Selling your event on social media: the Dos and Don’ts

10 August 2018

 

Nearly 60 per cent of events and marketing companies now use social media to sell their event to digital users according to research from US-based marketing experts EventMB.

Plugging your event on social media is undoubtedly a key strategy to modern marketing, but there are a few hygiene practices you should know about. Get these right, and your event could see tremendous engagement. Get it wrong, and it can fall flat on its face.

DO: Know your audience and their preferred platform

EventMB research shows more than half of all marketers thought Facebook was the most effective digital platform for event promotion, with an undoubtedly massive following across all demographics. However, it’s still important to be aware of how different groups of people use different types of social media – take Snapchat as an example. This social platform is generally thought to have a younger audience, a fact backed by Omnicore Social Agency statistics showing 71 per cent of all of Snapchat users are under 34 years old.

Therefore, if your event is targeted at a younger demographic, it may be more effective to use Snapchat to promote your event. Know who your audience are and what they want to see. Conduct in-depth marketing research to find out how and when your audience uses social media so you can use specifically-targeted promotional content to best effect.

Snapchat users are younger on average than Facebook users, making knowing your audience and the social media platforms they use essential. Snapchat users are younger on average than Facebook users, making knowing your audience and the social media platforms they use essential.

DON’T: Stop at promoting your event once it starts

The options offered by social media go beyond just promoting your event. Yes, you need to do this to get people through the door, but by stopping there you’re missing out on the chance to sell your event to those missing out. In an increasingly mobile world it’s easier than ever for people to engage with your event from anywhere at any time. But what has remained the same is the fear of missing out on an unforgettable event – so take advantage of this with social media livestreams.

Video livestreaming is an exceptional way of engaging with an audience mid-event. With a professionally-produced and hosted livestream, you can demonstrate to digital users exactly what your event has to offer and answer questions in real-time. This means your audience can get important event information immediately, and you can further build the excitement around your event while it’s underway!

DO: Create a sense of community

Digital users know they are one in millions of people on social media at any one time. So, in order to make them feel special or part of a unique group, you should use hashtags and other social media tricks in order to increase the exclusivity of your event.

Hashtags show a group of social media users are engaging with the same content, building interest in others on the outside of this group. Gated or exclusive video content is another way to build buzz around your event on social media. The exclusive access will make users more interested in what makes your event unique. This could be the tipping point for people on the fence about whether to attend your event or not!

DON’T: Miss out on expert event production and video services

Of course, in order to sell your event on social media, you’ve got to have a unique and expertly managed function to sell. This is where CMS Australasia can help – our team have years of experience in producing events all over the Asia-Pacific region, and can help you design and implement your event. We can also create and shoot video content, be that an expertly-made video digital users can watch or setting up a livestream to encourage others not to miss out.

Nearly 85 per cent of marketers rated social media campaigns for promoting events as important or very important. Get online if you want you event to be a success – but before you do so, chat to the CMS Australasia team about getting your event production and video content right to really sell your next event on social media!