Online events have become one way for the MICE industry to survive the pandemic. And for this reason, last year undoubtedly belonged to applications such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Clickmeeting and others. To communicate and organise events, mainly in the virtual world we had to adapt to the new tools.
Unfortunately, the MICE industry has not returned to business as usual yet and we still cannot meet for all kinds of events. Many of these online applications will stay with us helping participants join the conversation and to maintain the relationships. This is also why I enjoy using such platforms as Hopin, Swapcard and Hubilo during online events. Why? because also you can’t travel but still keep in touch with your audience, grow your network from a distance and learn and exchange experiences.
During different types of video meetings, the behaviour of the participants was different. It seems to me that the longer we have to work from home, the more often there have been situations where a participant has not turned on the camera during such events, even though others have activated this feature.
This can be more comfortable AND convenient as you don’t have to worry about the look and background in the frame. But are you sure this is polite? However, in my opinion, when taking part in a webinar or broadcast with an online discussion, you should show your face. When delivering online training myself, I rely on interaction rather than speaking to black screens.
Clubhouse found its niche
However, people want to engage with each other, especially if they have similar interests or want to know more about a particular topic. Why is Clubhouse popular, because you don’t show your face. Easy to connect, and interact, wherever you are. This has contributed to the popularity of the Clubhouse app, which admittedly has been around since early 2020, but It became more popular towards the end of last year.
Podcasts that we can listen to at any time have been popular for many years. But Clubhouse works a little differently, setting the standard for the whole Social Audio trend.What is Social Audio? It’s like a radio station that is co-created with the listeners.
In so-called rooms, the organiser can give voice to participants, who are only visible as profile icons. There is no video, no pictures, no texts, just the sound itself. Clubhouse gave its users the feeling of authentic conversations and a return to interpersonal relationships from before the pandemic.
Clubouse set the standard for the whole Social Audio trend.
In its initial phase, the application also gained popularity thanks to the effect of inaccessibility. To be able to create a profile, you need to have an invitation to join from another use.
Clubhouse used FOMO to attract users, a smart move. Conversations can’t be recorded, you have to join live like the radio. In January and February this year I spent a lot of time listening to and participating in various talks given by people in our MICE industry.
Clubhouse can be seen as an extra medium. The app is only available for Apple devices which undoubtedly limits its growth. The Clubhouse app has been downloaded by 13 million people worldwide. In December 2020 they had just 600.000 downloads.
Clubhouse for eventprofs
Is it worth investing time in acquiring knowledge and creating a profile in Clubhouse? The first destinations and MICE industry representatives have already created their profile on Clubhouse and take part in discussions, organise meetings and conversations with interesting guests. Some examples are:
- Ljubljana Talks by Conventa and Ljubljana Convention Bureau
- EventMB
- Inluencers from the MICE industry
? Top 10 Tech Trends for 2022 with @MariskaKesteloo at Knowledge Theatre @IBTMevents #IBTMWorld today.
? Would you like to know more? Send us a DM.#InfluencerMarketing #eventprofs #contentcreators #b2bmarketing #ibtm21 #ibtm pic.twitter.com/tpPJTDg7ZJ— wordofmice (@wordofmice) December 1, 2021
What is the future of Social Audio?
The app is constantly evolving and introducing new features for users. Clubhouse launched in October the ability to record and replay conversations. And what’s more? You are able now to download shareable 30-second clips.
I don’t know what the future of Clubhouse will be, but without a doubt social audio in general is already one of the most important trend in marketing 2021. The avalanche has started and nearly 30 startups have already used this concept.
Of course, the other platforms are following the trend: Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn (Microsoft). They are creating their own versions and plan to add new functionalities for their users. They are creating their own versions and plan to add new functionalities for their users:
- Twitter Spaces launched in spring 2021 – find out more about Associations Space on Twitter Spaces
- Facebook launched its own podcasts and such novelties as Soundbites, Live Audio Room or Sound Studio. Find out more.
- Spotify launched Greenroom
Facebook, Twitter and Spotify have the Clubhouse advantage in the form of existing users of the services, they will simply roll out additional functionality, it will be available on iOS and Android mobile devices.
