OK, so
you don’t have to use social media at
your next event. But you can bet your
competitors will – and why should they have all the fun, not to mention all the
increased business boosting attention?
Luckily,
devising a social media strategy for your exhibition couldn’t be simpler or
more fun – and best of all, it costs next to nothing. So if you’ve got a show on the horizon, read
on for some top tips on creating a stand-out social media strategy for your
stand.
Before the show…
Start by listing your goals
Don’t
send out a few random tweets and hope for the best. Attention spans are fleetingly short on
social media, so you need to ensure your strategy is tailored to what you want
to achieve from the event. For example,
do you want to increase newsletter signups, or maybe encourage more client
referrals?
Once
you’ve listed your goals, brainstorm how social media will help you achieve
them. You could run a pre-event
competition for example, or tell followers they can expect a free cup of fresh
coffee and a slice of cake if they visit your stand with a referral!
Socialise
with your ideal customer base – and start early
There’s
no point setting up an Instagram account pre-event if your potential customers
prefer Facebook. Find out where your
ideal clients live on social media, then pay them a friendly visit!
No time
is too early to begin promoting your presence and building a pre-event
following…so make sure you don’t leave it to the last minute.
Be recognisable
If you
can, post a picture of your stand before the event (pre-event stand visuals are
something we’re very happy to arrange for you here at Guardian Exhibition &
Display). Pictures and introductions of
the team members visitors will meet at your stand during the day will fuel a
pre-show buzz, too – maybe alongside a weird and wonderful fact about each
person!
During the show…
Use pictures and videos to
promote your presence
Your
team’s valuable time and that fantastic looking stand don’t come cheap, do
they? So make the most of the event by
making sure people know you’re there!
The
beauty of showcasing on social media is that you’re not only promoting your
presence to visitors, but also to those
who couldn’t make the event – so make it easy for them to get in touch.
You may
have noticed that live broadcasting is all the rage on social media at the
moment – so take advantage! Have your
team regularly recording brief updates throughout the day.
(Remember,
if you’re worried about not having enough time to fit everything in, you can
always pre-schedule a few tweets and updates to get things started off).
Use the show hashtag
There will be one, so ensure you know it, and
use it every time you post.
Get visitors sharing
There
are many ways to encourage visitors to talk about your event on social
media. Enticing add-ons such as the
aforementioned cake, a fun game or a cutting-edge piece of tech will create an
uplifting stir. How about an instant ‘stand
selfie’ competition, with photos posted to social media and the winner
announced after the event?
After the show…
Keep the engagement going!
Don’t
disappear without trace after the event – ask your followers to feed back what
went well, or perhaps even nominate their favourite team member manning your
stand!
Of
course, you’ll have collected lots of details from interested potential clients
throughout the day. As well as the
obligatory follow-up email or call, why not follow them on social media too?
Now
we’ve convinced you of all the benefits of social media, why not connect with
us for even more hints and tips on making your next event work for you? If you’d rather talk in person, that’s great! Simply contact us (here).
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