EXHIBITOR Research: Social Media Marketing for Exhibit Programs Increases by Nearly 90%

ROCHESTER, Minn., May 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- EXHIBITOR Media Group, the leader in trade show and corporate event marketing education, today announced the results of EXHIBITOR Magazine's 2012 Social-Media Marketing Survey, sponsored by Lynch Exhibits Inc.  Following a 2010 benchmark survey, new data shows that the percentage of marketers using social media in their exhibition programs increased by nearly 90 percent.

Eight out of ten marketers say their companies are currently using social media for a variety of purposes, including exhibit marketing (58 percent), event marketing (36 percent), and other general marketing purposes (67 percent).

Those tapping into the marketing potential of social-media applications claim increased brand awareness, enriched relationships with clients and prospects, increased booth traffic and event attendance, additional press coverage, and increased sales as direct results of their campaigns. Yet fewer marketers are proactively setting measurable objectives to track the success or failure of their online efforts.

"It's clear that the use of social media as a marketing tool has exploded over the past two years," commented Travis Stanton, editor of EXHIBITOR magazine. "And while there are still challenges, including lack of time and resources, most respondents agree that social media is a powerful tool for face-to-face marketers."

Comprehensive results of the 2012 Social-Media Marketing Survey will be published in the June issue of EXHIBITOR magazine.

About EXHIBITOR Media Group
The leader in trade show and corporate event marketing education, EXHIBITOR Media Group publishes EXHIBITOR magazine, a monthly publication featuring best practices in trade show marketing. EXHIBITOR's Learning Events include: EXHIBITOR2011, the industry's top-rated conference and exhibition for trade show and corporate event marketing; EXHIBITORFastTrak, accelerated learning conferences; and EXHIBITOR eTrak, professional online learning. EXHIBITOR Media Group is also the founder and sponsor of CTSM (Certified Trade Show Marketer), the world's only university-affiliated certification program for trade show and event marketers. EXHIBITOR'S web site, www.ExhibitorOnline.com, is the trade show/event community's most comprehensive online resource. Follow on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

EXHIBITOR is a registered trademark, and EXHIBITORFastTrak and EXHIBITOR eTrak are trademarks of Exhibitor Publications, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All company and/or product names may be trade names, trademarks and/or registered trademarks of the respective owners with which they are associated.

SOURCE EXHIBITOR Media Group