or service. Like it or not, this is the way that things are going, and forward-thinking companies will plan accordingly,” says Corbin Ball, CSP, CMP of Corbin Ball Associates.
Optimizing Social Media in Face-to-Face Marketing
Engage and Excite Attendees
Show management is feeling the pressure to keep their shows
relevant and fresh. Most would like to see greater involvement from their members outside the annual show and engage with a younger audience. With the rise in social media usage across several audiences, these organizations have a new opportunity to interact with exhibitors, attendees and prospects. A scalable, trending social media program will help show man-
agement companies serve their current and prospective exhibitors and attendees as never before. Pre, during and post event aware- ness via social media, such as an onsite Twitter™ wall, photo shar- ing, discussion boards through Facebook®
and LinkedIn® , as well as
blogging, all allow relevant content and news to be communicated in real-time. This will build an engaged online community and one that will lead to a more stable membership base. Show marketers should keep in mind that most customers pre-
fer to actively interact with more targeted and intersected groups versus just the larger, overall online community. To fully engage the customer in their community, the show organizer should allow that particular customer to interact with other community mem- bers at the level that best meets their individual needs and wants. For instance, a show organizer will develop a global community specific to their particular show, yet will also form smaller micro- communities that align various customer groups such as: exhibitors, new attendees, veteran attendees, media, etc. Recognize what types of online communities will best serve your customers. Also, it is beneficial to create multiple mechanisms for custom-
ers to interact such as surveys, voting, guest posts, comments, etc. Online communities allow the power to be shifted to the customer, making them feel more ownership of the brand.
Attract New Members and Drive Awareness
There is a constant struggle for show and event managers to
grow their membership and interact with the emerging, younger generation who may not be as connected to the industry.
Social Media Tools
Social media tools play a vital role in the success of an event.
Tools such as online social communities, blogs, videos and podcasts can further enhance the show’s messaging and brand while also de- livering promotional information on services. • Online Social Communities: Global social networking sites , Twitter™ and LinkedIn®
such as Facebook® provide an open fo-
rum for users to create group pages, share information and establish new connections.
WWW.MIDWESTMEETINGS.COM
social ties
and, tantly,
Benefit: Online communi- a
offer
more free
quick
impor- means
of promoting meet- ing planner’s events pre, during and post show. Consider set- ting
up discussion
boards on Facebook® or LinkedIn® for at-
tendees to share best practices and relevant content. Also, specific Twit- ter™ event pages, set up by a hash tag provides an excellent channel for real-time announcements and event promotions that engage attend- ees and exhibitors. • Video Distribu-
“It is beneficial to create multiple mechanisms for customers to interact such as surveys,
tion Channels: One of the best-known video distribution sites is YouTube® (www.youtube.com). This is where one can upload videos at no cost for anyone to see. Additionally, Flickr®
voting, guest posts, comments, etc. Online communities allow the power to be shifted to the customer, making them feel more ownership of the brand.”
is another image and
video hosting website to share photographs and is also used widely by bloggers as a photo repository. Benefit: Meeting planners can use these free video distribution
channels to promote meetings. Consider having speakers create brief videos before the event discussing their topics. Interview satisfied attendees at your event to post with a link to
and on your website. They can promote the event in exciting and engaging ways all at a fraction of the cost of traditional media. One example of such video distribution is a promotional video made by Corbin Ball, prior to the MPI EMEC 2009 Conference. • Blogs (web logs): Online journals typically written by an individual or a group. Typically, the entries are dated with the most recent on top, and there is usually an opportunity for read- ers to make comments. There are millions of blogs. Technorati™ (www.technorati.com) is an internet search engine for seeking out blogs in multiple industries and allows for your comments to be
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