How To Use Social Media During Trade Shows
One of the biggest benefits of attending a trade show and putting up an exhibit designed by exhibit professionals is walking the show floor and interacting with people and exhibit spaces. There’s still nothing like being in a well-designed exhibit space and having direct, instant, human interaction with people who know their product or service and can speak knowledgeably about it.
However, trade shows are big events that can be expensive and require a lot of commitment. Not everyone has the time or resources to attend one, even when the interest is there. This is where social media can play an important role in helping to promote your business beyond the confines of the trade show floor, but only if you make good use of it.
For professionals, this social media platform carries a different tone and purpose from the more casual social media platforms. Because of its professional orientation, LinkedIn is a good platform to use before a trade show. Professionals will be talking about and sharing information on a trade show here in more focused and proactive ways than on casual social media platforms.
Use this platform to inform professionals and keep them in the loop when the event is over. People from whom you collect business cards will typically have LinkedIn accounts, so this is another channel for getting in touch and taking the first steps in a business relationship.,
Twitter is a short and snappy social media platforming, preferring to drop quick images and limited text, just a few hundred characters. The appeal of Twitter is that it is short, easy to digest, and offers immediacy.
Twitter is best used just before a trade show starts and once the trade show is in full swing. Photos, quick commentary, and high lighting notable people and events at a trade show and your participation give Twitter followers a sense of “being there.”
Even more focused than Twitter, Instagram is primarily a social platform of images. If you want to promote a product or service using photos and other types of images or illustrations, Instagram is a good place to do it.
It’s also very video-friendly, and since video content tends to get a lot of views, this is an excellent resource to distribute videos outside of your website or dedicated video platforms like YouTube.
If you’re thinking of taking part in a trade show and want to plan your exhibit, we can help. Contact Lighthouse Exhibits, and we can assist you with designing and constructing your trade show exhibit.