6 Tips for Promoting an Event on Social Media
Creating a fantastic event is no small feat, but it can only be half the battle. If you have your event planned but no one knows about it, your hard work may go to waste. There are certainly many different ways to promote your event, but one that is becoming more ubiquitous is social media promotion.
As you may know, social media is a word-of-mouth resource that is becoming more and more valuable in event promotion. It’s a strong, versatile marketing channel and there are many ways to approach it.
If you’re not sure where to start or how to promote your event on social media, we have you covered. Let’s explore six actionable tips so you can start getting more ticket sales and attendees.
1. Use built-in event features
Platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn have built-in event features to help you with event promotion. Head to your Facebook Page or other platform to create an event that corresponds with the event on your website.
On Facebook, you can do a lot with an event. Besides creating one, you can post direct updates, open it up to public discussion, invite your friends, and allow attendees to RSVP. Don’t forget to share important information about it, like the location, date, and time. Then, add event graphics to attract attention.
On the day of your event, take it a step further and go live. Going live on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok is a great way to draw more awareness and remind attendees about the event. If you don’t want to go live, post a story instead. This feature usually has a 24-hour time limit and is great for quick updates.
Whether you go live or post a story, tell viewers about the event and where they can purchase tickets. From there, you can embed your Facebook Live event directly on your WordPress site. In fact, our Virtual Events plugin can do that for you and also allows you to integrate with some of your other favorite online meeting tools like YouTube Live, Zoom, and Webex.
2. Create an event hashtag
Hashtags are still a major part of social media. They allow better discoverability among users who may or may not follow you already. Adding hashtags gives you a free, easy way to boost a post’s reach, so you should add them when you can.
For events, start by adding hashtags that are relevant to the event. For example, if you’re planning an event about machine learning, add this hashtag: #machinelearning. You can also check out the hashtags that other similar event accounts are using. Once you’ve narrowed those down, create a unique hashtag just for your event. If it’s recurring, add the year at the end of the hashtag.
Creating and using a unique event hashtag encourages others to do the same. Ask partners to use the hashtag when they post about the event. You can also encourage attendees to do so – especially for giveaways or contests. Then, anyone can click the hashtag, view all relevant posts, and learn more about the event.
The best part about hashtags is that they can go anywhere. All major social media platforms use hashtags, but you can also put them in email communications and event marketing materials.
3. Host a giveaway
Running a giveaway is a great way to promote your event over social media without spending any additional money on advertising. Instead of just posting about your event on social media, hosting a contest allows you to engage directly with your audience and let them take steps to promote your event further. Remember to ask them to post using your hashtag!
You can include an incentive, like a free ticket for the person who shares your post the most. Trust us, the exposure alone is worth the price of that ticket! On that note, make sure that you have a ticket for your event, even if the event is free.
With all of your social media efforts, your event is getting more exposure than ever before. Knowing what kind of turnout to expect will help you prepare for your event to be an even better experience for both you and your attendees.
4. Post a countdown
Almost nothing gets people more excited about an event than a countdown. We do it every single year for New Year’s Eve, and we never get sick of it. The same goes for your events. People will love watching the numbers update every second.
The good news is that this is easy to implement with Instagram. They’ve got a countdown sticker available for Instagram Stories where you can input an end date and time, so setting this up couldn’t be easier! Remember, Instagram Stories disappear after 24 hours, so you may want to post this story every day as your event gets closer.
Plus, you can post a countdown on your WordPress site with our countdown widget, available with our premium Events Calendar Pro plugin. This countdown will stay up until your event begins, and you can add a custom message to appear once the countdown is complete.
5. Aggregate user-generated content
Just because your event is over does not mean that your event awareness and promotion stops. Keep the momentum going by putting together all of the content generated by your event attendees. You can do this by using the hashtag that you previously created.
Go to each platform and click on the hashtag to bring up all of the content associated with your event. If your efforts paid off, you’ll see lots of social media posts created by users that talk about your event. From there, you can like, share, and use them as a way to thank your guests for attending the event.
You can even create a social media feed on your website to pull all of the content directly onto your event website so that site visitors can see what your events are all about. There are lots of social media feed plugins that you can use to easily make this happen on your website.
6. Prioritize video content
With the rise of short, engaging content and ever-changing trends, video is more popular than ever. Luckily, this is a good thing for events. Graphics and static photos don’t always convey the energy and excitement you need to help promote your event.
As mentioned, go live when you can to generate awareness on the day of your event. But you can post videos before that. Share sneak peeks of the event venue or materials before the event to build anticipation. Then, film some more video content (and ask others to do the same) so you can continue event promotion after the event. This can be a quick walkthrough or interviews with partners or attendees.
Prioritizing video content can really help give you the extra push you need to create excitement, showcase your event, and promote it every step of the way.
Don’t forget to follow up
There are lots of ways to promote your event on social media, from creating an event hashtag to posting a countdown. Don’t forget to share posts after the event. Then, follow up with attendees!
Even though your event just ended, it’s time to start planning your next event. The best way to do that is to retain your event attendees. Follow up with them to thank them for attending your event, ask them to share any photos that they might have on social media, and even ask them to fill out a survey about the event. Don’t wait too long before following up, or you risk losing some valuable feedback from your audience.
The best way to follow up with your attendees is with our email marketing service, Promoter. With Promoter, you can easily connect with your attendees throughout every stage of your event. Get it now, or try out all of The Events Calendar plugins in the free demo!