply not suffice; try publishing a countdown every day to your trade show date. Start weeks, even months prior, increasing the countdown as you get closer to the show date (e.g. two months, one month, three weeks, two weeks, one week, six days, five days, four days, et cetera). By using this countdown method, your posts will not be overly-repetitive, and you will be able to spot the trade show attendees who are looking forward to the event!
2. Meet-Ups
Want to offer incentives while simultaneously establishing relationships with your followers? Promote a Twitter meet-up (also known as a Tweetup) leading up to the show. Send out a tweet prior to the show informing followers of the location (your booth!) and time of the Tweetup. Your followers on Twitter will see your scheduled Tweetup, and those who attend will receive something cool to take away for coming to the meeting. Not only will this establish the face-to-face communication with followers, but it will attract more followers who want the giveaway!
3. Hashtags and Selfies
Create an original company hashtag for your show. Be creative, be goofy, and think out-of-the-box. You don’t want something that will be easily replicated by another company. By doing this, you can promote your hashtag and utilize it with full force. Start an Insta-contest: tell the attendees to take a selfie in front of your business’s booth with your unique hashtag in the description and post it to Instagram. Anybody who does this will be automatically entered into a drawing for a prize!
When it comes to trade show social media, it is important to be friendly and relatable. Ideas that employ creative thinking and emphasize follower interaction elicit the greatest response.
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