Twitter is a powerful tool for trade shows! Unfortunately, many marketing opportunities are missed.

Now is trade show season for most of my clients. During this time, Twitter is my platform of choice for all conference communications. I take advantage of the feed hashtag to follow show related information and updates.

As a small businesswoman, I know trade show marketing can be overwhelming for brands. And for starters, there are many pre-show concerns to consider as well. But, Twitter is a highly effective means of tracking and communicating. Better still, pre-show is a golden opportunity to network and generate leads.

In this article I will make some key recommendations to maximize the next trade show using your Twitter account.

Follow the Trade Show Hashtag.

Start easy by finding the trade show hashtag. Most trade show organizers showcase their Twitter feed on their website. You can learn a lot by just doing this simple action. Observe activity, communicate with potential clients and invite people to visit your booth. Follow the show organizers and re-tweet their posts.  Sharing their comments or tweets will make them appreciate your outreach and they will return the favor. This will give your business more visibility on the feed.

Engage in Show Conversations.

Following a conversation will help you make educated choices. You will define who your target market is and identify their motives. I look for topics that relate to my industry. For example, if the show or conference I am attending is about food, I will discuss food topics.

Take Part in Twitter Chats.

Many trade shows offer pre-show Twitter parties and Twitter chats. These chats are helpful for you to learn about the industry trends and trade show news. Find the chat hashtag and follow the tweets. If you feel confident, jump in on the conversation. If not, then watch, you can learn quite a bit from just reading the tweets.

Reach out to Press:

Use Twitter to reach out to press and to bloggers. Invite them to the booth by offering them a welcome gift. Most bloggers, press and media are on the show feed. Tweet them a message and ask if they are attending the show. Make it personal by engaging them in conversation. This way they will feel more comfortable.

Promote Your Booth.

Tweet out your booth activities to interested participants. Offer a contest, free samples, swag, giveaways, or book signings. There are many interesting ways to motivate visitors to visit your booth. It’s also a good idea to send out invitations to your booth events.

Use Social Media.

Instagram, for example, is a great place to share your show pictures and relevant hashtags. You can also post to your Twitter feed from Instagram. Start a conversation using hashtags. If the convention is about organic food, then use “Organic Food” as a hashtag.

Use Paid Reach.

Put a budget together for promoting show tweets. You will gain more of a following and you can showcase your products. Create a special trade show tweet with a promotion for booth visitors.

Go For It!

It’s time to take the plunge. Pull out that smart phone and get Tweeting! If you have any questions you can follow me @websuccess, I love to chat.