You have an amazing trade show display and well-prepared staff, but how can you reach consumers before the exhibition and ensure they rush to your stand on the day?

In today's technology-driven society, social media plays a regular part in people's lives. As such, it is an excellent way to engage your market through alternative channels. A good social media strategy can promote increased awareness of your brand and is the perfect digital accompaniment for boosting the return on investment of your exhibition stand.

Reach the right audience

The first thing you need to know about using social media to promote effectively is which platforms will help you access your target audience. According to Entrepreneur, certain social networks are more suitable for promoting certain products. As the most popular platform in Australia, with a 2015 report by Sensis revealing that it is favoured by 93 percent of social media users, Facebook is a good option for most businesses and encompasses a wide range of different audience groups in one place.

LinkedIn is useful for companies that sell business-to-business products or services, as there is a greater professional following that can help you connect with others in your industry. For trendy brands that focus on visual marketing, Instagram and Pinterest are good options to reach a younger, more tech-savvy audience. Finally, Twitter enables you to regularly communicate with your customer base and give them short updates in real-time.

Present a teaser

You can use social media to draw people to the exhibition by posting teasers that generate interest in your brand. Online marketing and communications specialist Vivid Image suggests Tweeting a sneak peek of a new product that you are going to launch at the show, or perhaps an image hinting at what attendees can expect. This works to pique curiosity and make followers feel as though they are receiving insider information, generating hype around your stand.

Do you know how to pair social media marketing with your trade show exhibit?

Create shareable content

Entrepreneur highlights the value of providing relevant content that will be interesting to your target audience and encourage them to share. For written content, LinkedIn is a particularly effective platform, as quality insights can help to build your online presence and establish you as an industry leader. But don't just post any old topic: take a look at what is trending in your market right now and leverage this to generate more traffic. Similarly, Entrepreneur argues that visual content can also be very effective, with images often being viewed more times than text.

Don't forget to encourage others to share your posts, as the more that people do this, the wider your reach will expand at no additional cost.

Provide incentives

An especially effective way to harness social media to promote your brand before a trade show is to provide incentives that will draw people in. For example, you could use Twitter to endorse a competition or giveaway that will entice people to come and see you at the exhibition with the potential to win prizes. Alternatively, the promise of in-show special offers is always a good way to pull a crowd and can be made even more efficient by posting special discount codes on your social media accounts.

Make regular updates

Finally, it's essential that your social media posts are consistent and regular, as this will help you remain relevant and sustain your online presence. In addition, be sure to make good use of keywords and hashtags, as they will help to increase the flow of traffic to your profile.  

By utilising social media for effective brand activation, you can engage a wider audience online and drive them to your trade show booth on the day. If you would like to know more about boosting your marketing performance at an exhibition, talk to the team at Exposure Group.