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Webinar deck for teaching exhibition and trade show organizers how to use content to help foster and grow their virtual communities. This was done for AFIDA, the International Association of Exhibitions in Latin America.
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Effectively Using Content Management for Virtual Community Engagement
By Stephanie SelesnickPresident, International Trade Information, Inc.
About Stephanie S. Selesnick
2nd Generation Trade Show Organizer Produced and Managed over 40
Expos in Mexico (from 1994-2003) Now President of ITI, Inc.,
international consultants in the exhibition industry
Blogger for Expo Magazine & Exhibition World
Community Engagement Ringleader for SISO (Society of Independent Show Organizers)
Today’s Agenda
Virtual Communities What are they? Why do we care?
Community Engagement Different types, places to engage
The Role of Content in Community Engagement Different types of content
Today’s Agenda (cont’d)
Creating Content/Using Influencers Putting it all Together Re-purposing content to use for
Multiple Channel Distribution Questions and Answers
Virtual Communities
Definition (via Wikipedia): A virtual community is a social network
of individuals who interact through specific social media, crossing geographical and political boundaries in order to pursue mutual interests or goals.
The most popular ways virtual community operate under social networking services consisting of various online communities.
Virtual Communities
Virtual communities resemble real life communities in that they both provide support, information, friendship and acceptance between strangers, friends and colleagues.
Why create a virtual community around your event?
24/7 is the new normal.
If you aren’t keeping your exhibitors, visitors and prospects engaged on a regular basis, someone else will.
Benefits of Virtual Communities
Helps Show Management stay current with the industry
Provides Show Management leadership role within the industry
Helps with Live Programming (Education!) Virtual drives Live Engagement &
Attendance i.e.: Tweet ups, Virgo Media Brings in new people
Can help drive sales Does not have to be expensive
Creating a Virtual Community Around Your Event
This is known as Community Engagement! Where does your audience hang out?
The New Rule of Engagement: You have to go where your audience
is. They will only come to you if you are where they are – and if you are interesting or provide something new and valuable – content.
Where is Your Community?
Ask.fm grew 5000% in one year. Has over 13
million unique visitors per month. While mostly skewed to a younger audience, worth a look-see.
Scribd – this is a paper-sharing site. LinkedIn Groups Facebook
Where is your community?
Twitter Google + (not really) Pinterest Microsites
Types of Content:
Facebook Clips Photos Podcasts Video Blogs Videos Webinars White Papers YouTube Channel Others?
Creating Content
Tradeshows, conferences and events are ripe with content
What can we do on site to capture content as it’s being created?
Creating Content
RELEVANCE of Subject Matter – What is your customers’ pain point
and how can you help solve it?
HINT: just like our expos and conferences
Influencers
What is an influencer? Do you know who your industry’s top
10 influencers are? Do you regularly interact with them? Use your key influencers to help
spread the word about your events and help create content.
How to Ask Influencers For Help Ask for an appointment Tell them you think they are an influencer
in the industry in a complimentary way. Ask them for Help in promoting your
event. Then let them speak!!!
Let them offer ideas. Ask them what they want to do. Reward them. Thank them.
What other ways can you use influencers?
Creating Content: Video
It’s Content! Short Form is easy to do You can authenticate the voice of the
customer For example: interview visitors/exhibitors
on site It may be user generated - your audience
submits content It does not have to be expensive It can be easily broken down into smaller
pieces
Other Content Creation Factors
Length: How long should pieces be? Should Content be paid?
Putting it All Together:
Building a Community & Disseminating ContentLinkedIn Groups – finding pain points and providing solutions
Use the Polling feature to get more information
Listen, Listen, Listen! Continuity
Disseminating Content
Use Social Contests on FB and Twitter –
before and during the event.
Use themes, keynotes, conference topics and make exclusive sponsored meet up/tweet ups.
Tweet Ups vs. Meet Ups
Disseminating Content
Microsites: Have a video library with speakers, sponsors and industry personalities for before the show. Post content from the show to keep
engagement going year round. Stay Engaged! We as an industry are
horrible about neglecting social media more than 2 weeks after a show or event. 24/7 is here to stay.
Combining Multiple Channels = Success
What are Multiple Channels?
Online meets and drives the live experience, and keeps it going throughout the show cycle
Don’t forget email!
Distribution
Does not have to be hour-long segments!
Content should be repurposed for the places people in your industry congregate and discussions are happening.
There is free editing software available online if you don’t have much of a budget to edit video down to smaller sized pieces
Beware of Communication Overload
Summary
If you aren’t the leader in your industry sector, someone else will be!
24/7 is here to stay Community Engagement and Content
does not have to be expensive Multiple Channels Require different
communications Engage your Community before,
during and post event
Questions and Answers
For more information, please contact:
Stephanie S. [email protected]
www.internationaltradeinformation.com
