Boost Your Conference Presence on Social Media
Conventions and industry conferences are a unique opportunity to showcase your brand to a highly engaged and relevant audience. With hundreds or even thousands of attendees wandering through a maze of booths, how can you stand out and create lasting impressions? The answer lies in your social media strategy. Your company can make a memorable splash by creating engaging, real-time content and leveraging intelligent social media advertising.
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Prepping for Social Media Success Before the Convention
Before the convention even begins, it’s crucial to have a game plan for your social media efforts. Jumping in unprepared can lead to missed opportunities and haphazard content. Here’s how to set yourself up for success:
Set Clear Goals
Before crafting posts and ads, ask yourself what you want to achieve with your social media strategy during the convention. Are you looking to build brand awareness, generate leads, increase engagement, or drive traffic to your booth or website? Defining clear objectives will help guide your content creation and advertising efforts.
For example, if brand awareness is your main goal, focus on content that introduces your company, products, and people. If lead generation is the priority, highlight offers, demos, or exclusive deals that will draw attendees to your booth.
Choose the Right Platforms
Your target audience won’t be equally active on every social media platform. Research where your audience spends their time and tailor your strategy accordingly. For example:
- LinkedIn is ideal for B2B networking and showcasing industry expertise.
- Instagram is a visual platform perfect for engaging, behind-the-scenes content.
- TikTok can work wonders for fun, short-form video content that grabs attention quickly.
- Twitter allows for real-time updates and live event commentary.
Tailor your content and ads based on the strengths of each platform and the behavior of your audience on those platforms.
Create a Content Calendar
Organization is key to social media success, especially during a hectic event like a convention. Build a content calendar that outlines your posts for the days leading up to the event, during the convention, and post-event follow-ups. This ensures a steady flow of content and prevents scrambling for ideas on the spot.
You can start with teaser posts the week before the event, live updates during the convention, and wrap-up posts or highlights afterward.
Engage Early
Start building buzz before the convention by posting teaser content that hints at what you’ll showcase. Use countdown posts to let your audience know when and where they can find you. You can also offer sneak peeks of any giveaways or special activities you have planned for your booth.
By getting your audience excited before the event, you’ll already have an engaged audience ready to tune in to your updates once the convention starts.
Social Media Content Ideas During the Convention
Now that you’ve laid the groundwork, it’s time to create content that captures attention and creates excitement. Here are some creative social media content ideas to try during the convention:
Live Updates
One of the best ways to engage your audience during a convention is by sharing live updates. This content provides a real-time look at what’s happening on the convention floor, giving your audience a front-row seat.
- Post photos and videos of your booth setup, product demos, and key moments.
- Share updates about important convention events like keynote speeches, panel discussions, or guest appearances.
- Don’t forget to tag other exhibitors or speakers to increase your reach and engagement.
Live updates are not just about sharing information; they’re about sharing the event’s excitement. They make your audience feel part of the experience, even if they couldn’t attend in person.
Behind-the-Scenes Content
Give your audience an exclusive look at what goes on behind the scenes at your booth. Whether it’s your team preparing for a product demo, setting up displays, or chatting with potential customers, behind-the-scenes content humanizes your brand. It shows the effort you’ve put into the event.
Keep things fun and relatable to encourage higher engagement. Behind-the-scenes content is not just about showing the work behind the scenes, and it’s about entertaining your audience and making them feel connected to your brand.
Interactive Stories & Polls
Interactive content is a great way to boost engagement and get your audience involved. Use Instagram or LinkedIn Stories to post polls, quizzes, or Q&A sessions encouraging attendees to participate. For example, you could run a poll asking attendees which product feature they’re most excited to see or quiz them on industry-related trivia.
Interactive content is not just about boosting engagement, it’s about making your audience feel involved and part of the conversation. The more your audience engages with your content, the more visible it becomes to their networks, increasing your overall reach.
User-Generated Content (UGC)
Leverage the power of your audience by encouraging user-generated content. Ask attendees to post photos or videos from your booth and use a specific event hashtag or tag your company. To incentivize participation, consider running a contest where the best photo or video wins a prize.
UGC helps build trust with potential customers by showing real people engaging with your brand. It also expands your reach, as each piece of UGC introduces your brand to the follower networks of those who share it.
Showcase Networking & Partnerships
Networking is a huge part of conventions, so why not showcase it on your social media channels? Post about critical conversations you’ve had, partnerships you’ve forged, or connections you’ve made. Tag other exhibitors, partners, and potential customers in your posts to increase engagement and visibility.
You position your company as a key player by showing that your brand actively engages with the industry.
Social Media Advertising Ideas During the Convention
Organic content is powerful, but to truly amplify your reach, social media advertising is a must. Here are a few strategies for paid social media ads during a convention:
Geo-Targeted Ads
People from all over attend conventions, but many of them are clustered in the same area. You can use geo-targeted ads to reach attendees near the convention location. This strategy works especially well if you’re promoting in-person activities like booth visits, product demos, or special offers.
With platforms like Facebook and Instagram, you can set your ads to display to people within a specific geographic radius, ensuring your message reaches the right audience.
Event-Specific Offers
Everyone loves a good deal, and conventions are the perfect time to offer event-specific promotions. Run social media ads highlighting exclusive offers or giveaways available only at the convention. Use language that creates urgency, such as “Visit us at Booth 123 for 20% off your next purchase—today only!”
Event-specific offers encourage attendees to visit your booth and interact with your brand, providing a memorable reason for them to engage with your company post-convention.
Retarget Event Attendees
Some people will visit your landing page or interact with your content without taking action during the convention. That’s where retargeting comes in. Use retargeting ads to stay top-of-mind with people who have already engaged with your content or website during the event. These ads can encourage attendees to stop by your booth or sign up for a demo.
Retargeting ads work especially well for promoting next-day activities or follow-up calls to action.
Sponsored Stories or Posts
Boosting key social media content during peak event hours can increase your visibility. Sponsored posts or stories on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn ensure your most engaging content gets seen by a wider audience.
You can sponsor live updates, user-generated content, or any interactive posts already getting attention. This paid boost helps amplify organic reach, especially during key moments at the convention.
Influencer & Speaker Promotion
If your booth features industry influencers or keynote speakers, consider running ads highlighting their participation. Influencers often have large, dedicated followings, and promoting their appearance at your booth can drive traffic. Plus, their followers may share your content, giving you access to a broader audience.
Conventions offer a unique opportunity to connect with attendees and a broader online audience through social media. Creating engaging content and leveraging smart advertising strategies can amplify your presence and make your brand the talk of the event.
Set clear goals, prepare a content calendar, and choose the right platforms to connect with your audience. Then, engage organically with live updates, behind-the-scenes content, user-generated posts, and interactive polls. On the paid side, implement geo-targeted ads, promote event-specific offers, retarget attendees, and sponsor key content to maximize your impact.
With a strong social media strategy, your next convention could be the best for generating buzz and attracting attention to your brand.