Yesterday I had the privilege of speaking to a group of show organizers about the topic of Web 2.0 and what it could mean to their shows. The group was MATSO – they are the largest shows in North America. It is a small, but powerful group.
Web 2.0 is all about community, I said.
Trade show organizers are masters of creating face-to-face communities with their shows. The world of the internet is a different story.
There are unique rules which apply to the internet vs. an event held on concrete. And as a Show considers this new playing field they must be versed in the language and nuances of the internet, so they can use these things to their advantage.
One of my key points in our discussion is to focus on where your current customers are, in terms of embracing Web 2.0 features. If they are blogging, on forums having discussions – as a Show you need to consider how you play in that field with them.
However, if only a small percentage is there – like fewer than 10%, this is something you can put off for awhile.
Shows that are technology focused or in the health care industry segment, are more predisposed to the world of blogs, forums, podcasts, webinars, etc. They are dealing with these tools on a daily basis.
I just read on ClickZ this information about social media – so very applicable for this discussion.
Tips for Marketing on the Social Web
Harry Gold, The ClickZ Network, Apr 29, 2008
So, all the chatter about social media and user-generated content is nothing new, right? What’s new: a lot more companies of all stripes are waking to the fact that customers hang out in online gathering places and very often talk and post content about them. It’s much like what happened with search a few years ago, and business executives said, “Hey, I think this is important and there’s opportunity here.”
A lot of agencies say they know social media. In reality, they’re only buying advertising and branded pages on social sites like MySpace and Facebook. Meanwhile, other firms perform social media optimization (SMO). However, both services miss the point of what social media and user-generated content is about.Social media marketing isn’t about optimizing or advertising. It’s about socializing!
It’s about weaving your content and messages into the social Web, making friends and fans. It also means talking to and listening to friends and fans and measuring the impact the social Web has on your business. It’s not one campaign on MySpace or Facebook with a cool page that makes a few friends and is later abandoned when the campaign’s over.
He closes his blog with this important paragraph:
Remember: when you’re at a party, you don’t want to talk at the crowd. You want to be part of the crowd and talk with them. You must interject into the conversation with interesting comments and elicit their response. The same applies to the social Web.
His conversation leads me to say – marketing using Web2.0 must be considered a long term strategy.
Creating a blog strategy should have serious consideration of thought and discussion within your firm. Don’t rush into this arena with a college student and think you can present an offering that is worthy of your company.
What is the “voice” that you want to get out into the marketplace? Think through that strategy very carefully.
Since Let’s Talk Trade Shows is built on the cornerstone of Web 2.0 – this is something I will continue to monitor closely. I look forward to sharing my insights, so we can learn and have a laugh or two!
Until then…
Joyce McKee
{ 2 comments }
