We talk a lot about driving online engagement on the blog. But social media is a great tool for driving offline engagement too. It’s especially useful for promoting events.
Have an event you want to promote? Here’s how:
THREE MONTHS (+) OUT
Map out a promotion plan.
Host a strategy session. Create an event information page to link back to. If you can’t create an entirely new page on your website, at least create a new blog post.
Create a single hashtag. People want in on the conversation, so make it easier for them with a hashtag. We suggest something simple like the #eventname. Use this hashtag in every post and tweet. Every so often, use the hashtag in non-promotional, curated posts too. (This can help drive conversation without getting too repetitive.)
Place your hashtag on all your printed materials. Make a few different images in the very beginning that you can cycle through. These images should include the page URL and hashtag.
TWO MONTHS OUT
Post about the event at least once a week. Change your Facebook and Twitter cover photos to your event images.
Don’t forget about LinkedIn and Facebook. Now is the time to post the event and details on your Company LinkedIn page. Create a Facebook event, share it with your followers and add a link to it on your company website.
Then, monitor the conversation. Use Twitter to create a sidebar widget that shows all of the tweets from people talking about the event, and add it to your website. Not only will you be able to see who is discussing your event and/or brand, but visitors to your website will also see it.
ONE MONTH
Start posting about the event a few times a week. Now is the time to drive conversation about the event. Enlist help: Reach out to other affiliates to help you promote. From other industry leaders to followers to company employees—start engaging with others to help you spread the word.
Watch who discusses your event and then engage with them. Reach out, ask them why they are excited, and retweet them. It’s not just about giving the when, where and what of your event, but using social media to create hype around it.
WEEK OF
Post about the event every single day, on all platforms. Make sure that you are changing up the language each post, though. Countdowns are also a great way to get people excited and aware.
DAY OF
Live tweet the event! Take pictures and share instantly, and after. Talk to people and encourage them to connect online. Then tag them in a live tweet and follow up after the event.
Using social media, you can reach the majority of your fans and consumers at the same time. You can also promote directly to the right people, rather than spending time and money on a few print ads or television spots that may or may not reach the right people.
Image Credit: CC by webtreats