Event marketing is the subtle art of letting people know about your event. The information you share about the event must be persuasive enough to convince target audiences to join the event. In today’s dynamic and digital world, event marketing has become more nuanced than ever.
Event managers can no longer depend on just one marketing channel or technique to promote their events. Modern-day event promotions are all about integrating different media channels – offline and online. Unfortunately, most smaller brands don’t have the resources to build their presence on legacy media channels (TV ads, billboards, etc.)
Thankfully, harnessing the power of social media platforms to promote your event doesn’t cost much. Smart event managers can optimize their presence on these platforms and promote their events for virtually zero fees. That’s why 90% of event management experts admit that social media promotions are key to their pre-event management tactics.
However, successfully promoting your events on social media platforms involves a lot more than setting up Facebook or Instagram pages. Using the features on these platforms effectively requires a lot of planning. Don’t worry! Here’s the definitive guide on leveraging social media channels to boost your event’s popularity on and offline –
Select the Best Social Media Platforms
Some social media platforms are suited for all types of events (e.g., Facebook events). Others have niche audiences who only like to read or learn about specific types of events. Focus on the social media platforms that are the most relevant for your brand, industry, and target audiences.
Which social media platform will be the most effective for you? Here’s an overview of the top social media platforms for event managers and the types of audiences they attract –
- LinkedIn: It’s best to promote business conferences, corporate events, tradeshows, etc., on LinkedIn. The business networking platform attracts the best professionals from various industries. Use paid ads on this social media platform to attract business-minded attendees to your events.
- TikTok and Snapchat: These short-form video platforms are ideal for event managers who want to appeal to younger audiences. Plus, event managers get to experiment with many cool video editing features on these tools. Creating unique TikToks or Snapchat posts can give your event an “edge” among younger audiences.
- YouTube and Spotify: These two platforms are very friendly to advertisers. These platforms are ideal for promoting events where art, music, etc., are involved.
Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook have way too many users for any event manager to avoid. Make sure to create dedicated pages for your events on these platforms. Use these platforms (and one or two niche social media platforms) to share event updates and post engaging content. It’s also easier to target specific audience groups with paid promotions on these platforms.
Create a Unique Hashtag for Your Event
Small business owners with limited marketing budgets can raise awareness and boost the visibility of their events using well-crafted hashtags. Customized hashtags make it easier for attendees to discover event pages on social media. Find event photos, details about speakers, event website, etc., also becomes easier with customized hashtags.
Make sure the hashtag you create for your event is short and unique. No other company/individual should use the same hashtag. Here are some event hashtag examples to inspire you –
- #SBW2022 – Small Business Week
- #SXSW – The South by Southwest Festival
- #CMC2022 – Content Marketing Conference
Prioritize Promoting the Event on Facebook
Facebook should the priority for all event managers. Events on the social media platform attract 35+ million viewers daily. Plus, Facebook Event Pages are very easy to set up and use. Find the audiences you want to target, create a customized Facebook Event page, and start promoting.
You can even enter Facebook’s Event Ads plans to gain extra exposure on the platform. For very little ad fees, you can expose your event to thousands of potential attendees. Also, use Facebook Live to share event-related activities with your target audiences. Don’t forget to track the progress of your Facebook event page.
Create Compelling Posts
Modern-day social media users are extremely picky about the content they consume. Make every social media post about your event count. Here’s how smart event managers create engaging content on social media platforms –
- Different Posts for Different Platforms: On Twitter, your event-related posts need to be short, simple, and slightly sarcastic. Facebook and Instagram are the platforms for sharing HD pics or videos about your event. On LinkedIn, only share professional-sounding posts.
- Leverage Media Content: Images and videos make events appear more appealing than they actually are. Leverage high-quality images, funny videos, memes, animations, etc., to make your event’s social media pages as quirky as possible.
- Use Scheduled Posts: Plan and schedule your event-related posts in advance. Event managers can’t post 24×7. Nor can they post content while the event is taking place. Schedule all event-related posts using social media management tools.
Set Up a Clear Social Media Promotions Schedule
Social media event promotion strategies can be divided into different phases. During each phase of the process, the types of content you post will be different.
- Before the Event: Months or weeks before the event, all posts on social media platforms need to create a sense of urgency. Give discounts, tell your followers it’s their last chance to sign up, and encourage everyone to “save the date.” The pre-launch stage is the perfect time to promote the event.
- Announcements and Last Call: Days before the event, event managers will have to post multiple announcements. The content of these announcements should feature details about what the attendees can expect from the event. Use this stage of the social media promotional process to finalize all the names of the speakers and guests. Also, notify attendees that the registration period will soon be over.
- Post-Event: The promotional campaign doesn’t end with the event. After the event is complete, share images/videos of the event on all social media pages. Ask participants to rate their experiences via comments or replies. Create event surveys to gather data from them. Use this data to improve future social media promotional processes.
Publish Your Website on Event Directories
This step has nothing to do with social media, but it’s perhaps the most important step for event promoters. Event directories are great places for brands to find exposure. List your event on Event Always – the world’s top events listing platform. Get your event placed next to the world’s top corporate events, brand conferences, exhibitions, etc. Visit our event-listing website now!