Social Media Tradeshow Marketing Survey – Final Results

Two dozen people responded to my short survey last month on how companies use Social Media in their tradeshow marketing. Admittedly, the results are not scientific. But I feel they are telling. Even with a couple dozen people you start to feel the pulse of how people are incorporating social media into their event marketing efforts.

photo credit: Catherinette Rings Steampunk

First we asked if your company is involved in Social Media, such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or YouTube?

• 95% said YES

Do you use Social Media to promote your tradeshow appearances?

• 81% said YES

Does your company have an active blog (posting at least 5 – 10 times per month)?

• 63% said YES

Does your company have a Facebook page?

• 68% said YES

Does anyone at your company have a Twitter account that represents your company? (could be more than one person)

• 81% said YES

Does your company have a YouTube channel?

• 45% said YES

If you have a YouTube channel, how frequently do you post videos?

• less than once a month – 81%
• 2 – 3 times a month – 9%
• twice a week of more – 9%

How important is it to your company to drive tradeshow sales using Social Media?

• not important at all – 4%
• we’re thinking about it, but uncommitted – 9%
• looking at it closely and experimenting – 45%
• we’re heavily involved and looking for more ways to use SM – 36%
• none of the above – 4%

Are you interested in attending a webinar or teleseminar on using Social Media to clost more Biz at your Tradeshow?

• 64% – YES
• 36% – NO

If YES, what is the most important thing you’d like to have covered?

Comments included:

• I would like content to go beyond the basics of what these social media platforms are and how to start an account and post, and focus specifically on fun, creative ways for the experiences user to drive traffic to the booth that will convice the company’s tradeshow manager of its value!
• Case studies
• Even though it’s really hard for me to do teleseminars/webinars since I’m on the road a lot, I’m always looking for ways to build show traffic and would do my best to participate. My main difficulty with using social media for shows, at the moment at least, is that my core client base is not even involved with social media. Many are on LinkedIn. But with that being a more stagnant social network, they set it and forget it. Some are on Facebook, but primarily for family, friends and to hook up with their high school buds. Twitter? Of my core “in person” network, I can name only 3 people — yes, 3 of my 230+ followers — that are even remotely active on Twitter and that’s not daily activity either. I don’t have a “blog” per se, but do have a weekly email newsletter that has an intensely loyal following of 50 or so from my in-person network. So that’s about as social as they get. What Twitter offers me is a new universe of social media aware people to network with. Many are in my home Chicago area, but it will be a while before we tweet up or start attending the same events. Always love your tweets. Thanks for being part of my social media network!
• Real life case studies of how people are monetizing social media in events
• Getting people to the booth
• Facilitating inbound marketing using SM How will tools like foursquare affect 2010-11 event marketing? best practices in the showscape with SM?

The goal of the survey was to give me some food for thought and look to create a webinar that focuses on the needs of those who responded. Right now I’m working on the content and depending on the rest of my workload plan to roll out the webinar in late January or early February. If you’re subscribed to our newsletter you’ll be notified with plenty of time to sign up!