Trade Show Booth Staff Training Expert, Susan Friedmann, CSP, The Tradeshow Coach

A few weeks ago I watched on Twitter as a marketer committed social media suicide.

Within hours after someone tweeted about having a severe, nearly fatal allergic reaction, she received a marketing message from a company that sells non-allergenic products. So far, so good. The marketer had obviously set up a search on the appropriate term and used the information to reach out to a potential customer.

Unfortunately, the marketing message was poorly targeted and offensively presented. Not only was the recipient angry at the clumsy overture, she responded in such a way that everyone reading her tweetstream would become aware of the problem. The marketer garnered some bad publicity for his company.

Then, instead of apologizing, the marketer made a bad situation worse by defending his actions. The potential customer has now publicly vowed never to use the company’s products, and she has told a number of people about the problem. More bad publicity.

Three lessons from this marketing debacle:

1. Search terms are not enough.
If the marketer had actually read the tweet, he would have known enough about the situation to avoid offending a potential customer with mistaken assumptions. If you are selling cat toys, for example, don’t try marketing to someone who has tweeted either “I hate cats” or “My cat just died.” Either one is likely to be unproductive at best.

2. Social media messages are not ads, they are personal conversations.
The strategies that work well in a print or TV ad don’t work in door-to-door selling—and social media are much more akin to direct sales. Always remember that you’re talking to an individual on her own territory. Be respectful, friendly, and aware of her feelings.

3. When you’ve angered the customer, apologize.
Arguing with the customer’s reaction just makes matters worse. It’s okay to explain that you didn’t intend to be insensitive, but apologize sincerely for having caused offense. This leaves the potential customer in a forgiving mood, and you may make a sale anyway.

For years Internet search engines ignored Twitter and Facebook. But now Twitter and Facebook are indexed as rapidly as they are updated. This makes social media an even more important tool for you to use for your trade show marketing.

Since page rankings are critical when it comes to being easily found on the Internet, the following five strategies will help you better get, and then keep, the search engines’ fickle attention.

1. Maintain a strong identity.

Your Twittername should be instantly recognizable as your company. Use custom images for your Twitter profile page and your company Facebook page. Instantly recognizable branding matters as much if not more online as in slower-moving media.

2. Use tags and keywords.

Make sure each message includes the name or abbreviation of the trade show you’re particip. Keep an eye on trending topics, and say something about them.

3. Build a following.

On the Internet, connections equal influence. The more others link to your site or retweet your messages, the more powerful you are, and the higher your page rank will grow. So keep using these media between trade shows.

4. Post different content to Facebook and Twitter.

Search engine algorithms downgrade identical messages. Moreover, Facebook gives you more space. Write a brief version for Twitter and a slightly longer one for Facebook.

5. Offer fresh, fascinating content.

You’ll gain followers by giving them something they want or need: information, amusement, a sense of connection and belonging.