Tips for Online Promotion While At Market

Most advertisers I work with finish their advertising programs the week leading into a market and move on to showroom set up. But Web statistics from our own sites show that online traffic continues at a steady pace during a market and even goes up slightly during the event. Readers looking for the latest news, new product launches and special offers check in from their mobile devices throughout the event. Those who can't get to market, view market news videos and special market newsletters. Here are some quick tips to keep driving customers to your showroom or website throughout the trade show:
• QR tags: These are quickly becoming ubiquitous as the percentage of smart phones increases. If you aren't using them already, consider putting them on your showroom window, in print ads in show dailies, on product tags, and even on your business cards. Two important points: First, be sure to offer a compelling reason for your customers to download your code. It can be a special offer; new product video; fact sheet with details on a more complex product; or a form for setting up an appointment. Second, be sure the tag links to a mobile-optimized landing page. There is nothing so frustrating as to snap a picture of a QR tag and then not be able to read the content on a tiny mobile screen.
• Tweet daily: Set up an editorial calendar for tweeting every day from market. Plan and write the messages ahead of time. You can even program them to deploy automatically using a tool such as Hoot Suite or PuttinOut. Consider time-sensitive tweets with special offers for customers who come to your showroom that day. Leave flexibility in the schedule to tweet live from the show.
• Blog and Facebook post from the show: Post special reports to your blog on trends you see at the event. Your blog is also a great place to respond thoughtfully to questions you've gotten from customers in your showroom. Post to Facebook reception photos. With your customers' permission, tag them in the photos for a great viral effect!
• Promote video shot at the show: Use a professional resource for a showroom tour or new product video while at market. Then upload the video to YouTube and your company Facebook page as quickly as possible.
• Email: Buyers are inundated with emails leading into market but the schedule seems to goes dark once the event is underway. Send out an email promotion similar to the tweet offer mentioned above that applies to sales closed during the market dates. Also send emails the week after market to re-enforce your company message and potentially close on prospects that didn't place an order at the event.
• Capture client information for future marketing: Don't forget to take advantage of this face-to-face meeting with your clients to collect email addresses; and encourage new Facebook "likes" and Tweeter followers. This is also a great time to get feedback from customers on whether they still want to receive a printed catalog versus setting up access to a password protected area of your website.