🎉 Beyond Attendance: How
to Drive Excitement with Your Event Social Media Plan 🎉
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Set Goals and Objectives
3. Identify Your Target
Audience
4. Choose Social Media Platforms
4.1 Facebook
4.2 Instagram
4.3 Twitter
4.4 LinkedIn
4.5 Snapchat
4.6 Pinterest
4.7 YouTube
5. Create Engaging Content
5.1 Imagery
5.2 Videos
5.3 Stories
5.4 Contests and Polls
5.5 User-Generated Content
5.6 Live Video
5.7 Behind-the-Scenes
6. Use Hashtags
7. Drive Website Traffic
8. Promote and Cross-Promote
9. Engage with Followers
10. Track and Measure Results
11. Monitor Mentions and Hashtags
12. Adjust Accordingly
13. Collaboration and Influencers
14. Paid Ads and Sponsored Posts
15. Conclusion
1. Introduction 🎉
Developing an effective social
media plan is absolutely essential for promoting any event and driving high
levels of engagement, signups, and ticket sales. ✨ With the right event social
media strategy and compelling, creative content, you can generate tremendous buzz
and FOMO (fear of missing out) around your event! 😱🤩
From conferences and trade shows to fundraising galas and hands-on workshops,
let's dive into how to put together a winning event social media plan that
engages your target audience and rocks your goals. 🥁📲
An impactful event social media
plan starts with understanding your goals and audience, choosing the right
platforms, creating engaging content, actively listening and adjusting,
collaborating with influencers, investing in promotion, tracking success, and
more. By developing a strategic, multifaceted approach tailored to your unique
event, you can effectively promote it online and drive awareness, interest, and
attendance both virtually and in-person. 🎯
With platforms like Facebook,
Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and more at your fingertips,
the opportunities to connect with and excite event attendees are endless. 🤩
From visual content like eye-catching graphics, dynamic videos, and stories, to
valuable info, live interactions, contests, UGC, and influencer posts - your
social media event promotion possibilities are infinite! 🚀
So whether you're planning a
consumer-focused event like a local festival, a B2B event like a tech
conference, or a fundraising event for a non-profit, this comprehensive guide
covers everything you need to know to create an event social media plan that
delivers. Let's get started! 💃
2. Set Goals and Objectives 🎯
The very first and most critical
step in developing your event social media plan is to clearly define your goals
and measurable objectives. 📝 Without concrete goals
outlined, your efforts and content will lack direction and you won't know what
success looks like. 🧭
Take time upfront to
strategically identify the specific, quantifiable outcomes you want to
accomplish through your social media event promotion. This will shape your
entire strategy.
Examples of potential goals could
include:
- Drive at least 500 ticket sales
through social media
- Increase website traffic by 25%
- Gain 5000 new social media
followers
- Reach 100,000 people with event
messaging and content
- Achieve 25,000 total social
media engagements (likes, shares, comments etc)
- Generate 2000 newsletter
subscribers
- Boost brand awareness and
impressions by 40%
Really hone in on tangible
metrics like the number of tickets sold, traffic driven, followers gained,
total reach/impressions, engagement rate, email signups, and more. The more
detailed your goals, the better. ✔️
After defining your overarching
objectives, break these down into smaller weekly and monthly goals and
milestones to work towards. For example, you may aim to sell 50 tickets per
week, gain 500 new followers per month, and reach 10,000 people weekly with
your content and messaging. This keeps things realistic and achievable. 🙌
You should also determine your
target cost metrics, like your desired cost per lead, cost per impression, and
cost per conversion. This will influence how much budget you allocate towards
paid advertising and influencer/sponsor partnerships. 💰
Revisit your goals frequently and
adjust them as needed as you evaluate performance and trends. Increase goals
that you are exceeding or pull back those you are falling short on. Align your
social strategy accordingly. 📈
With your specific, measurable
social media goals and targets mapped out, you can stay focused and motivated!
This clarity will drive smart decision making as you execute your event
promotion plan. 💡
3. Identify Your Target Audience 👥
Once you've defined your social
media goals for promoting your event, the next step is identifying and
understanding your target audience(s) - the specific people you are trying to
reach, engage, influence, and ultimately convert into attending your event. 🔍
Without having a clear picture of
your audience, you won't be able to create content and messaging tailored to
their interests, values, needs, demographics, and motivations. Your social
media event promotion will seem disjointed and see poor traction. ❌
Start by asking questions like:
- Who would realistically be
interested in attending this event?
