Social media tools
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google+, Tumblr, Snapchat... The list goes on. When you’re just starting out, the idea of navigating the social media landscape may seem overwhelming, intimidating, or time consuming, but with some practice and a bit of time, you’ll get the hang of it!
To begin with, social media management tools like Hootsuite, Buffer, and HubSpot are great for monitoring and managing multiple social media platforms at once, and the tools’ analytics and reporting features can help you streamline your strategy. When using social media for your event, remember that you can do the following:
Market your event
Facebook allows you to reach larger audiences by creating event pages and encouraging your audience to RSVP and engage with the event details by asking questions or even just reading the event information.
Build a following prior to your event:
You can invite targeted groups of people to your event to make sure that you’re reaching the right target audience, and you can also use this platform as a place to engage those who have shown interest through things like event agendas, programme teasers, and even competitions. Social Media is a great way to get attendees excited about the upcoming event before it even takes place! And if they love what you’re sharing, they’re bound to share it too, meaning you reach more people and get more event exposure.
Cross post:
Sharing curated content and event info across different platforms simultaneously can be done on management tools like Hootsuite and other scheduling tools as mentioned above. While you should build your content to suit the style and audience of a specific platform, cross-posting allows you to ensure that the same core message is communicated across all platforms.
Pre-scheduling:
Social media tools allow you to save time by scheduling all your posts for the week, month or year ahead of time. Simultaneously, this also allows you to have a great overview of what your comms strategy looks like and leaves you with more time to focus on other event tasks.
Follow-up:
The reporting and analytics tools that come with social platforms allow you to follow up on the performance of previous activities and interactions with your event online, giving you insight into what works and what doesn’t, and empowering you to create the kind of content that your audience will love.
Social media bridging the gap in events
We believe that effective event planning means moving with the times, and if you’re not leveraging the power of social media as an event planner, you’re pretty much three steps behind. Social media offers an effective, convenient, and measurable opportunity to attract, engage and get feedback from your event attendees. Over and above that, it also provides the additional benefit of adding value to the main business functions of your event, such as improved networking, managing customer service issues and sharing relevant content or information.
The next time you plan an event, consider using social media. Not only can you create an opportunity to entice your attendees on a whole new level, but it gives your client and their guests an opportunity to walk the planning journey with you while playing their unique roles. Social Media is the future of eventing – #eventsforlife!
