Sofia Info Integrity Forum

Overview

Event: Sofia Information Integrity Forum 2024 (SIIF 2024)

Industry: Disinformation Research, Media Literacy, Policy, and Technology

Engagement: ~3 months of collaboration (Oct-Dec 2024)

Project Highlights

• Helped launch a major regional forum, attended by key policymakers, journalists, and NGOs.
• Coordinated cross-channel digital and social media campaigns.
• Enhanced brand visibility through targeted social media outreach.

The Challenge

Multi-Day, Multi-Track Event Logistics

SIIF 2024 featured five thematic tracks, various parallel sessions, and a hybrid format for remote and in-person participation. Seamlessly updating attendees required a steady communications drumbeat across email, social media, and direct web updates.

Global Audience & High-Profile Speakers

With keynote speakers like Mark Galeotti (Mayak Intelligence) and Andy Carvin (DFRLab), the event drew an international crowd. Ensuring clarity on times, sessions, and "how to join" details across different time zones demanded thorough pre- and in-event messaging.

Ongoing Engagement After the Forum

The forum needed a "tail" of communications-throwback posts, recording links, and surveys to capture feedback from participants and speakers. A sporadic approach could easily lose momentum, so we aimed for a consistent, structured plan.

Advanced Technical Schema & SEO

The official site needed an in-depth schema markup describing the event, speakers, sessions, and organizations-improving search discoverability and offering search engines precise info about the forum's schedule and participants.

My Approach & Strategy

A. Communication & Promotional Content

#### Email Marketing

• Pre-Event Reminders: I wrote last-minute reminders like "1 Day Left!" for unregistered attendees (based on previous-year participant lists) and separate versions for those already registered-highlighting venue details, streaming links, and the day's schedule.
• Post-Event Follow-ups: Drafted emails thanking participants, sharing recorded sessions, and prompting them to fill out feedback surveys. Wove in a "year-end" or "new-year" tone to keep communications relevant.

Here are examples of the pre-event email campaigns I created for registered attendees:

SIIF 2024 starts this week - pre-event reminder email (1/2)

#### LinkedIn Posts & Social Updates

• Daily Themes (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3): Created short, varied LinkedIn post templates to promote each day's highlights or speaker quotes. Some posts targeted live in-person sessions; others encouraged users to follow the online streams for deeper insight.
• Throwback Posts: Designed "reflective" posts slated for a few weeks later, calling attention back to key speeches such as Nesin Veli's talk: "Information Disorder: Getting Ahead of Hindsight."

#### Surveys & Feedback Loops

• Proposed short, structured surveys for both attendees and speakers, including optional personal information fields, clarifying data usage and consent.
• Encouraged branching logic so participants could choose whether they'd like to provide more in-depth feedback.

B. Technical SEO & Schema Markup

#### Event Schema Implementation

• Developed a robust JSON-LD markup specifying `@type: Event` with start/end dates, location details (Central Military Club + Zoom streaming URL), organizers, keynote speakers, and multiple "performer" entries.
• Included relevant keywords (e.g., #SofiaInfoIntegrity, #SIIF2024) to capture broad and niche searches related to disinformation forums and events in Sofia.

Here are screenshots of the actual JSON-LD schema markup I implemented - covering the Event structure with organizers, individual speaker entries with roles and affiliations, and targeted keywords:

Event & Organization schema markup for SIIF 2024 (1/3)

#### Domain & Mixed Content Audit

• Ensured all site resources (images, scripts) loaded over HTTPS-addressing any "mixed content" warnings.
• Confirmed consistency across "www" vs. "non-www" versions to avoid duplicate indexing.

#### Speaker & Session Structured Data

• Each keynote or session featured `@type: Person` within the main Event markup, referencing the role (Speaker, Moderator, Keynote) and affiliation.
• This was especially beneficial for search engine clarity, letting Google parse exactly who spoke, about what, and at which session.

Results & Impact

Seamless Attendee Experience

Registrants consistently received timely updates: from last-minute seat reminders to daily streaming links, ensuring no one missed a session because they "didn't get the email in time." The approach lowered confusion around "Which Zoom link do I use?" or "Where in the venue is Track 2?", since each email spelled it out clearly.

Heightened Social & Post-Event Engagement

The curated LinkedIn posts helped drive traffic to the live streams and then back to recorded content post-event, building a sense of continuity rather than a one-off promotional blast. Throwback and highlight posts maintained the forum's visibility, ensuring SIIF 2024's top insights circulated beyond the actual event dates.

Streamlined Feedback Collection

Attendee surveys garnered more responses than previous years, aided by short, well-structured forms and timely email nudges. Speaker feedback forms provided crucial logistic notes (like whether they wanted session recordings published), making it simpler to share content responsibly afterward.

Improved SEO & Search Visibility

The extensive event schema gave search engines a thorough snapshot of the forum's schedule, participants, and scope. Over time, SIIF 2024 pages ranked more visibly for disinformation-related keywords, especially in local or niche contexts. Eliminating mixed content also boosted the site's security posture and user trust signals.

Key Takeaways

• A Consistent Messaging Arc Pays Off - From "T-minus 1 day" emails to post-event "thank you" and highlight reels, a planned communication timeline ensures participants stay informed and excited.
• Detailed Schema Markup Does More than SEO - By labeling keynote speakers, session start times, and event statuses, we gave Google (and prospective attendees) an at-a-glance reference for the entire forum.
• Tailored Content for Each Audience - Unregistered attendees needed urgency-based appeals; registered attendees needed streaming links and daily schedules. Having separate email versions was crucial.
• Leverage "Throwback" & Year-End Posts - Revisiting big speeches weeks or months later can reignite conversations, especially in industries where insights remain highly relevant.
• Surveys = Future Success - Gathering feedback right after the event (when impressions are fresh) lets the organizing team refine next year's forum content, logistics, and speaker lineup.