- What are their ages, locations,
gender identities, income levels?
- What topics, hobbies, causes,
and industries do they care about?
- What motivates and influences
their behavior?
- What social media platforms and
influencers do they engage with?
- What educational backgrounds
and professional roles do they likely have?
drilling down on audience insights through
interviews, surveys, and research. Look at past event attendees and your
existing customers and community too.
Personas and segmentation are key
here - you may have multiple target audiences with shared and differing
attributes that require tailored approaches. 👥 For example, an
industry conference may need to speak to executives, mid-level professionals,
and students in different ways.
Map out audience personas with
details on demographics; interests; values; motivations; goals; challenges; and
preferred platforms, influencers, and content formats. 🗺️
The more intimately you can
understand your event audiences, the more effectively you can craft messaging
and experiences specifically designed to resonate with them on an emotional
level. 🎯 This drives real engagement and action!
Keep these audience insights top
of mind as you select social platforms, create content, and engage with followers.
Your event promotion should feel highly relevant and valuable to them. 🔑
4. Choose Social Media Platforms ✨
Armed with your goals and target
audience insights, you can now strategically select which social media
platforms make the most sense to focus your efforts on.
The major platforms like
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn will likely play a key role, along
with visual platforms like YouTube and Pinterest if they align well with your
event type and audience interests. 📲
When evaluating platforms,
consider factors like:
- Where does your target audience
spend their time? What platforms and communities are integral to their daily
lives?
- What platforms does your
industry and competitors thrive on? Look at their follower counts, engagement,
and content strategies for guidance.
- What platforms best allow you
to achieve your specific goals through advertising capabilities, organic reach
potential, visual assets, and more?
- Which platforms offer
opportunities for real-time engagement and conversations to build community?
- What content formats and assets
do you have available? Play to the unique strengths of each platform.
Here is an overview of some major
platforms along with their distinct opportunities:
4.1 Facebook
With over 2 billion monthly
active users, Facebook remains a powerful platform for promoting events and
driving ticket sales.
- Create an official Event page
for your event to provide details, updates, photos, discussions, and more in
one centralized hub.
- Run Facebook ad campaigns
targeted to relevant demographics, interests, locations, and custom audiences.
Video and carousel ads work well.
- Post engaging content like
speaker spotlights, program highlights, registration reminders, and promotions
in relevant Facebook Groups too.
- Go Live or post video content
spotlighting event activities. Short video ads also deliver results.
- Use Messenger bots, comments,
and stories to drive engagement and answer questions.
Facebook's vast reach,
advertising capabilities, video features, and built-in Event tools make it a
must for event promotion. Offer exclusive discounts for those registering
through your Facebook Event page.
4.2 Instagram
Instagram is ideal for visually
promoting your event given its focus on compelling imagery, short videos, and
ephemeral stories.
- Post gorgeous graphics,
eye-catching photos, and short videos showcasing what makes your event unique,
valuable, and fun.
- Go live or post Instagram
Stories highlighting event speakers, providing registration reminders, and
getting fans excited about special aspects like entertainment, activities,
swag, and more.
- Use relevant hashtags,
especially branded ones, so people interested in your industry and event type
can discover you more easily.
- Run paid Instagram ads
promoting brand awareness, event registration, and driving website traffic.
Play to users' shorter attention spans.
- Post and engage actively 2-3
weeks leading up to your event to build momentum, then continue posting in
real-time throughout the actual event to extend your reach.
Instagram expands your visual
storytelling toolbox to portray your event in an inspiring, engaging way.
4.3 Twitter
While Twitter has a smaller user
base, its fast pace makes it invaluable for real-time event promotion
conversations, announcements, engagement opportunities, and community building.
- Tweet speaker spotlights,
program teasers, registration opening announcements, early bird specials, and
other event promotions.
- Use relevant hashtags and
handles so those interested can find you. Jump on trending hashtags like
#events, #conferences etc.
- Retweet and @ mention
influencers, event speakers, partners, sponsors, local businesses, and past
attendees to expand your reach.
- Go Live or post video clips of
event happenings, speaker comments, attendee testimonials, and more to engage
followers.