Keep an eye on the market and see what happens in 2022 and how social audio will evolve. Jaroslaw Marciuk
IBTM World Trade Show from the perspective of the home based audience
November was the month that many of us have been waiting for in the MICE industry. After the last cancellations due to the pandemic situation, IMEX America in Las Vegas and IBTM World in Barcelona finally returned to their traditional form. Despite the restrictions, it’s hopeful to see that it was possible to organize both events, including exhibitors, visitors, hosted buyers and presentations and panel discussions on different stages during the events.
Please, do not forget about us
However, many people were unable to attend for various reasons. Due to quarantine, financial reasons, restrictions and other various reasons. I couldn’t go to Barcelona because I was diagnosed with Covid. I finished my isolation and I was eager to join you in Barcelona. But I had to resign because my doctor didn’t recommend that I travel. My option was to observe the IBTM 2021 via the Internet. Luckily Mariska could travel to Barcelona and she took actively part in IBTM World.
I expected that due to the pandemic the MICE industry would have learned their lessons, that the industry would change and broaden its horizons. I hoped that during these two years we would get to know the opportunities brought by the Internet, new platforms such as Hopin, Hubilo and Swapcard. I really hoped that the organizers and exhibitors would not forget the home based audience.
There has been so much talk lately about sustainability and inclusion in the MICE industry, technology can prevent exclusion like never before. You no longer have to fly to the other side of the world to attend an event and listen to a keynote speaker. Are these just empty slogans and boxes to be ticked off by events organizers?
I know we are all eagerly waiting for a return to normality and a return to the state of 2019, to IMEX and IBTM trade shows as we know them. The same way I see it, the organizers of the fair have forgotten about the equally wide and absent audience. Over the last two years, however, the world has changed a lot.
I am aware of the fact that the above mentioned trade show organizers have created virtual equivalents of the shows. Reed Exhibitions has created IBTM World Online 14-15 December this year and IBTM Wired (the second edition of which will take place 28 June – 1 July 2022). While IMEX has created a new online event IMEX Buzz Hub and maintains an active community. However, this is not the same as attending their most important traditional trade show online.
#IBTMworld social media listening
How could you participate online at IBTM this year? By watching the LIVE streaming on IBTM’s social media platforms that showed booths and short interviews with exhibitors. The longest live streaming lasted 17 minutes from the South American section of the fair. In addition, you could watch a video – a summary of each trade fair day – on Facebook. The video from the first day on Facebook had nearly 130,000 views and many other videos had tens of thousands of views. For comparison, it is worth seeing which results had the videos recorded in 2019. You can see the difference and the growing interest.
It is a pity that this year the organizers could not do a live stream of the speeches during the IBTM World Knowledge Programme on LinkedIn, Facebook, Youtube or any other platform. I missed the talks on Twitter Spaces or any other social audio platform. The longest live broadcast I managed to watch was “Re-connectem – Presentation of the Barcelona MICE Destination Support Programme” on Youtube VisitBarcelona which lasted 1,5 hours.
Was there another way to observe IBTM this year? I followed official hashtag #IBTMworld (plus #ibtm #ibtm2021 #ibtm21) and looked at what texts, photos and videos were published by trade fair participants and exhibitors. For every major event I create a project in Brand24 (social media listening tool) and listen to what is happening in the online sphere during the trade show. Congratulations to:
- Germany Convention Bureau
- Meet in Ireland
- Finland Convention Bureau
- France Convention Bureau
who were very active in sharing content from Fira Barcelona.
Quick & Sweet #IBTMworld Social Media Report. Social mentions 2426 (Twitter 1254, Instagram 583, Facebook 102), SM Reach 2.9 mln, AVE 441k $. Interested in detailed report? Send me DM. Created with @brand24 #wordofmice #eventprofs #destinationmarketing #socialmediamarketing pic.twitter.com/LpXiPtxCA8
— Jaroslaw Marciuk ☕️ call me Jaro (@JaroslawMarciuk) December 3, 2021
New technology and potential for the MICE industry
I have already spoken to many people about this topic, both attendees and those not present, and they have similar experiences. Unfortunately, the pandemic has picked up again and more restrictions are being introduced. I was curious to see how destinations have prepared for the new reality, whether they have presented suggestions at their booths as to how the technology could be used in future events. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find inspiring examples. In case I missed something, please do let me know.
