The only thing more important than organising a great event is marketing it. Nobody wants to face a non-existence audience after all their hard work, and at the event itself you’ll want to keep the excitement going. So here are 5 great tips for marketing and incorporating social media into your event:
- Choose the right channels
There are hundreds of social networks, literally, although here in the UK the most popular by far are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and for Business to Business organisations, LinkedIn. TikTok, Vimeo and YouTube are also great networks for getting video content out.
Each social network has their own demographic of users and some networks are better suited for the type of event you might have. Consider the age of your target demographic, whether you are looking for consumers or corporate clients and then how to optimise your social media message for each network.
- Create a buzz about your event
Encourage attendees to rave about their past experiences of your events online, and prospective attendees to post about their excitement in attending ahead of the event. You can do this by encouraging image sharing, asking them to share their hopes and aspirations for the event or by sharing an attendance list ahead of the event itself.
For corporate events, arm attendees with a social media kit that helps them to promote your event for you – this could be a Facebook post template for example that shares reasons to attend the event or shows their stand number if your event is an exhibition.
- Use hashtags
Hashtags are one of the most effective ways to generate conversation about your event and generate buzz to drive ticket sales. Use hashtags to promote your event and encourage your potential attendees to use these hashtags when posting about your event online. Keep any hashtags short and memorable, simply using your event name, its acronym, or even including a hashtag in the official name of your event.
- Showcase a social media or Twitter wall at your event
A social media wall displays images and comments as they’re posted if they’re tagged with your event’s hashtag. People love to be in the spotlight, and your attendees will keep the excitement of the event going for you.
- Give incentives for people to post and share content about your event online during the event itself.
Ask them to tag you in and use hashtags. This could be a competition for example, perhaps for the most unique photograph or tweet. This will help engage attendees, promote your brand and of course help promote future events.
If you need help with your social media in the run up to an event, contact digital@nutsforprint.co.uk