- Monitor and respond to
event-related @ mentions, DMs, comments, and questions in real-time. Be
helpful!
Twitter's immediacy provides a
valuable complement to your other platforms. Encourage attendees to tweet about
their experience with a special branded hashtag.
4.4 LinkedIn
For B2B conferences, industry
events, professional workshops, and high-level summits, LinkedIn is invaluable
for tapping into the right audiences.
- Post substantive updates,
articles, and videos in relevant LinkedIn Groups to generate interest.
Participate in Group conversations.
- Run LinkedIn Sponsored Content
and Text Ads targeted to audience demographics, companies, job titles,
interests, and more.
- Share speaker spotlights,
program announcements, registration links, special promotions, and event news
on your Company Page.
- Engage with prospective
attendees and those interested in the event topic by commenting on their posts,
answering questions, and providing value.
LinkedIn enables you to connect
directly with engaged industry professionals, executives, and decision makers
in your space. Offer discounts for registering teams of 3+ employees.
4.5 Snapchat
While less integral for
professional events, Snapchat presents a big opportunity for consumer-facing
events to provide fun, exclusive content.
- Give followers a special sneak
preview of preparations, rehearsals, speaker arrivals, and logistics using
creative Snapchat lenses, geofilters, videos and images.
- Post snaps and stories during
your actual event showing highlights, crowd shots, signage, entertainment,
food, and unique happenings.
- Create custom lenses and
geofilters related to your event brand so attendees can overlay these and share
their own snaps.
- Compile the best snaps and
stories into a Story on your event profile to preserve the fun moments and
continue driving FOMO post-event.
Snapchat provides a
"backstage pass" with ephemeral yet engaging content that resonates with
younger audiences.
4.6 Pinterest
For visually-focused events like
weddings, design conferences, fashion shows, and food festivals, Pinterest
boards should play a prominent role.
- Create engaging boards with
tips, product photos, venue shots, decor inspiration, speaker spotlights,
agenda highlights, and more to spark ideas and interest.
- Tailor board topics around
providing valuable information tied to your event focus like DIY wedding tips,
designer spotlights for a fashion event, favorite book lists for a literature
conference, and more. This attracts your target Pinterest audience.
- Promote your Pinterest content
across other social platforms and incorporate links and CTAs to register for
your event.
Pinterest enables you to connect
with audiences interested in visual topics and industries in an inspiring way
that drives interest. Collaborate with influencers on joint boards too.
4.7 YouTube
Videos are hugely engaging so be
sure to leverage YouTube as well when promoting your event.
- Post your event trailer or
recap video, keynote speaker series, product demo videos, tutorials related to
event themes, entertaining skits or performances, and more.
- Go Live on YouTube to stream
parts of your actual event like main stage speakers and breakout sessions so
those not attending in-person can still benefit.
- Run TrueView in-stream ads on
relevant YouTube channels to promote videos and your event link. Retarget past
event attendees.
- Embed your YouTube videos on
your event website, email newsletters, other social platforms, and anywhere
else you can drive views and interest.
YouTube expands your video
strategy beyond platforms like Facebook and Instagram alone. Welcome video
submissions from attendees as well!
Evaluate your unique audience,
goals, and event type to select a mix of 3-5 platforms to focus your efforts
on. Avoid spreading yourself too thin so you can maximize quality engagement.
Assign team members to specific platforms and communities for monitoring and
posting. 📈
5. Create Engaging Content 🤩
Your social media content is the
heartbeat that drives the success of your event promotions and engagement.
Creative, compelling content in a variety of formats is key.
Rather than only posting direct
event promotions and info, aim for an ideal mix of:
- 80% valuable, relevant content
(ideas, tips, spotlights, discussions)
- 20% specific event details
(registration links, discounts, announcements, recaps)
This more indirect approach
builds community and nurtures followers by putting their interests first. When
the time comes to drive event signups, they'll be receptive after enjoying your
posts rather than turned off by constant sales pitches. 🙌
Infuse your content with plenty
of emotion as well. Your event is likely tied to positive feelings of
inspiration, delight, connection, transformation, or achievement. Play this up!
💕
Here are some powerful types of
content to incorporate across the various platforms:
5.1 Imagery
Compelling photos, graphics, and
illustrations quickly capture attention and convey messages on highly visual
platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.