Next to my opinion about IBTM, I have to admit that at least the organizers made some attempt to broadcast the fair. There is a bit different story with IMEX in Las Vegas, you could watch social media report official videos, IMEX Buzz on Swapcard and user generated content with hashtag #IMEX21.
I am really disappointed that the current technical possibilities are not used. This is for me another reason to believe that the organizers should not only follow the trends, but even create their own trends and inspire their own exhibitors to support and to use the technology.
I’m prepared to pay to get access to the online platforms where you could watch the presentations, the panel discussions and interact with other attendees. And more important to see each other, comment and ask questions. It’s about people, it’s about engagement, because we love to work with people.
I’m curious how our industry will evolve in 2022. Fingers crossed …
My first year at Word of MICE
October marked one year of working for Word of MICE, a company created by Mariska Kesteloo. I was pleasantly surprised because it was Mariska who reminded me of this anniversary by preparing a surprise for me and my wife Alicia.
It is an amazing time in my life. I would like to share a personal story with you about this extraordinary year and working together with Mariska. Especially since we haven’t met once in the whole year of our collaboration. All the meetings with Mariska took place online on Zoom and using other online tools but we got along very well and I learned what the Dutch sense of humour means.
The first step
A few years ago, when my wife Alicia and I were living in the UK, I noticed that Mariska was actively sharing her knowledge about B2B influencer marketing in the MICE industry.
I was eager to know more about this topic as she was the only person covering B2B influencer marketing in the MICE industry. I was also very interested in using social media to promote tourism and destinations. We met through LinkedIn and corresponded from time to time.
The first time (and interestingly the only time) we met in the real world was in London. It was in February 2019 at the International Confex trade show. I remember that I came to the fair in London from Cambridge and, apart from the fair, my main goal was to meet Mariska personally.
For many months Alicia and I lived in London right next to the Kensington Olympia exhibition centre, so it was also a sort of sentimental journey to where we used to live.
It was great to meet Mariska in person before the Confex started. We met for a coffee at the Hilton London Olympia Hotel. Later I found out that she is more of a tea person than a coffee person like me. During the meeting, I learned that she has knowledge and experience in B2B marketing, influencer collaborations and destination marketing. And next, she has the mindset and determination of an entrepreneur.
I also watched Mariska’s presentation on B2B influencer marketing in the MICE industry at Confex that day. Afterwards we had lunch together at Alborz on Kensington High Street. So many common topics of conversation! We could not stop talking!
What I didn’t know at the time was that this meeting was the start of our collaboration. That’s why I believe it’s always a good idea to connect with interesting people online and to meet them in person afterwards.
The start of our collaboration
Mariska invited me to join IBTM World 2019 in Barcelona, she created a collaboration with Reed Exhibitions and wanted me to be on stage to talk about influencer marketing and digital marketing.
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Unfortunately I couldn’t join her in Barcelona at that time. It was not an easy time for me and just a few months later the pandemic started. The MICE industry was gripped by an unprecedented crisis. It was also a time of learning new skills and creating new collaborations.
After we returned to Poland and settled in Warsaw, I noticed that Mariska started her own podcast series in early 2020 called the B2B Influencer Marketing Chat Series. I remember that I didn’t miss any of the 10 podcasts and was a very engaging and active participant. This was of course noticed by Mariska and Alessia di Raimondo, her co-host during the first series of the podcasts.
I had the opportunity to reconnect with people that I already knew personally (Henrik von Arnold, Amanda Thurlow). Next, it was a fantastic opportunity to meet new people, such as Giovanna Lucherini, Ivo Franschitz, Keith Jenkins, Dries de Geyter, Dennis Lippens, Sabrina Meyers, Julius Solaris and Rupa Shah. Listen to the interviews here Season 1 B2B Influencer Marketing Chat Series.
After this series Mariska asked if I was interested to work together on a small project with her, then another project followed. And in October 2020 she asked me if I would like to join Word of MICE as a team member to support her with the ongoing projects and business development. There could be only one answer, of course YES!
Picking up the fruits of our collaboration
Our year together at Word of MICE, I had an amazing time.
