Z Connections | Edition #17 Jun 10 | The Associations and Charities Special Edition

Social Media for Conferences and Tradeshows

Social media utilise web-based technologies as forums for social interaction and discussion. They are built upon the premise of accessible, multiple-way communication and allow everyone to produce ‘content’. This phenomenon has changed the way people communicate and has become a new vehicle for driving marketing campaigns everywhere.
Social media are valuable marketing tools which work particularly well for conferences, as they are an effective way to reach attendees, complement the event’s online presence, provide a regular channel for communication and facilitate engagement with sponsors, exhibitors and visitors.

Other benefits of social media for association conferences include:

• Directing traffic to your website
• Helping to create a ‘buzz’ to attract mainstream media attention
• Using social media to emphasis your association’s leadership role

 • Gauging commitment to attendance by pre-registered visitors
• Building excitement and a ‘not-to-be-missed’ opinion of the conference
• Providing a live stream of news coverage from the show to engage attendees
• Documenting  the conference with content for future marketing and PR
• Adding value to sponsors/exhibitors through additional exposure

So, how can you utilise social media? Like any marketing campaign, you need a good strategy in place.

Some ideas to consider are:

• What are your goals or purpose?
• What content will you include to reach your goals?
• How does it fit with the other strategies you are using?
• How can you engage your members and stakeholders?
• What calls to actions can you include and how?

Some popular social media platforms include:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Flickr
• Blog platforms like Wordpress and Tumblr
• YouTube

Once you have your objectives and chosen platforms, you can start to gather material. It’s a good idea to decide which staff member will be responsible for each social media account and how often they will upload content (at least two-three times a week to keep people engaged).

Include your logo, tagline and branding. In the case of Facebook it’s particularly important to source some images of your products, staff, recent events or initiatives. They can be informal but make sure they are still professional as these pages reflect your organisation’s image and values.
It’s important to remember that communication on social media platforms needs to engage, be two-way, authentic and not ‘sales’ directed – it is focused on building relationships with your members and partners so it’s important to digest their opinions and comments too! 

We are managing social media for the tradeshows RSVP Melbourne and RSVP Sydney – the premier shows for the meetings and events industry. Check out the Twitter and Facebook pages.

Do you need some help getting started? Zadro Communications’ Sociable package will set you on the path to social media stardom!