- High quality images of previous
events, speakers, attendees, venue, décor, signage, swag, entertainment, food,
and more. Show off what makes your event so unique!
- Infographics sharing
statistics, tips, and insights related to your event topic and themes. These
are easily digestible.
- Colorful graphics and stylized
text images highlighting inspirational quotes from speakers, event taglines,
special offers, announcements, and reminders to drive registrations.
- Carousels combining multiple
visual assets for a dynamic, eye-catching post.
- Albums and collections showcasing
photography of event happenings, details, and emotions to bring followers along
on the journey.
Vibrant imagery makes your event
come to life while allowing you to showcase key information at a glance. 📸
5.2 Videos
Video has become a must for
social media event promotion given its high engagement levels.
Short Videos Could Include:
- The official event trailer
teasing featured speakers, activities, entertainment, and other highlights
- 30-60 second video spotlights
of individual speakers sharing a preview of their content
- Boomerangs, animated gifs, and
slideshows compressing pivotal moments into super short video loops
- Weekly video series like
"Road to [Event]" recapping preparations, announcements, and
promotions leading up to the main event
- Compilations of past event or
speaker footage highlighting favorite memories and moments
- Bite-sized recaps of specific
sessions, talks, or segments of your previous event
- Behind-the-scenes footage of
venue walkthroughs, stage setup, rehearsals, speaker arrivals, and other
logistics
- Video interviews with speakers,
partners, or past attendees sharing their event experiences and takeaways
- Fun skits, challenge videos, or
comedic videos related to your event themes and topics
Longer Livestreams or Uploadcould
Include:
- Full keynotes and sessions
during your actual event so virtual attendees can participate
- Live or pre-recorded panel
discussions around popular event topics and themes
- Q&As and exclusive
interviews with event speakers, hosts, organizers, and VIPs
- Tutorials and hands-on
demonstrations related to event programming
- Special classes, workshops, or
speaker series you create as a lead-in to your event
Video brings your event to life
in an engaging, memorable way. Provide a mix of fun teasers and more in-depth
content. 🎥
5.3 Stories
Leverage "Stories"
features on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat to provide
followers with insider peeks into your event planning, promotion, production,
and speakers.
These ephemeral stories (which
disappear after 24 hours) create a sense of urgency, excitement, and FOMO. Fans
feel like they're getting VIP access.
Reveal:
- Guest speaker announcements
- Ticket sales opening soon or
low inventory alerts
- Venue walkthroughs and set-up
sneak peeks
- Speaker rehearsals and
preparations
- Registration giveaways and
contests
- Event decor and look reveals
- Speaker arrivals and
behind-the-scenes hangouts
- Expected event activities and
entertainment
- Equipment and A/V testing
And during the actual event,
continue sharing Stories to give both virtual and in-person attendees an inside
look. Post about:
- Crowd shots and fun moments
happening throughout the event
- Candid speaker moments like
finishing up their keynote talk or interacting with guests
- Attendees networking, engaging
with activities, checking out vendors, and more
- Special guest appearances,
award presentations, and agenda highlights
- Entertaining skits,
performances, contests, and segments
- Cool booth displays, demo
areas, lounges, or photo op zones
- Unique decor elements, signage,
lighting, A/V, and production details
- Funny bloopers, mic fails,
impromptu moments, and other outtakes
- Event swag, freebies, food, and
beverages
The casual, in-the-moment nature
of Stories drives excitement and gives you an opportunity to highlight aspects
you may not cover elsewhere. Let fans know you'll be posting live from the
event so they tune in!
Stories also allow you to overlay
polls, questions, quizzes, emoji sliders and more to drive engagement before,
during, and after your event occurs.
And don't forget - your speakers,
sponsors, partners, attendees, and hosts can all leverage Stories to help
magnify your event's reach as well. Reposting their content shows you're
listening and provides more perspectives.
Stories require consistency and
proper preparation for an "always on" look into event happenings but
deliver big in terms of reach, engagement, and interest! 📲
5.4 Contests and Polls
Contests, giveaways, polls, and
other interactive elements help skyrocket social engagement leading up to and
during your event.