Let me be honest, it was a very difficult and tough period, because many of our friends in the tourism industry and the MICE industry lost their jobs, projects were put on hold, and companies went bankrupt. On the other hand it was the perfect time to create new opportunities and collaborations, using our creativity. And let’s not forget the increasing role of digital marketing and online events.
One of my first tasks was to participate and support the second season of the B2B Influencer Marketing Chat Series. I was delighted to be able to invite, among others, Phil Gonzalez from the Igers Community (Instagram fans and mobile photographers) to this series and to add a little Polish element in the form of interviews with Anna Górska from ICCA and Robert Szulc – live conversation from Ecuador about incentives.
We had engaging and amazing conversations with representatives of the MICE industry and how they and their companies survived during the pandemic. Through this project I met more people and we spoke to Carina Bauer, Tim Williams, Nyomi Rose, Horacio Caamano, Helen Moon, Maris Kuklis and Antti Lumiainen and Nadia Rubtsova. Listen to the interviews here Season 2 B2B Influencer Marketing Chat Series.
Working at Word of MICE is the perfect opportunity for me to establish new ways of collaborations and executing new B2B influencer marketing campaigns, with companies like, Singapore Tourism Board, Helsinki Marketing, InspireME from Monaco, Catalunya Convention Bureau or France Convention Bureau.
I had the opportunity to work on campaigns and projects with influencers and content creators such as Sabrina Meyers, Nadia Rubtsowa, Nyomi Rose, Meg Strahle, Sina Bunte and Jorge Bravo-Pratscher. Miek Egberts will always remain in my thoughts.
During the year I learned a lot about resilience, flexibility and overcoming personal challenges, because Mariska and myself, we have been through a very difficult and emotional rollercoaster.
Thank you Mariska
I’m glad we have a similar vision, we often discuss topics related with the MICE industry and destination marketing. We keep an eye on the development and new trends in digital marketing. Every month of work is a blessing during these times. For me even more because I can do what I love and I can work from home.
Thank you Mariska for involving me in every step of the company, sharing new ideas and projects and how to improve Word of MICE. Last year we ran, among many projects, LIVE on IBTM’s Instagram. And during another campaign we used the new Twitter Spaces broadcasting capabilities (#Associations Space) and the Hubilo platform for the online events (Singapore Spotlight Series #BizeventsSG).
As always Mariska repeats during conversations with clients “I am Dutch so I will say it straight”. This makes working with her always very transparent and focused on achieving goals. By the way, her Dutch sense of humour has a lot in common with the Polish one, which is probably also why we get along so well. Because it’s important to have fun in the work you do.
I really enjoy my work and the style that Mariska has introduced. Everything is always clear. Sometimes I have to sit many hours in front of the computer, and not everyone understands that the proverbial eight hours cannot be calculated. On the other hand, I also know that when something suddenly happens in my life, I can always count on her understanding and flexibility. I wish everyone such a business partner as Mariska.
If there’s one thing that I have to mention that was a challenge for me, is the fact that she pushes me to get out my comfort zone and encourages me to do the things I have rarely done this in my professional career. I know she’s right but I was not used to this.
I don’t know what the year 2022 will be like, but who knows? In times of a pandemic when our jobs and our loved ones’ health is so fragile, when it is difficult to predict what will happen in the MICE industry and in the entire world. Despite many unfavourable developments, I remain optimistic. There are many new opportunities and perspectives, and I am sure that together we will develop and strengthen the position of the Word of MICE.
I also know that Mariska is not only a good business partner, but I have gained a friendly soul. This is very valuable to me and I would never have thought that one meeting in London would bring so much good in my life. Again, you see now the value of 1 connection on LinkedIn.
Thank you for reading my story. I hope coming months will we very succesful for you.
Please, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Youtube to see the latest updates from us.
Jaro
How associations can benefit from social media? – the interview with Anna Gorska
Welcome to the second edition of the B2B influencer marketing chat series. Today, we have a great guest from ICCA and associations world in our podcast. Let`s dive into the discussion with Anna Gorska and find out how international associations can benefit from social media and marketing.
