This Wall Street Journal article on social media’s impact on face-to-face attendance at conferences has gotten a lot of buzz since it was published last week. The author provides some great tips on using social media to enhance attendance by networking, building connections and expanding your reach. I particularly like the suggestion of booking tables at different restaurants each night to play host to theme dinners.
It’s no secret that social media has had a (mostly positive) impact on the meetings industry. Of course, when an attendee tweets about shuttle bus problems or over-packed sessions, a meetings organizer may question its benefit. But overall, the good usually outweighs the bad – afterall, it’s free marketing for your association.
But can print really have an impact on social media at a conference?
- Highlight social media in your show daily: Print a selection of top tweets or Instagram posts. Writing session recaps? Include a few tweets about the session as a sidebar.
- Who to Follow?: Profile industry influencers who are active on social media. Include “who to follow” suggestions.
- Share show daily content: Schedule tweets featuring links to show daily articles and photos throughout the day, to help those following the hashtag stay connected and see what they are missing.
- Cover tweet-ups: Meeting your social media connections in person is a lot of fun. Take photos to show how fun it can be!
Have some other suggestions to add? Please include in the comments section.
Now please excuse me, I need to go update my business cards.