Use Social Media to Create Buzz
ON-SITE
• Take Pictures. Give people snapshots of what’s happening on the trade show floor
(especially at your booth). Pictures of special events, guest speakers, or whatever else is
taking place at the show keep your company in the social stream of consciousness.
• Get Video Footage. Whether it’s a short clip of someone participating in a contest, winning a
giveaway, giving a presentation or speaking about the event, capturing and sharing moments
from the show floor gives people who aren’t attending a way to experience what’s happening
at the show.
• Schedule Social Content. HNA is a busy place. Unless you have a dedicated social member
on your team, it might be helpful to schedule some posts in advance to supplement your “live”
posts.
• Tie your social media into contests. For example, set up a selfie station in your booth or
have visitors take pictures of themselves with a banner stand that advertises the contest. They
can post the picture to social media — along with #HNA2018 and your company hashtag —
as an “entry” into the contest.
• Collect Video Testimonials. If there is a customer who is a huge fan of your company, ask
them to record a quick video testimonial that you can share via social media. Have a question
or two prepared for them to answer — this keeps them focused and (hopefully) shares their
excitement/passion about your company. A one- or two-minute clip is more than enough. It
can be shared via YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and/or your website.
POST-SHOW
• Follow up on leads. After the show is over, review the list of visitors that connected with you
at the show (both in person and on social media) so you can connect with them on LinkedIn,
like their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter. Don’t forget to personalize your message
to each person. You want to make a genuine connection, not just add them for the sake of
adding them to your database.
• Recap the show. It’s always a good idea to write about the show experience. Use the
pictures and videos, and of course, thank everyone who participated. If you have a blog, write
down all of the questions you answered during the show and write a blog post that answers
each question.
• Don’t forget to send an email to everyone who visited you at the show. Be sure to include
links to all of your social media outlets encouraging them to engage with you there.
7