Who is Anna Gorska
Anna Gorska has been involved in the meetings industry for over 20 years. Since May 2019 she is part of the Advisory Board in the leading Polish association called PCO Symposium Cracoviense, where she is responsible for relations with the international associations. In March 2019 Anna became the Vice President of the SKKP Polish Conference & Congress Association. She is a passionate lecturer at universities promoting the importance of the meetings industry to the young generation. In October 2020 she was elected as a Board member for ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association). Anna was also chairing the ICCA Central European Chapter for 6 years.
We talked with Anna Gorska about:
- News from the World; an initiative that was created during the lockdown to keep in touch with associations.
- The 59th ICCA Congress that was held in November 2020 and gathered more than 1500 participants online.
- The role of the different social media channels; why Facebook is more popular in Poland than LinkedIn for associations?
Have you missed the live episode with Anna Gorska?
In case you missed our live session with Anna Gorska, listen to our conversation on your favorite podcast channel. We uploaded the whole interview to the following podcast channels:
Do you prefer reading over listening? You can read most of our conversation with Anna Górska below. Enjoy listening and reading.
59th ICCA Congress 2020
Mariska: It`s clear from your CV and from your background that you have a huge passion for the MICE industry. So I can say that you are true advisor or ambassador and perhaps even better said, a true influencer for the destination of Poland. I suppose the majority of the readers know ICCA, but can you share something about your role in ICCA and also about the ICCA Congress that took place in 2020? Can you share any insights why this congress was also so special?
Anna: Yes, of course. ICCA means International Conference and Congress Association. Right now, ICCA has over 1000 members from all over the world. In my opinion it is the most important organisation dealing with the meetings industry in the world right now. ICCA organises its’ congress every year and it takes place in a different part of the world every year. And in fact, every year, many cities try to bid for it to be the host of this event, because it’s a very prestigious event. So every year ICCA Congress gathers up to 1000 people from the meetings industry and from the top management of the members.
This year, the title of the congress was “Transforming Events Together“. It was scheduled to take place in Kaohsiung in Taiwan. But due to the COVID, the Board of ICCA decided to organse it for the first time ever, in a different form, in a hybrid format. So besides Kaohsiung, there were seven other regional hubs chosen in a different parts of the world, where the members could meet face to face. For example, in Europe, we had hubs in Luxembourg, and Malaga. The hubs were chosen so that delegates from all over the world didn’t have to travel to Asia, and could choose the nearest hub to their destination.
The attendees also had option to participate virtually. And thanks to that, the event hit a record number of attendees. There were 1500 participants.
ICCA also offered a six week educational program before the actual start of the congress. So for the registered participants, there were sessions every day on the topics like storytelling, macro and micro trends. And the sessions are still available on demand until the end of the 2020. So I think it’s the future of the meetings – the hybrid way, because it gives you an opportunity to participate either face to face or virtually, in case when you don’t have time, money or other sources to travel far away.
The 2021 ICCA Congress wil be held Cartagena, Colombia. So we all hope that we will be able to travel freely until November 2021.
Challenges for associations in the era of Covid-19
Mariska: You’re also very passionate about education. You were telling also in your introduction that you’re teaching students, so I think education is very important also for the ICCA community. So I hope that there will be more education about associations, about bidding or any other related topics. So I think it’s a great way forward and I’m really curious how the conference or in what way the ICCA congress in 2021 will take place in South America in Cartagena.
You are very passionate about associations. Associations in our industry are also known as an audience that is difficult to reach, difficult to get in touch with. You have a lot of experience about the association market. Can you give any insights about this particular market, about this particular audience?
Anna: Yes. First of all, I think that for many associations the annual congress is the main source of their income. So, during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, when the event has to be canceled, or postponed, it’s a problem for the association. In many cases, the leaders of the associations work voluntarily. So they have their own business issues to deal with, and it’s hard to concentrate for them on the associations market. I think this is the biggest challenge all associations are facing now.
And of course, uncertainty is the main problem, we don’t know when we’ll be able to meet face to face again, and travel again freely. So this is also a very big challenge. Others are like remote work and organise virtual meetings for associations. Others do not have experience and digital skills. So I think it would be reasonable for them outsource this and use sometimes experience of the PCOs to help them organise virtual meetings.
