Maximise your exhibition participation with a strong Social Media campaign
A 2018 Social Media Marketing Survey, published by the ExhibitorOnline.com, revealed that 9 out of every 10 marketers surveyed said they used social media as part of their exhibition marketing plan. 83% of these marketers said that social media has helped them to reach their corporate objectives to improve client and prospective client relationships. The use of social media by exhibitors is not only an essential platform to fulfil the marketing strategy, but more specifically it ensures that the target audience is aware and invested in the brands exhibition activities. Ensuring that your social media is fully activated, and your community management is in top form during the exhibition results in an increase in following from new customers; a perfect opportunity to build and grow your market.
EXHIBITING 101
Social media is a platform that brands should never ignore when they choose to participate in any exhibition. From trade to consumer exhibitions and events, social media is proving to be a necessary ingredient for a successful brand activation.
Here are some simple, yet necessary steps to ensure that your exhibition social media campaign is a success. 1. Before the Expo. Ensure that you start your campaign at least one month in advance across all your social media platforms. Start by putting out a ‘Save the Date’ telling your followers to pencil in the date of the event into their calendars. Even the followers who can’t join you at the event will show interest as they want to see and hear all about the brand engagement at the event. 2. Join the conversation. Make sure your social media activity is a part of the bigger online expo conversation by using the official expo # (Hashtag). This will ensure that everyone who follows the hashtag will learn about your brands presence at the expo, ensuring our posts are visible to all attendees. 3. Expo Artwork. Get in contact with the exhibition organiser and ensure you get all the online promotional artwork to share with your social media audience. Use this along with the official hashtags and expo handles. This allows you to expose your brand to any potential customers researching the expo online. 4. Your stand activity. Don’t just tell your followers where you are located at the expo but rather use your social media platforms to share everything that is taking place on your stand during the expo. Get their attention by giving your followers regular updates on your expo specials, freebies and any other activity you have planned on your exhibition stand. 5. Keep the conversation going. It’s not just about posting on social media, it’s about the replies too. You need to keep the conversation going by replying to your audience. They will have lots of questions and comments; so be ready with your replies, make sure you have all the basic expo information. This includes ticket prices, FAQ’s and the expo social media handles, so you can tag the expo organisers into questions you might not have the answers to. 6. Post valuable content. When you are posting and using the expo hashtag, you can be sure that attendees and those following the expo online are looking for more than just your stand number. Be sure to give them content that they value. Have a look at what they are talking about, the type of posts they are engaging with and find the gap for your brand in the content chain. 7. Plan Ahead. You can use your time at the expo to also create content for the weeks ahead. Film parts of the expo and interviews with the attendees to the event, and bank it for future posts. This is the perfect opportunity to interview your customers, get positive feedback that you can share online. This can be fun and exciting content to share with your online community. 8. Don’t forget the social media report. An expo activation report is essential for all exhibitors but be sure to also compose a detailed report on your social media campaign for the expo. Access the engagement, the content that worked, the content that didn’t work and monitor your brand’s growth in followers and engagement over the expo period. In the 2018 Social Media Markers Survey, only 6% of the marketers said that social media used by exhibitors as part of their activation plan showed little to no potential. Exhibitions give marketers the ability for one-on-one conversations with new and existing customers. Social media, if used correctly, enables brands to attract new and prospective clients to your brand even before the event, and keep them engaged with your brand long after the event is over.
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