How do you plan to keep in touch with the new contacts you made at your latest conference?
With the conference season in full swing it’s time to strategize how to make the most of your networking and trade show time and effort. These tips and tactics will be useful after your conference to continue growing your relationships.
Using these tactics to showcase your learnings to your clients you’ll find new business opportunities. Imagine stretching your reach over new platforms and integrating your new videos and photos in a unique way.
General Social Marketing Tips
- Check out the LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Vine, You-Tube, Periscope, Snapchat, Pinterest and Twitter presence of fellow attendees and their companies.
- Edit & post new photos and video to social sites
- Update your social profiles with news, photos and video of destinations and your conference
- Edit and post live interview videos to social sites
- Embed social posts & interviews into your blog, newsletter, website and e-blasts
- ‘Like’ your new contacts and their business pages and follow their social sites.
- ‘Like’ the conference/association social site for all the latest
- Join the conference group on LinkedIn to network and learn
- Plan and execute a social contest
- Participate in Twitter chats for our industry
- Post your Vines & Instagram videos to your social sites
- Participate in conversations on the conference app
- Create a Milestone on Facebook of your conference participation
- Pull together some photos and videos to combine into a video collection
- Schedule a Blab to meet with your colleagues or clients
Tour Operators
- Use your social sites to showcase your new & upcoming tours
- Pin and Highlight Facebook posts to showcase your newest tours
- Consider targeted advertising on Facebook
- Create a slideshow overview of your upcoming tours. Post to Slide Share, your social sites and YouTube
- Create a Vine or Instagram video thanking your clients for their trade show participation
- Update your Blog with info you’ve gained at the conference
- Embed video, posts and tweets into your blog & website
- Update your media calendar to coordinate your posts with your upcoming tours and events
- Set up Google Alerts to keep abreast of latest news and what’s being said about top suppliers & your company.
- Coordinate your e-blast schedule with your social posts
- Follow up and stay connected via social media and nurture new relationships
Suppliers
- Create a media calendar to communicate with your connections from the conference
- Set up Google Alerts to keep abreast of latest news and what’s being said about your brand
- Create a new ‘Thank you’ video to prospective new clients
- Design long pins or infographics of your destination or attraction
- Post on Pinterest
- Announce and share socially with Tour Operators
- Follow up and stay connected via social media and nurture new relationships
- Conduct a Google Hangout or Blab to build business
Travel Consultants
- Post your videos to your social sites to showcase your new knowledge
- Record a short marketing video of each new destination, ship, or resort
- Create a Slide Share, Animoto or You-Tube video incorporating the still photos you’ve captured.
- Share these videos on your social sites and embed into your blog
- Embed your videos, social posts and tweets into your next blog
- Integrate your many photos into your posts, tweets, website and blog
- Conduct a Blab or Google Hangout to inform your clients of your newest knowledge
- Initiate a Twitter chat to increase awareness and build your client base
- Market any new accreditation or awards you’ve received
- Follow up and stay connected via social media and nurture new relationships
Conferences and conventions are powerful marketing opportunities when fully integrated socially. Whether you’re marketing to consumers or the trade, maximize your time by implementing these tactics right now!
Over to you….what are your key strategies to make the most of your conference time?
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