8 Tips to Generate Trade Show Leads thru Twitter and Event Marketing
Posted by Valerie Hurst on Fri, Nov 11, 2011
Generating Twitter followers thru event marketing, including trade shows, is a strategic way
to obtain trade show leads who can be engaged with through social media and nurturing campaigns. Michael Heipel wrote an event marketing blog post this past summer that provides 15 tips about how trade show organizers can use Twitter to obtain followers. But exhibitors themselves can use Twitter in many similar ways. From an exhibitor perspective, consider these top 8 tips to begin the engagement with people at your next trade show or conference thru the use of Twitter:
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Look at the trade show or event website to find the trade show hashtag (ex. #lightfair for Lightfair 2012) that has been created for your specific show. Use the hashtag in your tweets, to help people easily follow the discussion.
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Look for twitter accounts of vendors, clients, media partners, and your competition, and follow them~~AND their followers if they are relevant to you.
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Who tweets about your company, your partners, and your clients? Save a corresponding search term and follow those users.
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Use a
twitter monitor on your website or event microsite to
display what is being tweeted about the trade show. This stimulates visitors to join in the discussion.
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Install a twitter wall on your website or event microsite to display the relevant tweets about the trade show. To do this, you will need the event hashtag. (On a side note: I've seen these use within a trade show booth space on a large screen to stimulate attendees to tweet about the event).
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Post your Twitter Follow Me button on your blog, and various pages of your website to make it easy for visitors to follow you.
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Quote worthwhile tweets in your PR work, like post-show press releases.
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Use an app like
Twapperkeeper to
archieve the trade show tweets. You can then invite those who tweeted to subscribe to your blog, email newsletter, like you on Facebook, or to follow your Twitter account after the show.
Like all social media and business blogs, use Twitter to educate, inform, and share information with your followers. This is not a platform for self-promotion.
Also keep in mind, that if someone follows your business Twitter account, it is customary to follow them back. In addition, if there is a person you want to follow your company back, go ahead and interact with them! Compliment them, comment on their tweets ~~ ENGAGE. This will provide incentive for them to follow you. Check out how to use Twitter for Business if you'd like more tips.