The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been giving its tourism industry a huge push. Their #WelcomeToArabia social media and influencer marketing campaign proves the sheer power of a hashtag.
We’ve talked about the wonders a good hashtag can work before. It can capture the imagination of the online public and helps companies, organizations and individuals dramatically increase their social media presence. In this case, it has the potential to boost an economy and change international perceptions of an entire nation!
Yet, tracking hashtags effectively can be a challenge given the number of times they are mentioned and used in different countries, different languages, and different contexts.
I used Talkwalker’s user-friendly and powerful platform, Quick Search, to get an overview of the power of the #WelcomeToArabia campaign across all online media.
In less than one month, the hashtag was mentioned over 43K times with a total engagement exceeding 124K and estimated potential reach of 888M.
What kind of posts were behind these impressive #WelcomeToArabia campaign numbers? Let’s take a look at the top 8 most engaging #WelcomeToArabia posts.
1. Mo Vlogs
Mohamed is a 21-year old Dubai-based vlogger who has over 8M subscribers on Youtube alone. In this video he captures the ancient historic places in Saudi Arabia, engaging over 20K followers on Youtube with an estimated reach of 460K.
2. Reema Bandar Al-Saud
In a short but magical video shared on Twitter, Reema engages over 6K followers with a potential reach of 287K. Reema is Saudi’s Ambassador to the United States of America which makes her a perfect candidate for spreading this message!
Magical @VisitSaudiNow #WelcomeToArabia pic.twitter.com/4AKiV4cUcm
— Reema Bandar Al-Saud (@rbalsaud) September 27, 2019
TRACK YOUR FAVORITE HASHTAGS NOW!
3. Fdeet_alnssr
This Saudi-based tweep posted a powerful video proving that Saudi is not just about camels and tents but rather a historically and culturally rich country that is now open for the world to experience first-hand.
Engagement: 5.7K
Potential reach: 784.8K
السعودية ليست جمالاً وخياما من وبر وليست كثباناً رملية فقط.. السعودية حضارتها أعمق من صحاريها . #التاشيرة_السياحية #أهلا_بالعالم#WelcomeToArabia pic.twitter.com/eDk3Wf6et6
— بن عويد #2030 (@fdeet_alnssr) September 28, 2019
4. Visit Saudi
The next post is tweeted from Saudi Arabia’s official tourism account, @VisitSaudiNow. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and this one certainly is.
Highlighting that Saudi is no longer just a site for religious visits during festive periods such as Eid, the caption and photo send a simple and clear message.
Engagement: 4K
Potential reach: 8.2K
A place beyond seasons. #WelcomeToArabia pic.twitter.com/QLSLlUPIYW
— Visit Saudi (@VisitSaudiNow) September 26, 2019
5. Saudi Press Agency
Up next is an announcement from the Saudi Press Agency. Using this tweet, the Saudi Press Agency shared the breaking news that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is now open to tourists from all over the world thanks to the new tourist e-visas.
The tweet engaged 2.8K accounts with a potential reach of 4.4M.
#عاجل
المملكة تفتح أبوابها للسياح من مختلف أرجاء العالم بإطلاق التأشيرة السياحية وتعلن عن استقطاب 115 مليار ريال خلال احتفالية نظمتها الهيئة العامة للسياحة والتراث الوطني اليوم في الرياض بحضور صناع السياحة والمستثمرين الدوليين.#أهلاً_بالعالم
#WelcometoArabia#واس— واس الأخبار الملكية (@spagov) September 27, 2019
TRACK YOUR FAVORITE HASHTAGS NOW!
6. Abdullah Al Bander
Sky News Arabia presenter and content creator, Abdullah Al Bander, is the author of our next top post.
Using a beautiful selection of 4 photos that showcase the historical, natural and modern sides of Saudi, Abdullah captures the engagement of 2.5K accounts and a reach of over 204K.
He supplements these photos with a caption about the generosity and hospitality that is at the root of Saudi traditions and cultural values.
من عاداتنا وقيمنا كشعب سعودي الكرم والترحيب لكل زائر في هذا الوطن العظيم، اليوم نحن أمام مسؤولية كبيرة لعكس هذه القيم المتأصلة فينا للعالم الذي سيزورنا ابتداءً من اليوم بعد الإعلان عن التأشيرة السياحية وفتح أبوابها للزوار.
كن خير سفير لوطنك ❤#اهلا_بالعالم #WelcomeToArabia pic.twitter.com/FJWZI6w3Cj
— عبدالله البندر (@a_albander) September 27, 2019
7. Saudi News
News platform, Saudi News, captured attention with a tweet mentioning that the tourist visa alerts visitors not to play music during prayer times and notifies them that shops will be closed during these times.
The tweet generated a total of 2K engagement and an estimated reach of 11.8M.
تأشيرة السياحة تؤكد على القادمين للمملكة عدم تشغيل الموسيقى أثناء الصلاة مع التنبيه على إغلاق المحال خلال وقت الصلاة.
.#أهلاً_بالعالم #WelcomeToArabia— أخبار السعودية (@SaudiNews50) September 27, 2019
8. Visit Saudi
Another aspirational montage posted by the Visit Saudi account. In this video, focus is placed on the adventurous side of a trip to Saudi.
Engagement: 1.8K
Potential reach: 8.8K
Adventure is calling. #WelcomeToArabiahttps://t.co/yaFvFm6GfU pic.twitter.com/dspIPYG7Qe
— Visit Saudi (@VisitSaudiNow) September 27, 2019
TRACK YOUR FAVORITE HASHTAGS NOW!
Let’s take a quick look at some of the top Instagram posts as well!
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The #WelcomeToArabia campaign has certainly opened up a lot of eyes to what Saudi Arabia has to offer. From a marketing perspective, it also proves that one key to a successful online campaign is having a uniform, clear, and easy-to-use hashtag that is amplified across various media and a diverse range of influencers.
So, when you plan your next campaign, find yourself a catchy hashtag and don’t forget to track and analyze it!
