social media for trade show promotion skyline exhibits oct 2010

Leveraging Digital Marketing For Trade Show Promotions:Leveraging Digital Marketing For Trade Show Promotions:Trade Show Promotions:

Social MediaTrade Show Promotions:

Social MediaSocial MediaSocial Media

Mi h l Thi hMi h l Thi hMichael ThimmeschSkyline ExhibitsMichael ThimmeschSkyline Exhibits

500 Million +500 Million +

190 Million +

75 Million +

300 Million +300 Million +

126 Million blogs126 Million blogs

ListenListen ConnectConnect PublishPublishListen.Listen. Connect.Connect. Publish.Publish.

My Assumption:My Assumption:You Know A Bit About Social

Media Already.

Your Permission:ou e ss oTo Ask Questions If I Assume

Too Much.

Which Is True?Social Media Is J t A th

Social Media Is

Which Is True?

Just AnotherMarketing Media

Completely Different Than

OAny Other Marketing Media

Which Is True?Which Is True?

It’s the same:> Target market

It’s different:> No big media g

> Publish> Create awareness

g> Permission> Less formal

> Drive leads > Less salesy

How To Act ProperlyHow To Act Properly On Social Media Sites:

• Be humanBe interesting• Be interesting

• Be useful• Be consistent

Post Promote Content Content

Post C t t

Promote CContent Content

Which Social Media Sites For S ?

P Sh At Sh P t Sh

Trade Show Promotions?

Pre-Show At-Show Post-Show

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♥♥♥

♥♥ ♥♥

♥ ♥ ♥

Obvious Insight #1:

It is much harder to launch into social media just to promote your trade showmedia just to promote your trade show presence, than to add trade show promotions to an existing social mediapromotions to an existing social media presence.

Plan A:Plan A: When you ALREADY have Social Media followers:

• Tweet to your followers on Twitter• Post to your friends on Facebook• Post to your friends on Facebook• Update your connections on LinkedIn• Post for your channel subscribers on• Post for your channel subscribers on

YouTube• Post for your blog RSS feed subscribers• Post for your blog RSS feed subscribers

Plan B:Plan B: When you DON’T have Social Media followers:

• Use the show’s hashtag on Twitter: #CES• Post comments and news on the show’s and• Post comments and news on the show s and

industry Facebook Groups• Ask questions and post news in the show’sAsk questions and post news in the show s

and industry LinkedIn Groups• Publish a video on YouTube rich with thePublish a video on YouTube rich with the

show’s name as a keyword• Um, ask Joel about email marketing, g

Plan B Example:Plan B Example:

Getting Re-tweeted by yourGetting Re tweeted by your show’s Twitter account

Big Advantage To Already HavingBig Advantage To Already Having A Social Media Following:

You Can Do BOTH Plan A and Plan B!

Social Media Touch

FrequencyFrequency Schedule

2 or 3 Months Before The Show2 or 3 Months Before The Show

1 Month Before The Show1 Month Before The Show

Days During The ShowDays During The Show

Attend Sessions During ShowAttend Sessions During Show

1 Week After The Show1 Week After The Show

Use Hootsuite to Pre-Schedule Tweets, Facebook Posts, More

Use Hootsuite to Pre-Schedule Tweets, Facebook Posts, More

Many, many more touchesMany, many more touches with Social Media

What Content Should I Post OnWhat Content Should I Post On Social Media?

What’s Working in Social MediaWhat s Working in Social Media From Skyline Survey of Exhibitors

What’s Working in Social MediaWhat s Working in Social Media From Skyline Survey of Exhibitors

Twitter for Pre-Show PromoTwitter for Pre Show Promo

“We used Twitter to tell our followers we would be at a specific conference, and we said the first 25 people to talk to us theresaid the first 25 people to talk to us there and mention the tweet would get a free t-shirt. It really drove people to our booth.”

-- Lisa Rabb, HigherEdJobs

Takeaways:

1. Tweet to offer your free giveaway 2. Tweet with twitpic photo of your booth2. Tweet with twitpic photo of your booth3. Tweet to let attendees see your booth staff4. Photos for social media have lower standards5. Tweet to say what show you are at6. Tweet from multiple Twitter accounts

Twitter for At-Show PromoTwitter for At Show Promo

“We tweet routinely from the floor of the trade show. We tweet the questions people ask and the responses.”

-- John McCarthy WebMetroJohn McCarthy, WebMetro

Twitter for At-Show PromoTwitter for At Show Promo

Takeaways:

7. Tweet during the show as a ti i tparticipant

8. Tweet about questions in the booth9. Tweet with the show’s #hashtag

Twitter & Facebook for Promo

“W t t th b d d ti l“We try to use the branded promotional pieces we will have at the booth, in our social media marketing efforts the monthsocial media marketing efforts the month prior and the month of the show, to build that brand connection among the 2that brand connection among the 2 marketing channels.”

