The Social Trade Show: Leveraging Social Media and Virtual Events to Connect With Your Customers

III: On With the Show

So far I have talked about setting a strategy and discussed preshow activities that generate awareness and create an audience. Now I focus on what activities will be taking place during the actual show. These are going to be activities that address the attendees physically at the show while also expanding your audience to those who might be stuck back in the office.

Trade shows are a big part of your marketing budget, so I want to make sure you get the biggest bang for your buck. Associations report that only a small percentage of their memberships actually attend their annual trade shows. That means there are tens of thousands of potential customers you could be reaching by adding social media and virtual event components ...