- Ticket giveaways and discounts
for liking, sharing, commenting or other actions
- Random prizes like free swag,
upgrades, or gift cards for those engaging
- Photo challenge contests
related to your event theme for user submissions
- Caption contests for followers
to come up with creative or funny ideas
- Polls asking fans which
speakers, topics, swag items, agenda items, or brands they're most excited for
- 'Which [type of attendee] are
you' quiz to help followers identify their event personality
- Countdown posts, trivia
questions, fill-in-the-blank statements, and more
Off-platform contests like
sharing a branded hashtag for Instagram prints, Snapchat geofilters, and more
also drive UGC and exposure.
Keep things light and
entertaining - this inspires friendly competition and gives you content to
reshare. Contests should tie into your event theme and topics.
5.5 User-Generated Content
Speaking of UGC (user generated
content), this can be hugely beneficial for your event promotion. Attendees'
own social shares extend your reach exponentially.
- Create branded hashtags related
to your event name, acronyms, year (like #EpicEvent2022) and ask attendees to
share their photos, videos, comments, and takeaways.
- Repost and share the best UGC -
be sure to tag the creators. This shows you're listening and builds community.
- Offer prizes or perks like
merch, ticket discounts, upgrades, and more for top influencers who use your
event hashtag and tag you.
- Set up a apparatus, ring light,
fun backdrop, or photo zone at your actual event to make picture-taking
seamless.
- Share user-generated recaps,
memories, learnings, and feedback from past events to generate FOMO for this
year's edition. Credit attendees.
UGC expands your content variety
while showcasing authentic experiences and perspectives from the community
you're building.
5.6 Live Video
Live videos give your followers a
chance to directly interact with event elements in real-time through comments,
polling, Q&As and more.
Go Live on platforms like
Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube (or use a multi-stream service) to
show:
- Parts of the actual event
experience like main stage presentations, breakout workshops, or hands-on demos
- Backstage commentary with
speakers, organizers, or VIPs
- Attendee interviews capturing
reactions, feedback, and takeaways
- Impromptu conversations
relevant to your event topics and community
- Attorney spotlights, key
announcements, special promotions or flash sales
- Performances, entertainment
segments, and other activities
Comments and engagement on Live
videos tend to be extremely high since it's happening right now. Let your
followers know when you'll be streaming content from the event so they can tune
in live.
Repurpose excerpts from your long
livestreams as shorter standalone video clips too!
5.7 Behind-the-Scenes
Give your audience VIP access
through behind-the-scenes photos, videos, recaps, and Stories showcasing what
goes into planning your event.
Humans are fascinated with what
happens "backstage" so give them sneak peeks!
Pull back the curtain on:
- Event logistics like shipping
supplies, building sets, A/V setup, programming tech, decor assembly,
rehearsals, and more.
- Your preparation like designing
assets, securing permits, booking transportation, coordinating vendors,
developing the agenda, and handling tasks.
- Venue, hotel, and city tours
showing where everything will happen.
- Speaker, performer, or vendor
arrivals and setup like doing mic checks, prepping boothes, arranging gifts,
and getting greenrooms ready.
- Team meetings, enthusiast
moments, and "the making of" steps for different event elements.
Post captions should provide
context and insider info to make followers feel special. 🤫
Behind-the-scenes access builds anticipation leading up to your event and trust
in your planning capabilities.
Get creative with the wide range
of content formats and styles highlighted here. Craft content tailored to your
specific audience interests, goals, and social platforms too. Visually
compelling, valuable posts will outperform basic event info and sales pitches
every time. 🏆
6. Use Hashtags 🏷️
Hashtags help expand the reach of
your social media event promotion by enabling relevant people beyond just your
direct followers to discover your content and brand.
Strategic use of targeted
hashtags is key - a post with strong hashtags can still gain impressive
traction even if your follower count is low.
- Research hashtags frequently
used for events in your niche like #marketingevents, #techconference or
#livemusicfestival. Participate in larger conversations when possible.
- Create 1-2 branded hashtags
unique to your event name, acronym, year etc that attendees can easily find.
Ex: #EpicEvent2022
- Pop on timely trending hashtags
like #smallbizsaturday or #humpday for related posts to catch added eyeballs.
- Include a mix of general (like
#events, #networking) and niche (like #mobilemarketing) hashtags where
appropriate to widen your net.
- Monitor hashtag usage and
performance to identify your top hashtags to double down on.
- Encourage attendees and
influencers to use your branded event hashtag through prompts, signage, and
contests.
