5 Ways Social Media Can Dominate A Trade Show

Being a savvy consumer and attendee at trade shows, industry conferences and even targeted local events is now an art and a science. We (the consumer) are way beyond being educated. We are tech savvy and running circles around you at our trade shows and conferences. So much so that the inability to stay current has caused many companies to stop going to trade shows and conferences.

However, it is not a lost cause, and if you get off your duffs and become more relevant, you can win us back. Why? Because we still enjoy face-to-face interactions and that is how you can build more trust with us in 2013. But, it starts online, before you get to the exhibit floor. We are pretty miffed at you. Why? Because you are still making it about you.

You try so hard to squish it together so it appears to be about us, the consumers. Frankly, you are failing on many fronts with that terribly old-fashioned set of rules and actions. It may sound harsh, yet wake calls are seldom a whisper. It makes one wonder what rock you could be living under? Or maybe a tougher question is needed. Do you mean to come across as arrogant? Didn’t think so. Since a list is easy to dissect, let’s get going like a Dave Letterman countdown…

5 Ways Social Media Can Dominate A Trade Show

(David Letterman Countdown Style)

5. How Are You Making It Easy For Us To Talk With You?

Being available is not just smart, it is expected in business today. When you are an established company, you actually have more resources to accomplish this goal. Leverage them. Divide up monitoring Twitter between three people. Put their names in the bio – we want to know who we are talking to “ya know.” Think about our problems from our perspective, not just why you want to sell to us. Share with us all those times customers told you what it took to make things easier for them when using your product or service. You get to give credit to your customers, we get more efficiency, and you come off really truly caring about our needs beyond making the sale. This is just one of the ways social media can dominate a trade show.

4. Make It Easy For Me To Learn About What You Are Doing.

Believe it or not, I am really bright. Who knows, my seeing more than a snippet about what you are doing could trigger my brilliance, and I could give you a breakthrough solution. I know it is a perspective many do not think about or consider. It is one of the reasons early adopters loved social media. We bonded over being able to share solutions about things that came quickly to us, but that were a problem for others. Channeling or crowdsourcing other’s wheel house is smart thinking. Besides, how can I give you feedback that could prevent you from bringing a solution that’s missing the mark to market if I am not involved in the creation?

3. Make It Easy For Me To Network With You.

We are all busy. No one wants to spend extra time jumping through barriers to network with you and your company. We want to be able to send you a tweet, comment on your blog or even email you since you shared that in your Linkedin profile like the rest of us do. Social platforms allow you to be reachable. This could have everything to do with me saying yes or no on that contract you want signed.

2. Make It Easy For Me To Share With You.

You like referrals, right? I know I do, and I make it easy for people to share the value I bring to the table. Let’s play devil’s advocate for a minute. Your company does cool stuff I like, and I am spending my money on it each month because you have done something to make my life easier or better. How are you making it easy for me to share you with my friends on Twitter? If I tweet about you, will someone actually respond – or do you use it as a megaphone instead?

Unless you have equipped your people to be a resource using the social media channels, you have forgotten the big splash ability social delivers for us all. This is one of the major ways social media can make a difference at a trade show.

1. Make It Easy For Us To Talk With You.

Whether you are B2B or B2C, we are ALL P2P. Have you heard of P2P? It’s person to person or people 2 people. Potato-Potato. When we continue to draw lines in the sand, all we are doing is creating difficulty where it does not need to be. Instead, look for simplicity. Look for ways to remove barriers. Look for ways to see your world with me in it, with a new set of eyes.

If your company uses social media, it is not another line in the sand. Some have said, “We are there and nothing spectacular happened.” Like a car with gas, seat belts and road gripping tires – you still have to use the accelerator to move it down the road. Your passengers are counting on you to learn to drive with the same grace, charm and savvy you use in your offline conversation.