Tweetup for Trade Show Success

Tweetup If you are looking for ways to:

drive additional traffic to your booth
make new connections
enhance existing relationships
network with attendees and other exhibitors
expand your marketing reach
generate leads and sales for your company

consider incorporating Tweetups into your trade show marketing strategy!

What is a Tweetup?

The word "Tweetup" is a mash-up of the words "tweet" and "meetup" and describes an in-person meeting of your Twitter network.

Tweetups are a great way expand and enhance the online conversation and community you've created through your Twitter page. Tweetups bring together your Twitter network, facilitate conversations that can move beyond the 140 character limit, and expand your virtual connections to real-life business relationships.

The beauty of Tweetups is that they expand your network even further than you could ever imagine. For example, it's a given that your tweets and Tweetup messages will reach all of your followers. And let's say 100 of your followers attend your Tweetup event. Those 100 followers, as well as the guests they bring along, will be tweeting throughout your event. And if those 100 followers have an average of 250 followers each, a discussion of your Tweetup could create impressions on more than 25,000 people via Twitter!

Setting up a Tweetup

Setting up a Tweetup is relatively simple, particularly when aligned with your trade show exhibiting efforts. Here are a few tips for organizing and managing your event:

Select a date and time during your next trade show to host your Tweetup. Make sure it doesn't conflict with any other events that would deter your guests from attending.
Consider partnering with another exhibitor to host the Tweetup. A joint Tweetup will enhance your company's exposure through your partner's promotional network and marketing efforts.
Reserve an appropriate location for your event and confirm the necessary room layout, AV, food and beverage details. Ensure your venue has Wi-Fi — you'll want to be sure your attendees can tweet about the event while it's happening!
Like any event, clearly define the purpose and expectations for your event.
Boost attendance by organizing at least one or two speakers to help align with the event's purpose. Also consider incorporating marketing incentives, such as giveaways, to encourage attendance.
Create a hashtag for the event so that your network can easily find messages about your Tweetup and stay informed. Start tweeting about your Tweetup, and ask your followers to share the event details with their followers.
Announce your Tweetup on your Web site, in your marketing efforts and in all trade show promotions, and encourage people to follow you on Twitter to learn more.
Use an event-organizing site such as Meetup.com to provide attendees with additional information and to keep track of your total headcount.
At your Tweetup, be sure to collect or scan business cards as attendees enter, and mix and mingle with as many people as possible.
And, of course, tweet about your Tweetup before, during and after it happens!

Tweetups are a fun way to incorporate your social media efforts into your trade show marketing strategy, and a great way to meet prospects and generate leads and sales.

Maximize your exhibiting success by organizing a Tweetup at your next trade show!

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