Hashtags should appear naturally
in sentences and descriptions rather than seeming forced. Place them at the end
or in the middle of your caption ideally.
Track hashtag impressions and
engagement within your analytics and refine your usage over time. When used
strategically, hashtags expand your event's social reach exponentially. 📈
7. Drive Website Traffic 💻
While social media itself
generates great exposure and engagement, you also want to drive traffic back to
your event website for more details, registration, tickets, and conversions.
- Include your event URL,
clickable links, and clear CTAs in your social media captions, posts, videos,
and bios.
- Shorten links using Bitly or
Google link shortener to tidy up posts. Enable link tracking to see which
platforms drive most conversions.
- Run traffic and conversion
campaigns on platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn with website link clicks or
registrations as the objective.
- Offer an exclusive discount
code or perk for those who register via your social media links to incentivize
clicks and actions.
- Link to specific pages like
your event agenda, speaker lineup, FAQs, parking info, and other key details
followers may seek rather than just your homepage.
- Pin website links prominently
on your social media profiles and include in email signatures too.
- Make sure links are clickable
when included in images and videos as well.
Adding clear calls to visit your
site for more information, pricing, registration, event updates, and directions
drives the social media traffic you need for conversions. Especially include
links in any posts spotlighting promotions, giving away prizes, or highlighting
featured speakers and activities. This connection strengthens your overall
marketing ecosystem.
8. Promote and Cross-Promote 🤝
With so much noise on social
media, you can't just create great content, post it, and expect organic reach
alone to make it shine. Active promotion and cross-promotion are key.
On your own platforms:
- Pin eye-catching graphics and
videos showcasing upcoming event activities to the top of your profile to keep
it “pinned” there.
- Schedule social media content
and announcements in advance for optimal timing. Use scheduling tools to
manage.
- Promote new posts by pinning as
an ad or boosting as a sponsored post. Paid amplification works.
- Share upcoming events,
registration deadlines, speakers, and other promotions repeatedly leading up to
your event.
With partners:
- Ask speakers, panelists, musicians,
vendors, and sponsors to share your posts and event info with their own
audiences.
- Repost and share content from
your event collaborators, venues, hotel partners, restaurants, and other
relevant brands. Tag them.
- Co-host Facebook Live sessions
together showcasing complimentary offerings.
- Feature influential partners,
brands, and speakers prominently on your social channels through
collaborations, interviews, takeovers, and more.
- Hashtag and @mention partners
in relevant event posts before, during, and after.
Cross-promotion expands your
collective reach exponentially while strengthening partnerships in an authentic
way. Make it mutually beneficial to all. 🤝
9. Engage with Followers ❤️
Too often, brands use social
media solely as a broadcasting tool to disseminate one-way messages to their
audience. To succeed with event promotion, you need a more engaging,
community-centric approach.
Social media thrives on two-way
conversations - you must listen, be responsive, provide value, and interact
beyond just posting your own content.
Ways to drive more human
connections include:
- Responding to all comments on
your posts - answer questions, have real conversations, express gratitude, and
ask for feedback.
- Following up promptly on all
event inquiries, DMs, and @mentions. Provide helpful information.
- Leveraging Stories for visual
engagement with polls, sliders, emoji reactions, questions, and
call-to-actions.
- Sharing user-generated event
content like posts, selfies, experience recaps, learnings, and memories. Give
credit.
- Going Live or posting videos
addressing follower questions and suggestions around event topics. Offer tips.
- Monitoring key industry
hashtags for opportunities to contribute insights and perspective tied to your
event's themes. Provide value!
- Following industry peers, local
businesses, sponsors, speakers, and attendees to support their endeavors too
with likes and comments.
Social media is about human
connections. The more you support, respond to, and interact with your followers
beyond solely promoting your event, the more community you'll build.
These real connections inspire
people to then take interest in your event and brand - they'll feel valued, not
just marketed to. 🤝
10. Track and Measure Results 📈
A key step in any successful
social media event promotion strategy is regularly analyzing performance data
and metrics to assess what's working well and where there's opportunity to
improve.