In my opinion, right now, the most important is to stay connected with the members, and to offer them an open communication and just examine their needs. Just ask them what they need right now. Because all of our priorities have changed. And what was good for the members last year, probably is not good right now. We need to learn to adopt to the members needs. I think it’s the most important right now for all national, for medical and industry associations.
An academy for meeting planners and event professionals
Mariska: I think you’re absolutely right, associations have a very fragile structure. And like you said, they’re based on volunteers, those volunteers perhaps may run their own company or employees. Also there has a lot of things changed, we’re now working from home, perhaps also personal situations have changed. And your working environment has changed. So we are facing a lot of challenges, of course, and it has a huge effect on the on the quality and also on the role of associations.
And the second, what you mentioned is the online experience. Yes, if you are working as a volunteer in an association, that doesn’t mean that you’re directly an online event strategist or online event planner. And also, as we’re living such an ever changing environment, what we need now today is perhaps different than we would need in a week or in a month’s time. So it is really a very, very challenging, not only for us, and as we’re speaking here, a very challenging world. But of course, yeah, an ever changing environment. And you say you reach out to members, you get the advice to reach out to your members. And just pick up the phone and call them or send them a message. Do you have any other advice? How can you stay in touch with your members or people that are related or connected with associations?
Anna: I can give you an example of the project we introduced in our Polish Conference and Congress Association (SKKP). The main goal of SKKP is to educate the members. And last year we introduced a project called SKKP Academy.
SKKP News from the World
But, of course in March this year, it was obvious that we could not organise any face to face trainings or educational products. So we introduced something new, the project called SKKP News from the World. It is a series of articles in which we write about case studies, reports, new promotional campaigns, showing how the world is reacting on this unusual and unexpected situation. And we make it available to our members and to other MICE industry representatives in Poland. The goal was to help the members to deal with an unexpected crisis by showing them the good examples from the world. Because we all know that information is crucial to conduct right decisions and to create recovery plans. It also allows members to react quickly and to implement changes in their strategies.
The project was very simple, the articles were spread throughout the social media and received a very positive feedback. The Polish MICE industry media also helped us and they distributed articles through their channels on social media, and in their newsletters. The project was also one of the finalists in the international awards, organised by association executives. We know that MICE professionals read it, because I can see how they use it in their campaigns, how they use it when they speak to others, so it’s very positive for us. And it motivates me even more. And I decided to continue the project also next year, and keep on writing the articles.
Mariska: Could you please share with us, because you’re saying you’re sharing case studies or articles. Were these articles also about associations and case studies from MICE companies? Can you say something about the type of content that you shared within that new initiative?
Anna: Yes, we shared the reports that appeared in the MICE industry. For example we distributed the reports issued by ICCA, or the other associations. And we also wrote about good positive examples of the different campaigns. I can share an example of the campaign in England, it’s called, ‘It’s time to meet again‘. During the campaign the employees of the industry took pictures with their smartphones, in their workplaces. And then they share it through their own social media channels. So to show that positive and personal way of how to organise event in their region.
Mariska: This is important for anyone who’s creating a new initiative or building up a community. So you really concentrate on content from the industry, from the meetings and events industry, and to share it with your members. You didn’t share any information from outside the meeting and events industry?
Anna: No, we share mainly information of the meetings industry. We read articles in the international newspapers, social media, different channels, and we choose what in our opinion could be important.
How to share news with your audience?
Mariska: You know the challenges of your audience, that you were the right person to choose the right articles that were relevant or could be informative for your audience. Also, how did you share those articles with your audience? Did you create a newsletter? Did you create a company page on Facebook? Or what platform did you use, and how frequently did you share the news with your audience?
Anna: Okay, so first, we started to write articles twice a week. And right now, I write articles once a week. We have created the webpage of SKKP section called ‘News of the world’. Other than that I posted on my personal Facebook profile and LinkedIn profile. As SKKP we also distributed the content on our Facebook page. And as I can see the others also share our articles on their personal profiles. The Polish MICE media such as: Meeting Planner, Think MICE and MICE Poland, also joined our initiative. So all these actions give an opportunity for the wider audience to read about it.
There is so much information and not many people have the time to read it all.So this is helpful as that what we choose, of course, from our point of view, what is really important, and share it, so they the have real knowledge all in one place.