-- Amber Hedin, St. Cloud Window Inc.

Takeaways:

10. Integrate your offline and online t d h titrade show promotions.

11.Put more information on a Facebook update than a Twitter tweet.

on &

“We tweet and update Facebook live from the events which followers like tofrom the events, which followers like to come in and see who is tweeting.”

-- Ryan Molitor, Raven Industries

RT Press picture of new products

New product launch

Day 1 starting

Ready to leave for the show

New product launch

Retweet a “see you there”

Day two of show, we’re hot

Tweet up

Afternoon reminder

y ,

Sh t t d h

Hot new product

Tweet up

RT Press picture of new products

Show started, humor

New product launch

Day 1 starting

Ready to leave for the show

New product launch

Retweet a “see you there”

Contest at show, tied to brand

T kTakeaways:

12 Tweet more often the week and day12.Tweet more often the week and day before the show

13 Tweet when leaving for the show13.Tweet when leaving for the show14.Tweet the start of each show day15.Tweet new product launch16.RT press or other show mentionsp17.Promote and join at-show Tweet-ups

T kTakeaways:

18 Tweet during the show18.Tweet during the show19.Use humor20 B h b20.Brag when busy21.Tweet at-show contest22.Tweet from multiple Twitter accounts23 Facebook: Fewer but more23.Facebook: Fewer, but more

substantial updates than a tweet.

on

“We launched a product at a specificWe launched a product at a specific event, on location I filmed a video took pictures and posted them on the spot, thepictures and posted them on the spot, the reaction and comments from our followers were immediate. Mostly the ones that ywere not attending the event and would have to wait to see the new product.”

-- Claudia Olvera, Verifone

New products

Contest

Speakers

Show Microsite:http://www.verifone.com/events/eta-2010.aspx

Takeaways:

24 Promote new products speakers at24.Promote new products, speakers at show from your company, contests.

25 Integrate social media with show25. Integrate social media with show-specific microsite

26 U l d id d h t d i26.Upload videos and photos during show to also reach non-attendees.

Some More Advice From Exhibitors

U h t T itt f llUse show to grow Twitter followers

“We've gained followers on Twitter (not exactly sure how many) because of our tweeting during a trade show.”

-- Kevin Dudley, Spokane Regional CVBCVB

on

“B t h ti ( t“Be sure to share your postings (or at least give a social media overview) with your booth staff It backfires on you whenyour booth staff. It backfires on you when a customer mentions something on Facebook or Twitter and your booth staffFacebook or Twitter and your booth staff has no idea what they are talking about! ”

-- Jill Stevens, Little Caesars Pizza Kit

on

“I li t t h " "“I encourage my clients to have a "game" or similar activity that requires their customer to go to the web site orcustomer to go to the web site or Facebook page. This works well when I have seen it used ”have seen it used.

Mark Brandyberry Ivy Tech Community-- Mark Brandyberry, Ivy Tech Community College-Lafayette

on

“W l l f b k T itt“We regularly use facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. to drive traffic to trade shows and drive interest in our clients'shows and drive interest in our clients exhibits prior to a show, and we use these outlets to maintain dialogue withthese outlets to maintain dialogue with targeted prospects after the show.”

-- Sally Behringer, Nicholson Kovac, Inc.

on

“W h d Li k dI d ith t“We have used LinkedIn ads with great success in trade show promotion activities ”activities.

Ch i S k ll M Cli i l-- Chris Sakell, Merge eClinical

on

“W t t f T itt t h“We tweet from our Twitter account where we're going to be, and ask followers to retweetretweet. We also use hashtags of industry experts, i e #eventprofs or of the show itself if iti.e. #eventprofs, or of the show itself if it has one, i.e., #NBTA.”

-- Mark Rechner - Experient

Good Use of Twitpics

What if this is you?

“My company has chosen to block allMy company has chosen to block all social media.”

-- Kathleen Meadowcroft, StageRight CorporationCorporation

Better Prepared For Social MediaBetter Prepared For Social Media For Trade Show Promotions?

• Know which websites to use• Know when to post messages• Know what to post to get results• Know what to post to get results

Leveraging Digital Marketing For Trade Show Promotions:Leveraging Digital Marketing For Trade Show Promotions:Trade Show Promotions:

Social MediaTrade Show Promotions:

Social MediaSocial MediaSocial Media

Mi h l Thi hMi h l Thi hMichael ThimmeschSkyline ExhibitsT itt @ k li hibit

Michael ThimmeschSkyline ExhibitsT itt @ k li hibitTwitter: @skylineexhibitsTwitter: @skylineexhibits