The Expo 2020 Dubai was originally scheduled to take place from 20 October 2020 - 10 April 2021, however due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the groundbreaking world expo has been rescheduled for 1 October 2021 - 31 March 2020.
The Expo 2020 Dubai is part of the World Expo, an event that has taken place every 5 years since the first World Expo that took place in London in 1851. Having taken place across the world over the years, from Paris to New York to Shanghai, this will be the first Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region.
With its central theme being Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, the World Expo 2020 will celebrate the power of collaboration and partnerships in the new world we live in. Set to be the largest and most ambitious World expo to date, the 6 month event will have more than 30, 000 volunteers, host more than 200 food and beverage outlets, and exhibit a variety of art and tech installations from global and local talent.
If you have booked a space at the expo and are looking to drive more attendees to your stand, then social media marketing is a great way to break through the digital noise and create much needed buzz.
Social Media Marketing Tips to Drive Visitors to Your Expo Stand
Integrating social media into your expo stand is an effective way to enhance your presence at the Expo. Below, we outline some proven social media tactics to help you connect with attendees before, during and after the event to ensure optimal results.
Pre-Expo Social Media Marketing
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Hashtags:
Make use of the Expo official hashtag, and begin following it before the event to learn about the trends and expectations of attendees. This will also help you engage with event key players and other exhibitors who will be showcasing their efforts at the event. You can also create your very own Expo hashtag to build greater hype around your stand and what you will be showcasing at the event.
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Teaser Videos:
Create a teaser video about what you will be showcasing or speaking on at the event. You can add this video to your YouTube page and share it across your relevant social media platforms. This will encourage engagement from your audience, and interaction with the event itself - make sure to tag the event in all your event related social media posts. The event may share your post to its wider audience - helping you gain even greater, more targeted reach.
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Accounts Based Marketing:
If you have a LinkedIn page and have connections that you would like to personally invite to the showcase or booth - reach out to them individually. This is known as accounts based marketing (ABM) and ensures you speak directly to the decision makers and key accounts that you would like to engage with at the event itself.
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Create a Landing Page for Lead Generation:
Create a page on your website that is dedicated to your presence at the Expo. You can add this link to all your social media posts which in turn, directs users to your web page. Your landing page will provide the viewer with more information regarding the event, and you can also create a lead form or lead magnet that is designed to collect lead data. With this data you are able to continue the conversation with potential attendees via email marketing and lead nurturing campaigns.
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Social Media Ads:
Make sure to promote your stand via the relevant social media platforms. Facebook and LinkedIn provide highly targeted advertising which ensures your ad reaches the right people, with the right message, at the right time.
At-Expo Social Media Marketing
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Photos and Videos with Attendees:
Make sure to post photos and videos while you are at the event. If you meet an attendee who is excited about your stand, take their photo (or a video), and share it across your social media platforms with a testimonial - and make sure to tag the attendee. Your attendee is likely to share the image or video with their followers - which ensures more reach.
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Expo Images / Social Media Photography:
Sharing images from the expo is a great way to engage with an audience that is not present at the event. Even though the audience is not at the event, they will gain greater insight into your business and will want to learn more about what you are showcasing at such a global event. You can share images of the show floor, different pavilions, and different exhibitions in your area. Make sure to use the relevant hashtags and tag the relevant stands - this will create more engagement and greater reach.
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Speaker or Presentation Video:
If you are speaking at the event, or you are doing a presentation at the event, take a video while you are speaking and post it after the event. Alternatively, you can go “live” from your presentation or speaker event via your social platforms - just make sure that this is allowed before you take the plunge.
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Schedule your Content:
As the expo is going to be a very busy one, make sure that your marketing team schedules in specific content throughout the days/months This is a useful tool, especially if you are presenting on a specific topic at a specific time. If so, you can schedule in social media content in the days prior to your speaking engagement. This content should cover key points of your presentation, which will encourage interested guests to attend your speaking event or presentation.
Post-Event Social Media Marketing
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Lead Nurturing:
Go through the leads you collected at the Expo and add important individuals that you met at the event on your personal LinkedIn profiles - also make sure to like and follow their business pages. By doing this, you ensure a connection that goes beyond the Expo and may lead to future business and opportunities.
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Create a Follow-up Blog/Article:
Write a thought-leader and informative blog post that outlines your participation in the expo. You can make use of seminar discussions, video content, imagery and more within your blog post / blog posts. Make sure to share these posts across your social media platforms and tag the relevant people and the expo in the post.
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Email Lead Nurturing:
Make sure to follow up with all the connections you made at the event via personalised and automated email campaigns. This helps build tryst and keeps you front of mind long after the event. In regards to social media, make sure your emails have your social media links available - this will drive more quality followers to your social media pages.
In Summary
The above are just a few social media tactics that you can use to market your stand at the Expo 2020 (2021) Dubai.
Digital marketing and social media marketing is vital for maintaining your business status at the Expo and is a way to create hype about your brand and what you can offer the public.
Founded in 2005, Nexa has helped hundreds of organisations from small startups to large multinational businesses providing high-quality digital marketing services. As a digital marketing company based in Dubai, and with years of experience in the marketing industry, we can help you market your business and your message during the Expo 2020 Dubai.
Our mission is to help drive growth for forward thinking companies and we will combine innovative marketing, sales and service technology and strategies to maximise your business opportunities.
Contact the Nexa team today and marketing your business for the Expo Dubai 2020