Facebook or LinkedIn?
Mariska: Yeah, but I think it’s important because you have so many years of experience in the industry. You know what your audience needs, and they trust you as a person. So therefore, I think you are the right person to choose that information and to share it because you are authentic, you are trustworthy, and I would say the influencer within the world of associations. And going back, because you shared the content also on your private channels and on your Facebook and on your LinkedIn. And what is then your preferred channel, if you would choose between LinkedIn and Facebook? Or where did you get more reactions on Facebook or on the LinkedIn page?
Anna: Well definitely on Facebook, we get more reactions. And I use my personal Facebook profile only for business related matters. You know, I don’t use it for private reasons. I mean sometimes I do, but only when I want to promote the destination Poland. So I don’t show the birthdays of my children. I see that in Poland, Facebook, at least for the industry associations as MPI Poland Chapter, SKKP, or SITE Poland, is used more frequently than LinkedIn. And although I also share the articles on the LinkedIn, I see much more reaction on Facebook, and also much more shares on Facebook than on LinkedIn. I don’t know why, it shoold be the opposite page.
Mariska: Is it also to do something, for example, with cultural differences, or perhaps with the preferences of your audiences, and perhaps associations in Poland, are more active on Facebook instead of LinkedIn?
Anna: I think that Polish associations are more active on Facebook than LinkedIn. And just my friends from Facebook and LinkedIn, they’re more active on Facebook, I can see it and I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s a Polish thing. Maybe not.
Choose the right channel to communicate with your audience
Mariska: Yes, can be. But it’s important to know because we’ve spoken with many people, during our live webinars with different people from around the world. And a lot of people underestimate the cultural differences that are in each country exists. And also the rules and regulations, of course, but also cultural differences that in some countries. For example, Twitter is much more used and common in the UK, than it would be for example, in the Netherlands, although we use Twitter, but it’s not our place to go to. And, and sometimes it also depends on the industry. So it’s good to know if I would work for a Polish association I would know that I would invest more time and effort in Facebook than on LinkedIn.
Anna: I think it would be a good idea to do that. And I know you are involved in so many social channels and profiles, you have so many of them, especially Jaro . But me personally, I use only two of them only Facebook and LinkedIn because I just don’t have time. And you know, it’s not so easy to post the right content on social media, you have to think about it. And about the content and it just takes time. So I chose to have only two of them.
Mariska: I think it’s a very wise decision to only choose one or two platforms, maintain those and build the community then to have five or six profiles, where you don’t have the time. My preference is LinkedIn. For some people, for Jaro, of course, it’s Instagram. I think it’s a very wise decision to focus only on one or two social media channels.
Associations in 2021
Mariska: Is there anything else that you would like to share with us concerning associations, or any predictions or suggestions that you would like to share with us for 2021?
Anna: Yes, maybe two things, I would like to encourage everyone to get involved in associations. I know, it takes time. But it also gives you a very positive things, and to do something good for the others. That’s why I’m so passionate about associations. And that’s why I get involved in working with them.
Let`s talk about predictions, I think the meetings in the future will be smaller. And unfortunately, because a big part of them will be organised virtually. We will need a lot of time to feel safe to travel again, including long distances. The meetings will be smaller, and probably more local, and then regional. And we need to learn. That’s why I think we need to learn new digital skills, to be able to move freely in the virtual world.
This would be my advice, to learn new skills, and I’m also speaking about myself, I need to be more proficient in a virtual world. It’s not easy, but I think what we will learn now, it will give us fruits for the future.
Mariska: Indeed, I think you’re absolutely right. And also thanks for your advice to get involved in associations. I always have been very involved in MPI, which also gave me a lot of confidence. And from my perspective, I totally agree with you, Anna. I think for a lot of people has been a learning curve, not only for event planners, but I think also for a lot of other industries how to deal with online meetings, online conferences, and anything else.
Anna: Well, I think all of us are influencers in some way. And especially now when we all use social media and we live in an online world. So my final remark would be just to be cautious what you post on your social media.
Mariska: I think it’s a very good piece of advice for all of us. Indeed, think twice before you post something on social media because you might harm your reputation amongst your followers. So thank you very much, Anna, for sharing your insights and passion about meetings and events industry.
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