Track important metrics like:
- Follower count and follower
growth rate across your key platforms
- Engagement rate on your posts
(comments, shares, link clicks, reactions etc divided by reach)
- Overall post and content
reach/impressions
- Website referral traffic from
social platforms
- Conversions for event
registration and ticket sales
- Growth and engagement around
your branded event hashtag(s)
- Leads or new email subscribers
generated from social channels
- ROI from paid social media
promotions and ad campaigns
Use built-in analytics tools
provided by each platform as well as third-party social media analytics
software to monitor data and compare against your benchmarks and goals.
Review weekly and
month-over-month trends to spot positive momentum you should double down on and
problem areas requiring adjustment. Rely on data to guide your ongoing event
promotion strategy. 📉
Without consistent measurement,
you'll be flying blind and unable to gauge the true impact of your social media
efforts. Make sure your entire team has access to reports to monitor relevant
metrics.
And remember, vanity metrics like
followers and likes alone don’t tell the full story. Track conversions and
business value generated above all else. This focuses your efforts on the
optimal platforms, content, engagement strategies, and opportunities.
11. Monitor Mentions and Hashtags 🗣️
Beyond monitoring performance
analytics, it's equally important to track event-related mentions of your
brand, event names, speakers, hashtags, and keywords across social media.
This allows you to:
- Respond promptly to questions,
feedback, and complaints
- Thank and engage with followers
who are promoting your event
- Discover UGC content to reshare
- Join larger event-related
conversations using your hashtag
- Assess general public sentiment
and tapping into your audience’s current mindset
- Identify influencers talking
about your event themes who you could potentially partner with
- Stay on top of brand reputation
management
Dedicate team members to actively
monitor key terms across social channels and set up alerts through tools like
Mention or Hootsuite.
Be responsive, helpful,
conversational, and grateful - this listening helps you cultivate stronger
community relationships and pick up on opportunities in real-time! 👂
12. Adjust Accordingly 🛠️
As your event date approaches,
it's important to objectively assess which social strategies and content are
resonating best with your audiences and then double down on those areas
accordingly.
Conversely, cut back efforts on
lower-performing platforms, post types, content topics, and engagement
approaches to focus your time where you'll make the biggest impact as crunch
time nears.
Use your learnings to:
- Increase posting frequency on
platforms driving the most registrations and website traffic
- Post more content spotlighting
popular speakers and topics that see high engagement
- Focus any paid ads or budget on
your best-converting platforms and assets.
- Stop posting as much on
underperforming platforms with lower ROI
- Modify unsuccessful content
approaches to be more engaging based on feedback
- Ask guests creating viral
user-generated content to make more for you to reshare
This agile improvement process
ensures you nail the most effective strategies to optimize conversions and
event buzz as your launch nears. 🚀
13. Collaboration and Influencers 🤝
Strategic partnerships with
relevant influencers, brand ambassadors, media outlets, and content creators
can expand your social media event reach immensely.
Research personalities who are
respected and prominent in your industry - they likely have audiences highly
aligned with your event's target market.
Potential partnerships:
- Recruit select
micro-influencers in your niche to help promote your event to their engaged,
targeted followers. Compensate them accordingly.
- Ask DJs, musicians, or bands
with big fan followings to help share event updates and offers. Offer guest
list spots or special perks in return.
- See if popular local bloggers
or podcasters will feature your event as part of broader industry discussions.
- Brainstorm activations,
contests, classes, and content you could co-create with partner brands and influencers
before the main event.
- Allow select content creators
access to create special event recap videos, blogs, photo shoots and more to
extend your exposure. Credit them.
- Request feedback quotes or
testimonials from past attendees and partners to feature in your social media
content.
The right mutually beneficial
influencer partnerships amplify your credibility and allow you to tap into
highly relevant, engaged new audiences. 📈 Just be sure to
maintain your brand voice and avoid seeming inauthentic.
14. Paid Ads and Sponsored Posts 💰
While organic social media
efforts are invaluable, investing in paid social promotions can significantly
boost your event reach, registrations, and buzz too.
Some options include:
- Boosting key event
announcements, speaker spotlights, and promotions as Sponsored Posts to extend
reach
- Paying influencers or content
partners to create native content and ads promoting your event across their
channels
- Running lead generation and conversion
campaigns through platforms like Facebook Ads and LinkedIn Sponsored Content to
drive site traffic and signups
- Sponsoring relevant content,
hashtags, or high-profile accounts to get your event promotions in front of
their followers
- Promoting your event videos as
pre-roll YouTube ads to exponentially increase views
- Retargeting people who visited
your event site or have shown interest in related content to nudge conversions
Test different types of paid
promotions and target different custom audiences to determine the most
cost-effective strategies for driving registrations and buzz. Support key
organic content pushes with extra paid amplification. Budget accordingly based
on your goals and resources.
