The importance of social media in event marketing

Each social network has a different purpose and you, as a digital marketer, should know how to use their main features to achieve your goals.

How is Facebook useful for event marketing?

Facebook is the most popular social network nowadays. By knowing your audience well, you can focus on which of their options (free or paid) would be more appropriate. Moreover, you should complement your strategy with the use of other social networks to create a greater impact.

Use Facebook Live to broadcast your event

Streaming your event is a good way to get engagement. It is likely that the longer the live broadcast lasts, the more viewers it reaches. Leave about 10 minutes for your viewers to connect until you start with your planned content.

Engage in Facebook Groups

When you engage a Facebook group, think about how you can add value. The more you add, the more visibility your brand will have.

Use Facebook Messenger

It has become an essential tool. It allows your audience to interact with you immediately. For greater engagement, you should respond within a reasonable period of time.

Post Facebook Ads

There are several types of Ads that you can use on Facebook at a reasonable price:

• Dynamic (remarketing): you just need to connect your event’s webpage with your created Facebook ad account. Once you set up your campaign, it will automatically be shown to people who expressed interest in your website, app or other online site.
• Video: reach your audience with videos created from photos and videos you already have; or by a selection of free standard images. They are usually between 5 – 20 seconds long and can appear in a video content, on the Facebook feed, Facebook Watch or Audience Network.
• Slideshow: which are like video ads that use movement, sound and copy to deliver a story in an engaging way on different devices.
• Photo: this type of ad gives you a simple format. You can overlay information about your event on the images, for example: figures from previous editions, number of attendees, etc.
• Carousel: With this option you can upload up to ten images or videos of your event, each with its own link, in a single ad.

Since Facebook and Instagram belong to the giant Facebook, it is very common (and convenient) to use the two platforms simultaneously. However, Instagram is an image-centred platform.

How is Instagram important in event marketing?

Take advantage of the huge potential Instagram has within marketing. The visual impact on an audience is one of the biggest promotional tools we have. In addition to Facebook, you will get the best results out of Instagram by combining different actions.

Use Hashtags

Make the posts very easy to find and boost their visibility. There are many categories but the most common are: branded, niche, content or industry.

Record Videos

It only takes 15 seconds of your time to announce your event in stories. It has been proven that video is the most effective way to capture the user’s attention. There are different formats of Ads that you can control from Facebook:

• Stories: Full-screen ads that appear in between stories.
• Photo: You can upload images of the event and make users go directly to the event’s website or profile.
• Video: The user will most likely see it until the end and click.
• Collection: Users can have a direct option to buy event tickets or merchandising.

Include User-Generated Content

User-Generated Content (UGC) is a type of strategy where customers can post reviews or comments about the event in the form of photos or videos. Due to its nature, it adds value by providing reliability. To promote this UGC, you may organize contests, surveys and reward the winners.

Share Your Event Location

Giving people an inside look of your event creates excitement and suspense. Sharing an event location will encourage people in the local area to attend.

Post IGTV Content/Reels

IGTV and reels are the most organic way to share videos of an event by both the user, who can mention and tag it, and you, as a marketer, to promote it and interact with your audience.

The importance of using Twitter in marketing

Twitter is the perfect platform for giving concise information without going into lots of detail. You can use the social media platform to quickly update event information and answer questions. The key in Twitter is interaction with your audience.

Include hashtags in Tweets

As with other platforms, hashtags can boost social media involvement of your event.

Responding and interacting

To create a Twitter account and not interact with your audience is useless. Spend time engaging and replying to tweets about your event.

Twitter lists

Twitter lists are great for categorising your audience (attendees, exhibitors, guests, speakers, etc.). The timeline shows you only the sequence of tweets from the accounts on that list. You can monitor members’ comments regarding the event.

Involve LinkedIn

The importance of social media in event marketing can be heavily improved with LinkedIn. Depending on the type of audience your event is aimed at, you should create a LinkedIn profile for it. Especially if it is focused towards students, professionals, startups or technology related profiles. There are different types of LinkedIn Ads. They can be adapted depending on the option you want to choose.

• Sponsored content has different formats: single image, video, carousel. Segment people who have professional interests that can fit in with the event you are promoting.
• Dynamic ads. Customise ads based on potential customers. Increase visibility, interaction and conversations.
• Text ads. Using the PPC or CPM method, you present your event to the audience you are most interested in and attract them to your website or landing pages. Adjust the segmentation options to reach only the right audience and generate high quality leads.

Promote your event on YouTube

YouTube has high potential in marketing when done right. To have some visibility as a newcomer, you’ll have to create a channel to publish material of your event (if possible, of quality). If you already have some experience, you need to prove authenticity as an event organiser or marketer. You can do this by uploading exciting videos of your previous events. Don’t forget to include a link to your event ticketing page in the profile bio and video description.

Create eye-catching Pinterest boards

We should not underestimate Pinterest when organising an event. There are many different opportunities within Pinterest, including:

Collabs

Create a board of collaborators and invite the public to contribute with ideas or suggestions for the event. Recognise your collaborators by pinning their services (if any) or giving credit to their ideas. Overall, this will help you build stronger relationships with contributors and motivate them to share with their community and potentially expand their fan base.

Competition

Run a Pinterest contest during the event. Your event brand will be able to connect with your current and future attendees in a more personal and affordable way.

Attract an audience through Snapchat

If the event attendees are Generation Z, you should be aware of the power Snapchat gives you to interact and connect.

Use a customer Snapcode

Write the URL of the event website and insert the logo inside the Snapchat ghost. Make it interesting and easily recognisable, so that the Snapcode attracts the attention of your audience immediately.

Geofilters are ideal

Users of this social network take pictures at the event and use geo-filters. They then comment and share these images with their friends. This helps spread the word of your event.

AR lenses

By using augmented reality (AR), you can create interactive moments with your audience. You can also include the logo of the event/brand somewhere in the image so that it gains popularity.

Snap publisher

Reuse existing photos and videos of the event for Snapchat ads. People will see content from your previous events and will want to attend future ones.

Understanding the overall importance of social media in event marketing

The scope and possibilities of event marketing through the use of social networks is vast. Therefore, it is essential to know your audience in order to use one or more platforms to interact with them. The best way to succeed is, firstly, to know your public and be able to predict their behaviour. From this point, you can foresee which network or networks they will use most frequently and create your marketing strategy for the event. With the right social network strategy, you will be able to build a solid relationship with your audience. This will translate into loyalty and, for example, ticket sales for the event, or generation of event-related content from visitors. The importance of social media in event marketing can make or break your strategy. Involve these apps as much as possible! Written by Cristina Moreno