Social Media Event Marketing

Traditional marketing such as advertising, public relations, branding and corporate communications is truly dead. The way companies interact with their partners, employees, customers and the general public has changed drastically. Unsurprisingly, as old-fashioned marketing is decreasing, digital marketing is on the rise. The advantages of digital marketing can help boost all sorts of businesses, from start-ups to large enterprises as there are several ways to advertise services, products and experiences online.

When it comes to events, for instance, social media can be a valuable weapon for event organisers, whether it is for a networking event, conference, seminar, charity fundraiser, music festival, club night or even for private events such as weddings and birthday parties, as it can help them organise the event, encourage engagement, attract more attendees and extend the lifetime value of their event.

However, in order to achieve your goals and incorporate social media into your event, you need to have a marketing strategy using different tools and platforms, as well as having a plan to promote the event before, during and after. Please see a strategy below:

Before the event:

1. Set up a Facebook page with all the relevant details (e.g. location, address, timings) and invite all guests. Use targeted ads to promote the event if it’s not invitation only.
2. Tweet little facts about the event every so often and create a unique Twitter
3. Schedule posts on Instagram that will make guests and potential guest’s picture what the event will be like, as well as posting main event flyers with all the important details. Make sure to include the same unique hashtag used on Twitter.
4. Create boards on Pinterest with photos, videos and infographics showing different aspects of the event such as the venue, event styling, flyers and all sorts of visual elements.
5. Create campaigns and giveaways which includes events hashtags.

 

During the event:

1. Ensure that the chosen venue has got a good Wi-Fi connection.
2. Encourage guests to check-in on Facebook.
3. Make sure that the event’s unique hashtag is visible.
4. Track interactions with your brand’s Twitter handle, hashtags and related keywords.
5. Interact with attendees and answer questions about the event promptly.
6. Ensure to address any complaints and try to solve problems before the event ends.
7. Encourage guests to share their experience on social media by having a photo booth or a photographer in front of a branded poster.
8. Create on-site campaigns and give out bags with branded freebies and make sure to include company’s exclusive hashtag.
9. Make sure to have a screen or monitor that displays social discussions from Hootfeed in real time.

 

After the event:

1. Give reasons to encourage attendees to talk about how successful your event was afterwards.
2. Repost photos, videos, tweets and feedbacks.
3. Ask attendees to rate the event’s performance if you’re planning to host a similar event in the future.
4. Conduct post-event survey to find out what went well and what didn’t.
5. Once it’s all done, analyse your social media performance to see how successful the event was, taking both the positive and negative feedback as a lesson for any future events.

 

Here at Gibson Hall, we offer an amazing Wi-Fi connection and we work with great AV suppliers who can help us with online hubs, screens and monitors to help all our clients with their social media strategy. We understand that some clients would rather not make their event so public by posting everything online so we are happy to be discreet too.

By Karen Lohana

Sales and events executive