And remember to track ROI on your
paid efforts using conversion pixels, UTM parameters, and analytics tools.
Double down on what provides the best bang for your buck. 💥
15. Conclusion
By now it's clear that executing
a strategic, creative social media plan tailored to your specific event goals,
platforms, assets, and audience is crucial for success. 🎯
With compelling visual content,
valuable engagement, strategic promotion, influencer outreach, paid
amplification, and effective analytics - your event can dominate across social
media - inspiring attendees, driving real buzz, and boosting your bottom line. 😍
Remember, social media event
promotion is an always-on process that extends well beyond your actual event
timeline. Use it to build lasting community long after this year's event
concludes.
Have an amazing event! 🎉
FAQ
What types of content perform best on social media to promote events?
Short videos, livestreams,
animated gifs, Stories, eye-catching graphics, behind-the-scenes photos,
user-generated content, polls and contests, inspirational quotes, and countdown
posts tend to perform very well in promoting events on social media.
You want to utilize a variety of
engaging formats - from quick videos showcasing speakers or highlights to
colorful graphics with event details as well as interactive elements like
contests and polls to drive comments and shares. Stories and Live videos
provide insider access. UGC shows authentic experiences. Have fun with gifs and
local elements too.
Test different content types and
analyze engagement. Double down on what resonates best with your audience
across each platform. The right mix of inspiring, informative, interactive
posts will promote your event effectively.
What are some best practices for using Instagram to promote events?
Post eye-catching, cohesive
imagery and short videos, use relevant hashtags (including branded ones) in
posts and Stories, go Live to generate excitement, engage local influencers for
cross-promotion, run paid ads with special landing pages, and leverage
interactive stickers and features in Stories. Be sure to also convert top
content into Instagram Reels for discoverability. Use Linkin.bio to link to
your event site as well. Stay active with Instagram content leading up to,
during, and after your event.
How do I continue engaging our event community after the event concludes?
Share professional recaps,
videos, photos, and quotes highlighting meaningful event moments. Thank speakers,
sponsors, vendors, volunteers, and attendees. Ask for participant feedback via
surveys. Offer access to exclusive full-length videos of keynotes and sessions.
Start promoting next year’s event and early bird discounts. Foster community in
Facebook Groups, LinkedIn Groups or on forums. Send “Flashback Friday”
throwbacks to favorite memories. Collaborate with attendees to co-create UGC.
Most importantly, continue providing valuable content related to your event’s
focus area to nurture the community year-round.
What are best practices for working with influencers and sponsors?
Have clear agreements on
deliverables, posting schedule, content creation requirements, performance
metrics, usage rights, and compensation. Ensure their audience demographics and
interests align well with your event’s target market. Collaborate closely on
cohesive messaging. Make expectations clear and approve content in advance. Aim
for authentic, strategic partnerships that reinforce your branding – not
disjointed promotions. Share their content on your own channels too. Compensate
appropriately based on agreed activities and performance. Express gratitude
publicly.
How can I encourage quality user-generated content from event attendees?
Create custom branded hashtags to
unify event content. Provide prompts and signage suggesting ideas for posts.
Set up an engaging photo booth or wall. Offer prizes and perks for top
influencers. Repost and feature UGC with consent. Make it quick and easy to
share content onsite through charging stations, image printing, etc. Use a
submission form to collect posts during and after. Showcase UGC in post-event
recap videos and galleries. Most importantly, express appreciation to creators
of UGC and continue featuring it well after your event concludes to keep the
community excitement going.
What tools are best for tracking the ROI and impact of my event social
media efforts?
Each platform provides its own
insights and analytics (like Facebook Insights), which are crucial to monitor.
You can also use tools like Sprout Social, Hootsuite, Rival IQ, or Google
Analytics to evaluate performance across platforms. Track key metrics like
website traffic, conversions, reach/impressions, engagement rate, follower growth,
hashtag usage, and more against your benchmarks. Use UTM campaign tags to
measure ROI of promotions. With consistent measurement, you can refine your
strategy and optimize the return on your event social media efforts.
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