United Fresh is next week – do you have a plan for your social media efforts before, during and after the show? Here are some ways you can successfully leverage social media when attending a tradeshow like United Fresh to create relationships and leads and continue those conversations after you fly home.
Before the event
First, you should decide which social media channels will be the most beneficial for you to share content on. Start by announcing on social media that you will be attending the show. Do your research beforehand and find out if there are any relevant hashtags or handles being used for the event that you can tap into. Determine what you would like to accomplish and develop a social strategy. You should even consider social advertising to target the exact audience you want to reach with a custom message beforehand, so they will know to find you at the show. Be sure that you also have regular content scheduled while you are away, so that you remain relevant for your audience that isn’t able to attend the event.
During the event
It’s crucial to remember to update all of your social media channels regularly during the event. You should be posting on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn 3-4 times a day, but you should tweet as often as possible. Consider live tweeting certain quotes from keynote speakers that are of interest to your business. Be sure to take quality photos of your booth and your staff having fun to post across all platforms. Engagement is the key to success during an event. Retweet, reply, comment, like, tag, reach out to and message as many attendees and stakeholders as possible. Social media is the easiest way to form an important industry relationship, and trade shows are one of the best places to do it. Designate at least one team member at the show to post all social media, so that you don’t have multiple repetitive posts.
After the event
It’s important not to lose momentum once the trade show ends. While all of the conversations you’ve had and speakers you’ve heard are fresh on your mind, sit down and draft your event synopsis as soon as possible. Get your recap up on your company blog no later than 2-3 days after you return from the event. Don’t stop building relationships either. Follow everyone you met at the event on social media and share your thoughts about the week with them. Analyze your results and decide what worked well for you and what didn’t, then start planning for your next event!
Remember this approach while attending all of this summer’s fun events, and you will be a social media trade show rock star in no time!
