Events and social media are perfect companions. Events create the content and social media is now the leading outlets for brand-customer communication. They provide the opportunity to create greater exposure and expand the lifespan of an event.
The success of any event relies solely on the logistics, planning and awareness building beforehand. Without success in these areas, the event can never be a triumph.
Social media now dominates a large degree of society. It provides direct access to either your buying public or as a possible “consumer” to an event, brand or celebrity. Previously, neither party have enjoyed the luxury of this simple communication, and now it’s possible, it needs to be exploited.
– Use social media to generate pre-event awareness, and build anticipation. People will share messaging, teasers and information to help publicise the event.
– For certain types of events why not use social media for invites and create Facebook events to invite guests too. This way the host and interested public can see exactly who is going to be there.
– Post photos of the invitation and goodie bags to build anticipation. Photos and videos are the most shared content online
– Remind guests what happened last year (or last time) linking back to older web content and reminding them why it’s going to be awesome, again building anticipation and hype…
– Use account names to send information to other social media users – from celebrities to journalists – social allows you to contact anyone with an account.
– Use bespoke hashtags to raise awareness of your event – e.g. #GlamourAwards. This way, you can start, follow and interact with the conversation.
– Also use hashtags to tap into wider social media threads of conversation – so perhaps #London is trending, or you want to post something about your event on #tbt (#throwbackthursday). Or maybe it’s a #fashion event about #style. Any of these will open your event up to a wider demographic and increase the chances of the right people seeing what you’re doing, get involved and help to make it a grand success!
