How to Use Social Media to Market Your Event

This is a guest post from Anita Kinch at Search Laboratory

Back in the times of Adam (so it seems), if you wanted the masses, or a select few to attend an event; a snazzy newspaper advert, a radio announcement or a trip to the bookstore for invitations would be the order of the day. These days, when news spreads like wild fire on various social media platforms, these traditional methods (though still widely used and appreciated) are no longer the sole method of getting the word out. Whether you are putting on a charitable event or an event to drum up awareness of your business and its brand, social media can play a very important role.

Facebook

Some people are wary of Facebook as, for those of us who aren’t too keen on “baring our souls” or representing ourselves in words and photographs to friends and strangers; it can make you feel overexposed. For a business however, having a Facebook page can be invaluable. Your page should represent your business’ ethos, attracting like-minded clientele and keeping current and prospective clients informed about your company’s news. Very importantly, it is a very simple way to let people know about important upcoming events. Through status updates that are broadcast to your company’s friends, Facebook can be used to post links and reminders about an event that is on the horizon. More specifically to your event planning, Facebook allows users to create events and send invitations to a selected group. Invitations can be accepted or declined using this medium, providing a form of RSVP.

Twitter

If you are like me and fancy trying your hand at blogging but perhaps lack the time or the commitment, Twitter can be a good starting point as it is allows for transmission of short, quick bursts of information. This is particularly useful in notifying your followers of upcoming events. When using Twitter though, it’s important not to bombard your followers, as this may have the reverse effect and put them off attending your event. As a result, when marketing an event, care should be taken to post tweets about it at reasonable intervals. Tweets can also be directed at specific people, allowing a company to remind certain customers and clients about an event that will be taking place in the near future. Links to blog posts and articles about an upcoming event can also be tweeted to a company’s followers with the click of a mouse button.

Enhancing Fliers and Other Promotional Materials

Once you have decided to include your business on Facebook or Twitter, the next stage is to drum up awareness of its presence there. It’s easy to include the web address of a Facebook or Twitter profile on fliers or other promotional material.  This is useful as these traditional methods can only house limited information which can be expanded upon once the potential client has visited your social media profile. Potential customers can be encouraged to visit these pages by introducing an incentive, such as free tickets to your special event!

Advertising Social Media Profiles at your Event

After preparing for your event, whether it was by sending out invitations via Facebook or tweeting venue information through Twitter, it’s still important to maintain awareness of your business during the event. One example of this is through the use of display stands that can be arranged in a variety of different ways. Their versatility makes it easy for your company to incorporate information about their social media profiles into their design. When speaking with attendees of your event, you should make sure to mention your Facebook, Twitter and other social media profiles. This strategy helps to gain more followers, ensuring the efficacy of any future marketing events.

So I would say, don’t abandon those traditional methods of drumming up awareness of an upcoming event, but instead incorporate social media, you will be sure to reach the masses.

Anika Kinch, SEO Researcher

www.searchlaboratory.com