8 Tips for Marketing an Event Through Social Media

Your company is hosting an event and it is your job to gather as many attendees as possible. How can you accomplish this? One powerful solution is to spread the word through social media. Using these simple tools will bring guests to your event and keep them coming back in the future. The following are some important steps to take when promoting your event via social media platforms:

1. Make sure that your event is “shareable” through social media. For example, if you have a webpage, e-mail blast, or blog article about the event, be sure to add buttons to the material that can allow users to “Like on Facebook,” “Share on Facebook,” “Tweet” (post on Twitter), “Share on Linked In,” or “+1” on Google+. Other popular social media platforms that enable users to share your event information include Tumblr and StumbleUpon. Users who share your event details through these various channels will expose all of their “friends” or “followers” to the event, thus widening the pool of possible attendees.

2. Create a Facebook fan page for the event as early as possible. Gather all the details of the event and create a page solely devoted to it. Over time, you will accumulate interest and “fans,” and if the event is recurring — such as an annual holiday party — you’ll be able to keep these fans for the next time the event occurs. Additionally, because users become fans through “Liking” Facebook fan pages, friends of your fans will again see the event in their feeds and will want to learn more about it.

3. Produce a Facebook event for your get-together. If you or your company has a Facebook profile, invite the profile’s “friends” to the event. If you have implemented the Facebook fan page as recommended in the last step, invite your page’s fans as well.

4. Design a Facebook ad for your event. Insert a compelling image, write a brief description, and link the ad to your event’s ticketing or information site. You can even link the ad to your Facebook event page or Facebook fan page. Choose the URL that you think will be the most persuasive.

5. Promote your event on your company’s Twitter page. If your event is large enough, create an entire Twitter account for it. Post updates with attention-grabbing information about the event and be sure to include hashtags by as many keywords as possible. You can even create a hashtag solely for your event by just beginning to use it. Employ the hashtag in subsequent Tweets and urge others to use it, too. In your updates, you can also ask followers to Retweet your message. However, be cautious with how you ask followers to Retweet. Asking them too often may become annoying.

6. Create an event post on LinkedIn. Your event will be searchable and recommended to people in your industry. You can also invite specific connections to your event. If your company has a LinkedIn company page, create status updates that tell your followers about your event.

7. Use images and video to entice. Do you have great photos from last year’s event or inviting images of the venue? Consumers are visual, and any photos or video posted on your social media platforms are sure to create illicit interest in the event. If possible, try to photograph or videotape the event for live streaming. Posting this media after the event will also continue engagement for both those who attended and those who will consider attending next time.

8. While you are at the event, live Tweet. Tell your Twitter followers about interesting happenings throughout, share announcements, and quote speakers. This will help build your brand and get followers excited about future events.

These are just a few tips to get you started with promoting your current and future company events. Continue to use all the social media tools available to you in order to help develop a positive global presence for your company.