Trade shows are one of the best ways to generate new buzz and revenue for your business. These events are the perfect space to mingle with others in your industry and engage customers and prospects face-to-face.

Surveys have found that 45% of tradeshow visitors will attend only one exhibition. That’s nearly half of attendees! How do you make sure you are the one exhibition that people come and engage with? Swag won’t do it, although people like freebies. But everyone gives away swag, so it’s not like that is really an ace up your sleeve.

No if you want to be sure people show up to YOUR booth, then you need to use the power of social media. If you haven’t been leveraging your social media channels to drive attendance at trade shows, be sure to read this entire article to pick up some tips and strategies!

Let’s get started…

Table of Contents

Social Media = Higher Trade Show Attendance

Twitter

Without question, Twitter is one of the best and easiest ways to get people to your booth! Twitter hashtags make it very simple for people to get up-to-date information on any topic or live event.

These days, all tradeshows have an associated hashtag, and you’ll want to use this hashtag in your own tweets in the days and weeks leading up to the event to get attendees excited about the new products or services you will be introducing.

On the actual day of the event, be sure to have your reps tweeting and have them include your booth number so people can find you. And don’t forget that hashtag.

Don’t be salesy in these tweets, just try and offer some helpful information. For instance, if you see one of the women’s bathrooms has a line but you know of a second one, tweet that out. If you know the caterer just made fresh coffee, tweet it out. People are far more apt to visit your booth if you’ve truly helped them in some way.

Facebook

Billions of people use Facebook every day. Most tradeshow events will have created an event page. Be sure to have your reps following the event page throughout the day, posting questions about the event. They’ll want to check in often so they can reply to comments and other people’s posts. This is how you can encourage engagement.

You will also want to:

Promote the trade show on your own company’s page. Pin a post to the top of this page and promote any special offers or contests.
During the event, take images and videos of your demonstrations and post them to your page. You can also create 10 second video testimonials from people who have already stopped by your booth.
“Friend” attendees and any fans of the trade show’s event page. This will get them to notice you and begin interacting with your brand.

LinkedIn

You most likely use LinkedIn to connect with decision makers in your industry. But if you’re not leveraging it to promote your exhibition, you’re missing out on a powerful way to drive attendance at tradeshows.

During the weeks leading up to the tradeshow, start conversations in your groups about the show, and be sure to include which exhibit hall you’ll be located in as well as your booth number. And don’t forget to mention what you’ll be showcasing.

It’s also a really great idea to write and share blog posts about the industry. In doing so, you will be seen as an industry thought leader, and this will get more people interested in visiting your booth on the day of the event.

As you get closer to the show, be sure to connect with people who will be there and start nurturing the relationship. Think about checking out their connections and interests so you have a starting point for conversations.

During the day of the event, keep posting, and share any contests or giveaway you are running. In all of your posts, don’t forget to share your location.

The Wrap

Social media is a powerful tool to engage prospects, nurture warm leads, and build your business. Be sure to use your social media channels before and during your next tradeshow to generate buzz and excitement, build connections, increase brand awareness, promote your special offers, and get people to your booth.

If you need any help planning your next trade show, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We assist clients with booth design, swag ideas and more!