You've got the venue, acts, trade stands, security, catering and portaloos, but how are you going to ensure people turn up to your event? Events marketing is big business and the stakes are high. Its doesn't matter how big your headline act is or how delicious the food if no one knows about it.
Marketing through social media is one of the most most effective methods of letting people know about your event, with the highest ROI.
Follow these simple steps to ensure your event is a sell-out success......
Create an "event" on Facebook
Creating an event on facebook will allow people to ask questions, say if they will be attending and share with their friends.
When someone says they will be attending a Facebook event several things happen;
They get sent reminders about the event leading up to it.
All their friends receive a notification that they are going, generating more potential interest (people hate to think they are missing out if they know their mates are going).
The more people that say they will be attending, the more relevant and important Facebook thinks the event is. This means it starts popping up as a recommendation in other peoples news feeds giving your event a bigger reach..
Post consistently and regularly
Develop a social media marketing plan for your event and stick to it. If you don't think that you will be able to post consistently every day, delegate to someone who can.
Use relevant hashtags
Use Hashtags relevant to your local area and industry to be found faster on social media. Head to https://hashtagify.me/ and enter your type of event onto the search bar. This will then give you a list of popular hashtags you can use. Remember the number of hashtags that it's best to use changes with each platform;
Facebook - up to 3
Twitter - 3-7
Instagram - up to 30 (use all 30 for the best results)
Get influencers involved
You can also use https://hashtagify.me/ to find out who your industry influencers are. Don't be afraid to contact them and ask for a retweet. When sunglasses manufacturer @lensway_se asked beauty influencer @Jannid to promote their new range on her Instagram profile, the image received 56,500 likes in 24hrs.
Create a unique hashtag
Make it easy for your fans to engage with the event by creating it's own hashtag. The best ones are short, unique and relevant. Less #leominsterstrawberryfestival2019, more #lberryfest19.
Post before, during and after the event.
Create a continued buzz about the event while its on. This is especially relevant if your event is over several days. @Wimbledon tweeted continuously throughout their two week tennis championship, posting 2,634 tweets from June 24 to July 7 2018. If people see daily updates about the event and feel like they are missing out, they are more likely to attend. Same goes for if they see how much fun everyone had after the event, they are more likely to go next year.
Got a big name band or speaker at your event?
Tag them in your posts so they can share them too.
Encourage engagement by using contests
The more engagement your event posts get, the more people will see them. Promote engagement with a caption or photo contest to give people a chance to win tickets or merchandise.
Are you looking for a way to effectively promote your event on social media? Contact us today to find out how an improved social media presence and a targeted events campaign can sell out your event.