How social media impacts your trade show ROI
If you are participating in industry trade shows, you are likely also – and possibly unknowingly getting your brand some attention via social media. If you’ve already experienced some success at trade shows or conventions, then it’s time to kick it up a notch and consider these trade show tips to get more visitors to stop by your booth, and more social media interactions for your brand. Social media at trade shows is more than just tweeting about your participation. How does social media impact the trade show industry? Here are 5 ways you may have not considered that social media can help (or hurt) your brand at a trade show.
1. First and foremost, presentation is everything. This rings more true today than ever before. With the tandem of mobile devices and social media networks, your trade show display booth or trade show content can easily go viral! This should give you even more incentive to opt for the perfect exhibit, rather than just going with “last year’s booth” just one more time. Be aware – when visitors start snapping photographs of your booth, they send the ones they like to all their social media connections.
2. It’s also a good idea to have readily-accessible QR codes detailing the specifics of your company for the trade show participants. QR codes are an especially timely means of capturing leads in today’s digital driven world, where iPhones and Samsung devices can scan the code and effectively input the owner into your subscriber list for follow-up offers and updates. QR codes can also be helpful for passersby to grab quick information from your trade show display booth in the chance that your booth staff is tied up with other visitors.
3. Just because you have QR codes that can be scanned by smartphones, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t bring along brochures and promotional items. You don’t want to miss out on capturing interest from the sizable number of visitors to your new trade show display booth that might not have a mobile device with a QR code scanner. You can get a rough (but good) gauge of how many company gifts/promotional items you should bring with you by the expected length of the event.
4. Never let the leads you capture languish; a trade show is a large but momentary event, and following up is crucial when the buzz is still high. If the attendees have taken pictures of your display and the products and services it has to offer, they likely would have spread these through their social networks (since it can be done with the click of a button these days) and interest will be high for a short period of time afterward. Basically; don’t wait a month to
follow up.
5. Having a clear message is the most important thing to focus on when it comes to your display presentation. Your trade show booth display should be eye-catching, without being hard-to-decipher. If your message comes across bold and clear at a single glance, you are doing something right. Not sure how to design specifically for a display? Find some help here! Keep in mind that if all of your messaging says, “look at me”; you’ll be competing against many companies trying to out-do each other, even though they’re also there to make it work together. You have to strike the right balance between being visible without being garish. Make sure that your set-up has plenty of angled lighting to be more attractive to viewers; but don’t go crazy and add disco lights – unless your exhibit is actually about disco lights.
Exhibiting at a trade show continues to be an instrumental tool to brand your business. Whether you are a new exhibitor, or a veteran, its important to remember these trade show tips to assist you in taking if you right approach when designing and planning your next trade show booth, display or exhibit space, and incorporating social media into your trade show marketing program.