Social media and trade show are indeed two very different brand promotion techniques – although both can be equally rewarding if pursued rightly.
Trade shows are huge weapons of brand promotion while social media is the latest innovation since the advent of the internet.
However, if you start pondering about this combination, it becomes obvious that it is something that has to work. In fact, social media support for your trade show will have people flocking to your booth and talking with you vibrantly.
If you think to start using social media after the trade show has begun, it will be too late. Once you decide to exhibit and get a booth number, it is time to start letting y0our audience know you will be there. One Tweet a day, or every two days in perfectly enough. Make sure that you are using the correct, official hashtag of the event.
It will be worthwhile that you make a short video about your upcoming trade show exhibit and upload it on YouTube and your website. It need not be fanciful or elaborate. A short video that you can make with your phone will suffice. If you plan on releasing a new product or service, make an entertaining video that will get people extra interested in it.
Once the trade show commences, you will have to do a lot of follow-up work. You should film the booth and take appropriate photos. You can then upload these creative pictures and videos on social networks, letting people know about your tradeshow participation.
If the trade show has video displays, you can play these videos and pictures on them. If you happen to be speaking at the trade show, you can always have someone film your speech and then edit short excerpts. You can share the excerpts with your followers and friends on social networks to obtain an extra mileage.
If you decide to organize some events/contests at your booth, make sure you spread detailed information about them on social media.
Use social media to follow up on your trade show experience. As soon as the show is over, upload all of the best photos and videos that you made during the show. Also make a video that will show off your expertise and experience in full.
Your marketing team should gainfully interact with the people who visit your booth during the show and answer questions.
Further, it may be worthwhile to put together all of the most commonly asked questions from the visitors and do a blog post answering all of them.
When you use the social media to enhance your trade show exhibit, you will realize that the word about your brand is spreading much more extensively.