myself oberon: How to Use Social Media to Create a Buzz ...

exhibition marketing Maximising your trade show ROI is easier than you may think. Even if you have never attended a one before. Social media is a great way to create a buzz about your exhibition appearance and boost your sales.

Today?s business environment relies heavily on the internet as a means of promotion. Social media marketing in particular is a vital component and valuable tool in your marketing and advertising arsenal.

Building a Buzz With Social Media

B2B trade shows are extremely lucrative for a whole host of business. If of course, you can drum up the support and drive the sales. And how can you do that, if none of your customers, suppliers, and prospects know you?re exhibiting?

Enter: social media. Free networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter are great ways to maximise your exhibition ROI. In this article, we will share some top tips for using social media to create a buzz about your exhibition appearance:

1. Create a #Hashtag

hashtag Twitter is one of the best ways to build a buzz around your trade show appearance. The nature of the site makes it easy to spread the word about the show, and attract attention. If the show you?re attending doesn?t have one already, you should create a hashtag.

Twitter users can easily follow these hashtags to keep up to date with the event build up, and events on the day. They?re also a really effective way of networking with other companies who are exhibiting. Simply add the hashtag to every tweet you make about the event so everyone interested can follow the updates.

Top tips for creating a Twitter-friendly hashtag include:

Keep it concise ? Twitter has a 140 character limit on Tweets so keep your hashtags short and sweet. Abbreviations work best as they are short and easy to remember.

Keep it professional ? Keep all your tweets professional and informative.

Don?t forget to live Tweet ? Be sure to use the hashtag on the day too. This will help people who couldn?t attend in the loop.

2. Run a Competition

Everyone loves a freebie. One of the best ways to build a buzz around your trade show appearance is to run a competition.

Using your Twitter hashtag or a specific Facebook app, you can encourage easy entry and generate a lot of social media ?noise? for the exhibition. The competition itself will be a great talking point, but you can go one step further.

Why not encourage people to Tweet or blog about the competition for an extra entry? This will encourage social media engagement, as well as promote your exhibition appearance. Bring everything back to the day itself by drawing the entry there. People will make sure they?re in attendance just in case their name is drawn.

Your giveaways don?t have to cost the Earth either. There are a whole host of affordable giveaway ideas that most businesses have in abundance. You can run your own competition, or get together with other exhibitors. Either way, make sure you promote it heavily on social media.

3. Film an Advert

filming Teaser trailers are nothing new. Hollywood have been whetting our appetite for movie releases with these short snapshots for years. And you can take inspiration from these trailers, and build a buzz with one of your own.

Film an advert for the event itself, or a teaser for a product you will be launching. You can even be a little tongue-in-cheek and film in the style of a horror, comedy, or romantic movie. Upload to your YouTube channel, and get sharing.

Share your videos on Twitter, Facebook, and your company website. Offer your audience a little something, but leave them wanting more.

This is the best way to become a talking point and encourage people to come along and see what all the fuss is about. Make the most of all your social networking profiles and share your adverts in as many locations as possible.

4. Start a Group

group It is no secret that the best social network for those in the B2B sector is LinkedIn. But how can you use it to promote your exhibition appearance?

Simple. Start a group.

Create a group for exhibitors, suppliers, and anyone in the trade show industry to attend. Get people talking, and networking. Share your ideas for promoting the event, and get to know who you?ll be sharing the floor with.

You could also create a group or page on Facebook where people can learn more about the event. Just be sure to keep posts informative, professional, and exciting. You want to encourage attendance, so give them a little but leave them wanting more.

5. Keep Reminding People

reminder The world of the Internet is face-paced. You can be top of the Twitter trending topics one minute, to the bottom of the Facebook fan heap the next. The key to social media marketing success ? especially when promoting a trade show ? is to never let people forget.

Don?t spam them, but keep reminding them. Remind them of your competitions, to watch your advert, and to follow the hashtag. If you can keep everything fresh in peoples? minds, the buzz is more likely to grow and grow.

Social media is one of the most useful tools in your marketing mix, especially when exhibiting. By following the tips outlined here, you?ll be able to make the most of it and really showcase your products with a bang.

This guest post has been supplied by RB Design & Display. If you really want to create a buzz at your next trade show, speak to them today about investing in an eye-catching custom built exhibition stand.