Social Media Tip: How to promote an event
Source: digishare360.com
Promoting your event with social media will really give you an edge over competitors. So how do you go about doing it?
1. Make a good plan
Really think about the strategy you want to use, and don't just jump in. Planning your strategy will make sure you keep your event organised and your strategy effective. If you are going to use videos or images, it's useful to prepare these before you start promoting the event.
2. Promote across all relevant platforms
It's important to have a main virtual hub for your event, but don't forget that different users interact with you through different channels. Create different pages for your event, say on Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ or Twitter. On the pages you should be posting different activities, images, sponsors, information about the event and anything else relevant to the event. The more content you post, the more likely it is to be shared!
Facebook – this is one of the most common places to create an event page. The more people who attend your event, the more people will be informed of the event page.
Google+ – the events feature on Google+ allows users to create customised invitations to anybody online. The platform doesn't just work for the event itself, it can also send out invites for Google Hangouts, which gives you a great opportunity to get all prospective attendees, speakers and customers in one place, discussing your upcoming event and driving your registration. Furthermore, you can sync your event with Google Calendar, making it easier to see when a user confirms attendance.
Twitter – if users decide to attend your event on Twitter, you can create a custom tweet for them. This can be placed on the registration page, and can drive your registration.
Most importantly, make sure you create a hashtag for the event. This is essential to boost social buzz around the event. Try to be a little clever with it; this will make it more memorable and shareable. Careful, though; you need to make sure you use the hashtag, and don't just wait for your users to share it. You should include it across all your platforms and correspondence for the event. This way, it is easier to monitor what is trending and get potential feedback.
LinkedIn – LinkedIn shouldn't be overlooked for any business event. This is an important step in promoting your event to the right people. You should post the event, and if possible, include an RSVP link. Search for relevant groups within which you can post the event, boosting registration and exposure of the event.
3. Use rich content to hype up the event
Posting engaging content is a crucial element of your event promotion. You are more likely to catch the eye of potential attendees by making your online content enticing.
Visual Graphics – images and infographics are a great way to attract more customers to your event. Infographics in particular are essential to your strategy, as they are fun and informative all at the same time. Another good way to connect with potential speakers is to create a graphic with their picture; this makes it more likely they will share the image, boosting your exposure.
Video – videos mirror the personal aspect of an event. If engaging, it is more likely to be shared by your users. It is easy to embed any videos you create on any of your platforms, as well as host it on Vimeo or YouTube.
4. Don't be scared to ask for help
Social media is all about interaction, and this is no different when it comes to promoting your event. The more of a buzz you create about your event, the more it will become hyped up. This can be achieved by reaching out to prospective attendees and speakers. You'll create more excitement about the event through encouraging them to share related content about your event.
Freebies – everyone loves getting something for free; by giving away tickets, for example, you can boost the hype around your event. People will be more motivated to share your content if they think there is something in it for them. Make sure you promote the freebies across your various channels, you can even create customised content for each platform.
Be challenging – creating fun contests or challenges are another way to engage your customers. By posting interesting facts or shareable content, you are giving the users a sneaky look at what they can expect from the event itself. Make sure any content posted and shared goes back to the main event page.
Use your speakers – ask potential speakers to share your event content. This can be done through interviews, giving users a taster of what's to come. Make sure you mention them in any tweets to boost both of your exposure.
Follow and be followed – once you have secured more followers for the event, make sure you reward them for following you. You should regularly interact with the attendees; this will provide you with potential feedback and make the customer feel important at the same time.
However you choose to go about it, promoting your event well on social media will really boost the exposure of your brand, product and services. By following the basic rules of social media, you're sure to benefit from a successful event.
Charlotte is a trainee journalist, who loves writing about anything and everything. Currently an intern at Social Media Frontiers, you can follow her @charlotteatsmf and @CharlotteR_4
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Social Media Tip: How to promote an event
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