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The Social Experience - 5 ways you can use social media to amplify your event

25/02/2020

In our always on world, we take social media for granted, but it's worth reminding ourselves how we can put it to use to amplify our events.  Once you have content that’s getting some good engagement, consider putting some spend behind it to further boost its reach. Our 5 top tips below!

1. Create an event hashtag to aggregate your content

Hashtags work across Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. By creating a hashtag for your event, you can group all of the content being posted online about your event in one place. This is hugely beneficial - you can see what other people are saying about your event before, during and after it takes place. The content can then be used as promotional material for future events and feedback for improvement.

If the event is one in a series of events, a hashtag helps you create a legacy conversation about your event that can be used year on year so don’t put year reference at the end of the hashtag i.e. #SummerParty and not #SummerParty2020. And keep it simple!

2. Create a community and share updates about your event

How does a hashtag trend? It’s the law of many – when many people are talking about the same thing at the same time, then it trends! Sharing updates in the lead up to the event is essential – keep attendees, registered delegates, speakers informed.  Include your social media hashtag in all your pre-event communications. And don’t be shy about prompting people to post and let others know they have secured their ticket.
 
As your speakers to help spread the word too. Create a social sharing kit for the speakers that details the event hashtag, some sample posts and gives them a few graphics including their picture profile. This way you can control the message but also make it easy for the speakers – the easier you make it for them, the more likely they are to do it!

3. When talking about your event, tell a story!

Every online campaign should follow typical story development and have a beginning, a middle and an end. Before you start marketing the event, think about how you can tell a story over the course of the pre-event phase, during and after. You need to hook people with a storyline from the very start, so planning the full circle of your campaign is very important. You need to know the event’s storyline before tickets even go on sale and that includes providing potential delegates with the purpose of and reason for their attendance!

4. Create FOMO - Livestream some sessions on Facebook or Youtube

Nowadays livestreaming is very accessible and isn’t something that’ll break the bank. If you are already using a video crew to relay your speakers on stage to big screens, enquire about having the same footage fed to Facebook or YouTube. If you are taking this route, don’t stream all sessions! Remind them they have to be in the room to experience it all!!
 
There’s also the simple option of using a smartphone at smaller events. Once the phone has sufficient memory, is plugged into a charger and put on a tripod you’re good to go! If you think livestreaming the stage isn’t going to work, you could organise some backstage interviews with speakers and ask them to summarise their talk in 2 minutes for your online viewers – the options are endless!
 
The biggest pitfall of any livestream? Poor WiFi! So, check with the venue first. We have excellent connectivity here in Croke Park and you can see our specs here to give you an idea what to ask about.

5. Use signage to prompt delegates to join the conversation

This may seem like the simplest tip, but it is something that’s often overlooked! Make sure your event hashtag and calls to action are prominently displayed all over your venue – from the minute they walk in the door, in the elevators, at their tables, on the screens, on the bottom corner of all the presentations, on the t-shirts like above.
 
If you have an MC, make sure they announce it at the start of the event too!
 
With a little planning and some very rudimentary equipment your event can extend way beyond the physical and temporary space in which it’s happening so take advantage – a little planning goes a long way.

Contact us when planning your next event and don't forget to tag @CrokeParkEvents and let us help you amplify your event!

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