Written by Kari Ausloos
Having trouble deciding how to best promote your event online? Social media is a great way to promote an event, large or small. Not only is it inexpensive, but a great way for people to get involved. Social media empowers people to share your business’s events with others who you may not have been able to reach before.
Here are some ways to effectively promote your next event on social media:
1. Create an event on Facebook. On a Facebook event page, people can ask questions and share their thoughts about your event. A Facebook event can give you an approximate head count of who is attending. When people hit “yes” to a Facebook event, this is essentially the same thing as an RSVP. This is an easy way to have your Facebook fans and customers spread the word about your event on a platform that almost everyone uses.
2. Create a viral video people will share and talk about. Having a fun and exciting video that promotes your event can help drive people to attend. You can promote this video on each of your social media channels.
3. Give away free event tickets. People love the word “free.” Giving away tickets is a great incentive to get people interested in your event. Host a contest on Twitter or Facebook that generates involvement and buzz. Your event will basically promote itself through word of mouth.
4. Create a hashtag on Twitter. A hashtag allows for attendees to follow your conversations on Twitter and see what new information you have posted about your event. For example, Candeo Creative promoted our Tweetup event on Twitter with the hashtag#HeatUpTweetup. It’s important to incorporate the hashtag in the early stages of promotion. This will allow people to spread the message and join in on the conversation.
5. Interview guest speakers or special guests. One of the main reasons people go to an event is to network and meet important people. Making a video or podcast can introduce the special guests ahead of time and reveal what they might be presenting about if speeches are part of the program.
6. Schedule posts to occur throughout the day. You can use platforms like HootSuite or Tweetdeck to schedule posts ahead of time that will mention your event throughout the day. This way the stream of information is always flowing.
7. Post live tweets from the event. Provide real-time updates during the event and encourage people to use your hashtag to share their experiences. Sharing quotes or important topics helps people feel engaged and also allows people who weren’t able to attend know what is going on. You can also post photos of the event throughout the day.
8. Share a recap after the event. Post highlights and photos of the event on any of your social media channels. Encourage feedback and learn what went well or not so well so you can plan accordingly for the next one.
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