Hosting an event can be a daunting task. Not only do you need to determine a topic, date, budget, potential speakers and location, you also need to promote the heck out of it to make sure it’s as successful as possible. We know the proper use of social media can really make a difference!
Here are some ways to use social media to boost attendance of your locally based event.
Prior to the Event
- Create a video promoting the event that you can use on your landing page and promote via email and social media.
- Identify a list of current clients who are in the local area and should be invited first. Try to connect with them on social media. A client who is excited about the event will be more likely to retweet or share than a complete stranger.
- Define a hashtag and make sure you use the same hashtag across all platforms.
- When trying to figure out the best hashtag to use, try the RUSS approach: Relevant, Unique, Short & Sweet.
- To help with the pre-event buzz, inform your invitees of your hashtag beforehand, and ask them to share it with their followers.
- Create a Twitter list and keep track of everyone using your hashtag. Keep the conversation going.
- Define your marketing budget for the event.
Promoting the Event
- Begin promoting your event about 6-8 weeks prior, and incentivize early registrations.
- Create an event page either on your website, with EventBrite, or using Facebook Events.
- Think about the type of information you’d like to gather and consider going beyond (but not too far beyond) the typical name and email. This could be a great time to capture demographic information such as: website, role in company, size of company, their social media channels - so you can follow back - and how they heard about the event.
- For Facebook events: After the event page is created, make sure to go into Facebook as yourself (not the business), say that you are attending the event and then invite all your connections personally.
- Consider using Facebook and LinkedIn’s hyper-targeted ad platforms as a way to promote your event. You can target by zip code, age, gender, likes/interests, and much more!
- Don’t forget to use your hashtag here, too.
- Keep track of your activities in a spreadsheet and tweak them as you go.
- Identify any allies – this could be a great time to collaborate with a community partner (those who have a similar but not identical reach). Think CPA, estate planning attorney, real estate agent, etc. Arrange for cross promoting using email lists and social media platforms.
- Send private, personal messages to your local LinkedIn connections (including your current clients).
- Use email to promote your event.
- Your emails should include: a Registration email, a Confirmation email, a Reminder email, a Follow-up email and a Lead Nurturing email (about your company with a call-to-action).
- Provide pre-written tweets using your hashtag, in all your emails. Check out ClicktoTweet.com to create links. (Test it out by clicking here)
- Encourage current clients to invite qualified, interested friends and family to the event.
- If there is going to be a theme for the event, for example “Estate Planning,” source and share specific blog articles regarding that topic for the month leading up to your event.
During the Event
- Consider streaming out, during the course of the event, Q&A’s that could be relevant to your itinerary.
- In your opening introduction, mention your social networks and encourage people to connect and share during the event.
- Include your Twitter handle and hashtag on any presentation slides.
- Include social media icons and the event hashtag on any event signage.
- Take photos to share live on your social networks.
- Encourage attendees to post comments about the event, using your hashtag, and stream live updates in a public area.
After the Event
- Follow up with people you met and chatted with individually with a short email or by reaching out through one of your social media channels.
- Use the business cards you collected to get connected on LinkedIn.
- Turn your event content into future social media content.
- Blogs (or long-form LinkedIn posts): turn breakout session topics into a series of posts.
- Images: Take photos, short videos and post them at the event and after.
- Videos: turn any videoed sessions into an on-demand webinar, promotion for your next event or testimonial. See the example below from our Financial Social Media book launch event in Denver.
With a little planning, your event can be buzz-worthy and organically shared with lots of new potential attendees using the power of social media.
What are your tips for promoting events through social media? Did we leave anything out?
Amy McIlwain
President at Financial Social Media
Author, speaker, and President at Financial Social Media, Amy McIlwain speaks at events around the world ranging from audiences of 1000 to small executive boardrooms. She's appeared on FOX, CBS, ABC, and NBC as a social media expert and her book, The Social Advisor: Social Media Secrets of the Financial Industry, has been featured as a best-seller in the Amazon business category. Hire Amy to speak at your next event! Visit www.amymcilwain.com
@amymcilwain
International Speaker, Author, Financial Social Media Expert, VP Social & Digital @MooreCommGroup. Former DI Soccer Player, Avid Traveler & Clumsy Salsa Dancer.
#neworleans #nola #frenchquarter #touchdownjesus #bourbonstreet @ New Orleans French Quarter https://t.co/unoV1JrpdJ - 9 hours ago
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Social media is a powerful tool for gathering huge audiences for any kinds of businesses across the world. Because, it is the only platform with very high contribution rate.