Mobile World Congress is just a few weeks away, and while you’re inevitably getting buried in last-minute details, it’s time to take a little time and think about how you can drive more interest in your company at the show. The answer: a strong social media campaign. You don’t need to be in Barcelona yet to start generating a buzz. In fact, if you wait until then, you might not get the ROI you want. Getting starting NOW will help you get a jump on building relationships with prospective clients before the conference even begins.
Social media is buzzy, and you can get lost in the shuffle if you’re not careful. The key is finding the conversation and the people you are most
interested in talking with, and who are most interested in talking to you, and then continuing the conversation, whether across social channels or even—gasp!—in person at the show.
Regardless of which social platforms your company uses—Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube or Instagram—the main reason that you are putting energy into these platforms is to make connections with other people, exchanging useful information and getting involved in conversations that will ultimately result in real-world relationships.
Calysto has put together some goals for gaining momentum at Mobile World Congress by using Twitter and LinkedIn. A few are below, but we’ve also written a white paper that digs into the details of how you can start your social media presence now to get results at MWC.
Goal 1: Get noticed, but don’t try to sell yourself or your product. It may sound counter-productive to your MWC efforts, but trust us: Twitter is about personality, not sales. Show your true self, not some glammed up version that doesn’t hold true in real life. Once you get people’s attention, share something of interest that they will appreciate, whether it’s a market stat, a great article, or a Retweet of something that will hold value to the audience you want to reach.
Goal 2: Be strategic. Reach out to the companies you most wish to do business with, the analysts and experts you’d most like to notice you, and the journalists you’d like to cover your business. Start by following them, and then begin to engage them online by liking and commenting on their tweets. Share their most interesting posts with some personal comment of your own. Jumpstart the engagement process by interacting with the people and businesses that excite you the most.
Goal 3: Reach the right people by using the right hashtags. This year at Mobile World Congress, it’s #MWC16. By including this in all your conference-related tweets, you’ll be ensuring that your post becomes part of any conference-related search or digest using that hashtag. Experiment with using different hashtags for different posts and see what kind of traction in the form of follows, likes and retweets you get. Make sure to share your booth information if you are exhibiting!
LinkedIn and Twitter complement each other well when it comes to social media marketing. LinkedIn can help support your initial Twitter outreach AND deepen your ongoing communication with your new Twitter followers.
Goal 1: Make sure your company’s profile—and those of your executives are up to date. Include your latest projects, article mentions and achievements. Take a fresh look at your company description, and make sure it accurately reflects your current branding priorities. Have your senior executives do the same thing to their personal pages—reflecting their experience in the market is key.
Goal 2: Join some groups. LinkedIn groups are another great way to build brand awareness within your industry. If you do a little research, you will be able to join groups where your targeted clients are members. Engaging with them in these forums can be a good way to connect prior to the opportunity to meet in person at MWC.
Goal 3: Grow your audience before, during and after the show. Reach out MWC with whom you made a significant connection.
You can afford to be creative as you build excitement around your brand leading up to #MWC16—have fun, and remember to let your personality shine! Be sure to check out Calysto’s library of MWC resources to help maximize your trip.
