Social Media Suggestions for Small Business Events

I was a vendor at the Home and Business Expo in Iowa Falls, Iowa this past Saturday.  It was hosted by KIFG radio and Times-Citizen Communications.  

They advertised with an 8 page separate section in the Iowa Falls and Ackley Paper.  It was broadcast over the radio station.  I found out about it from Judy Wrolson at Cornerstone Cottage in Hampton.    There were over 300 people at the Expo  who took the bingo cards (get each vendor to check off their ad on the card and someone wins prizes when the card is turned in). 

I can never sit still at these events.  I walked around and met the other vendors.  I also took their pictures and live tweeted them.  I don't think everyone understood what that meant!  Simply put, I took their picture, posted it on the internet and told over 1,400 people around the world about it.  I also put some of the pictures up on facebook (same principle, less people).  

Social Media is new to our area -- and it's growing pretty rapidly.  Here's some social media suggestions for the next Home and Business Expo.

Put up a fan page on Facebook

better yet, use the current Times Citizen page you have!  You've got 153 people as fans.  If each told one person - you would have just advertised the event, for free, to over 300 people.   By the way, each vendor could do this same action. 

Let your vendors know who all is going to be at the event as a vendor

I knew the radio station would, the fire station would and the Watkins rep would be there.  There were actually 36 vendors there!  I know I would have blogged about the event and the vendors.  I also would have told friends and family who was going to be there.  

Create a twitter account.  Meet people who are on twitter.  Find out what they want to hear on the radio and read about in the paper.  Have conversations with your followers!  Then you can walk around and take pics of your vendors and send them to twitter!  

Here's a video I put together using www.animoto.com  These are all the pictures I took and sent to twitter.   If you want to see the facebook pics, friend me by finding Deb During Brown.

Is this all greek to you?  I'll be teaching a class at Iowa Valley in Ellsworth College May 5 and May 6 in the evening -- you can learn how to use Facebook, MySpace, twitter and how to blog.  Call Deb Sabin at 641-648-8620 for more information!