When it comes to organising and planning your business expo or event, it is important to look beyond traditional forms of marketing – like flyers, mail invites and word-of-mouth – and utilise social media to expand audience reach and generate buzz about your event online.
Alex Jones (pictured left), from digital marketing agency Hallam Internet, analyses social media tactics that have remained relevant in this age of technological advancement, and also sheds light on upcoming industry trends.
1. Facebook FYIs
With over 650m active users, this Facebook is a vital tool if used correctly.
Creating a Facebook event is the most effective way to gain exposure, retain attention, and manage engagement for your exhibition or event. Most users will have their Facebook calendar synced to their mobile devices, making it easy to plan their personal schedules around your big day.
When naming your event on Facebook, make sure it’s memorable and informative.
Post, engage and update your audience with interactive and thought-provoking content to retain their interest and ensure you lock their chances of attending your event.
2. Go viral
Video as a marketing tool is growing at a rapid rate. Video traffic is predicted to drive 82% of the global Internet by 2021 – and the industry is feeling its effects.
Utilising video marketing in your expo promotion strategy can help to drive engagement for people who have already confirmed attendance as well as persuade and create conversations for possible attendees.
Try offering a teaser beforehand, which gives users a future look into an experience.
More tips for video:
- Include testimonials from a range of different people
- Keep it short and sweet: concentrate on making it engaging and exciting.
- Film all aspects and areas of the exhibition
3. Event Hashtags are #oldnews, right?
Sorry, no! Easy to tweet out, share on Instagram, and post on Facebook; hashtags are fluid throughout social media and all online platforms for that matter. Thousands of business exhibition and event campaigns use them.
The golden rules of using hashtags:
- Keep it short and memorable
- Don’t overthink it: use keywords related to your event
- Make it fun: stand out!
Once you decide on a hashtag, include it in all your marketing materials before and during your event.
4. A huge community available on LinkedIn
With over 330m active users, LinkedIn is an ideal social platform for those looking to spread the word about your event or exhibition within your industry.
The easiest way to get your event out there is to post a status update. Make sure to include eye-catching visuals and consider how your event will add value to your network and express those ideas in your post.
Reaching out to other professionals or partners directly is another effective way and may even generate leads to invite guest speakers.
Finally, whatever you post, make sure everyone will share, share, share!
5. A sneak look ‘behind the scenes’
Taking your followers behind the scenes of your exhibition production and/or providing an exclusive look backstage makes for great content to share leading up to, during and even after your event.
Why? Because it:
- Humanises your company
- Creates engaging content that builds trust with your followers
- Reveals how fun it is to work for your company
Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter are great hosts for this type of content, while LinkedIn should only host professional content.
Social media in summary:
Social media can be an incredibly useful tool to promote (before or after) your business exhibition or event, whether it is a product launch, B2B conference, trade show or creative workshop. It’s also a powerful tool to use with other techniques in your marketing ‘tool box’.
