Social media is a great way to generate excitement about your presence at an industry trade show. Just as trade shows give you the opportunity to connect with customers and industry leaders, social media let’s you enhance that connection and showcase it to the benefit of your brand. By following these tips before, during and after your trade show, you can leverage social media to get the most out the trade show.

Before the show

1. Find out if there is a hashtag (#) related to the convention or trade show and start using it to promote your upcoming presence. If there isn’t a hashtag, consider creating one for yourself. This will allow potential customers and those interested in the industry to follow you as you prepare for the show.
2. On a related note, find out if the conference or the hotel where the event is being held have a Twitter or Facebook page. Make sure to tag them in your social promotions so that they can in turn broadcast your involvement to their networks.
3. Post teaser images and videos of the products and services you’ll be showcasing at the show to generate curiosity and excitement. If you’re going to have a giveaway, make sure to tease that too. You can also post images of your booth design so that attendees know what to look for when they arrive.
4. Connect with influencers and media contacts via social media and ask them to stop by your booth. Journalists and bloggers in attendance will be looking for stories, so this is your chance to sell yourself before they get there.

During the show

1. Use images and videos to showcase your booth and keep your network in the loop. If you can, take some snaps of happy visitors or satisfied customers as a kind of on-the-spot testimonial.
2. If you’re having a giveaway, use it to promote your social media platforms. Make following you on one or more of your social media channels a condition of winning the giveaway for a simple and effective method of boosting your network.
3. If you’re giving a talk, promote it by taking a video and posting it to your social pages. You can also tweet key quotes throughout the talk – make sure to include the conference hashtag so people can follow along! If you won’t be speaking, but you will be attending an important speech by an industry leader, it’s good to promote that on social media as well. It shows your customers that you’re keeping up with the latest trends and it gives you a chance to connect with that leader.

After the show

1. Write a blog post about the show, how much you enjoyed it and what you gained from the experience. This is a good place to plug any other upcoming shows you’ll be attending as well.
2. If you attended a seminar or workshop, write a blog post about what you learned and use it to connect with the people in charge.
3. Connect with industry leaders who attended with a personal note where possible.

By using this helpful trade show checklist, your company can harness the power of social media to increase brand awareness. If you need help with trade show rentals, custom designs, or logistics , contact Structure Exhibits today at (888) 633-4162.