Exhibition Displays – Harness the Power of Social Media

Investing in trade shows, exhibition displays and trade show banners is well recognized as a powerful marketing tool. However, it can get pricey, and to do it right, exhibitors need to leverage those investments and make sure they pay off. One of the newer tools available to help with your trade show marketing is social media, which has grown from being a fad into a worthwhile marketing tool.

Social media is no longer considered a time-wasting fad. Outlets such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are changing the landscape of digital communication and leaving traditional practices in their wakes. Social networks are not only used in millions of homes worldwide—they are finding their place in the marketing plans of businesses worldwide.

One of the industries to benefit a lot from social media is the trade show industry; a multitude of digital resources are available to market from, and drive visitors to, your exhibition displays and trade show booths. Following are several tips to harness the power of social media—to take the next trade show to new heights.

Put a Social Media Plan in Place

Without a well planned social media strategy, even the best intentions will yield unsatisfactory results. Exhibition displays are only valuable if customers are present to browse them, and social networks are highly effective in building customer demand before the event. In addition, they are extremely helpful in allowing marketers to gauge how customers interact with their products in the “real world.” Possible examples of social media promotion include:

Facebook—design a page specifically made to promote your exhibition displays and trade show banners, and to attract attendees to your trade show booth.
LinkedIn—connect with prospects and professionals with interests related to your niche; post interesting discussions and invite these connections to the next event.
Twitter—follow current customers, potential prospects and the competition within your niche; follow their followers as well. Tweet useful information that will entice followers to attend the next trade show.

Developing a network of contacts is essential—as far in advance as possible—to ensure your audience is large enough to make your efforts worthwhile.

 Always Post Event Photos and Videos
Hybrid Exhibition Display with monitor mounts and iPad holders-resized-600
Social media wouldn’t be the giant it has become without images and videos—pictures capture the moments and videos tell the story visually. Exhibition displays have interesting stories to tell, including great looking graphics, so why not post videos and images of the booth on your social media sites? The participants who couldn’t make the event get the next best thing to being there—from the comfort of their home or office—using the Internet.

Social video sites such as YouTube allow companies to reach prospective customers and clients 24 hours a day, even after business hours. These platforms can provide unparalleled exposure for your products and services, while encouraging crucial feedback from video viewers.

Feature Promotions and Contests Regularly

When companies accumulates a large group of followers, featuring contests and giveaways at your trade show can increase traffic exponentially. Create an unbelievable deal with a quickly approaching deadline and watch the traffic trend upward as fans engage. People like to notify other people when winnings are at stake, and word can quickly spread if the conditions—and the prizes—are right. A quick mention to a Twitter list or Facebook fans can bring a slew of visitors to your exhibition displays.

Post to a Blog Regularly

A blog is a powerful tool in a company’s social media arsenal. When a prospect has no interest in visiting your exhibition displays or in becoming a follower, a blog just might pique their interest. Create posts that mention the new products and services to be introduced at your trade show displays, and give visitors a pre-show sneak peak.

A blog can also be used to highlight the industry experts and special guests that will appear at your exhibit, and may even encourage fence-sitters to pay a visit. The power of the share buttons on most blogs will multiply your marketing efforts as visitors share your content with others.

Implementing these social media tips will maximize any company’s marketing efforts, thus attracting more qualified prospects to their exhibition displays.

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