If you have been to a trade show recently, you may have seen your fellow attendees tapping furiously at their phones and wondering what all the fuss was. What it was, actually, was your competitors using social media to their advantage. Social media is now integral to trade show marketing, which is something we want all Houston trade show attendees to know. Here are three ways you can use it.
1. Link to the event blog.
Every trade show has a website; you probably used it to register for the show. Likewise, the website might have a blog, which is updated by someone in the weeks leading up to the show. As an attendee at the show, you can use that blog to share useful information with your followers on Facebook and Twitter. If there is a blog post designed to promote the reasons for attending, link to it on your social media pages and tell your followers, “This is why we’re attending!”
2. Tell followers about your experience.
As you prepare for the show, post updates that tell your followers what you’re doing. Are you packing boxes, compiling swag bags, or putting the finishing touches on a digital presentation? Whatever it is, tell your following so they can see how committed you are to what you do. During the show, keep up the momentum by sharing updates (“50 visitors to our booth in the first hour!”).
3. Use hashtags to network with other attendees.
You can be part of an ongoing conversation that establishes your clout in the industry simply by using the event hashtag. Any good event organizer will create a hashtag designed to curate content about the event. For example, the Offshore Technology Conference, which is the Houston trade show that attracts attendees from the world over year after year, uses the hashtag #OTCHouston. Attendees can talk with each other about the conference, share photos and comment on speakers, and others can see all of it in one place. This is the best way to use social media to your advantage during the show.
