Struggling to fill seats at your next event?
You’re probably not marketing it well.
With 75% of event organizers using marketing automation for event promotion, your brand also needs to jump on this bandwagon.
Marketing automation, such as the use of social media management tools, help you create content about your event and promote it easily on digital platforms.
In this guide, we’ll share the key tips and strategies for social media event promotion in 2024.
Let’s get started!
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Short Summary
- Promoting your event on social media before it happens is essential to building excitement and ensuring a successful turnout.
- Key strategies include creating a dedicated hashtag, starting promotion early, and actively engaging with potential attendees to build a community.
- Utilize tools like countdowns, user-generated content, and behind-the-scenes posts to maintain momentum and generate buzz.
- Partnering with influencers, running contests, and creating dedicated event pages can also help increase your event’s reach and visibility.
Pre-Promotion: 10 Ways to Promote Your Event on Social Media Before It Happens
Social media event promotion is crucial for building excitement and ensuring a successful turnout.
Here are ten effective pre-event promotion strategies:
Create a Dedicated Hashtag
Develop a unique hashtag specific to your event that is memorable and relevant.
Encourage participants, sponsors, and speakers to use the hashtag in their posts to create a unified online presence.
This increases visibility and helps track and aggregate all related content across social media platforms, fostering community engagement and conversation.
An Instagram post using #WinTechSeries, a hashtag started for the Women In Tech Texas event. Create Buzz Early
Start promoting your event well in advance to create anticipation.
Announce the event with eye-catching visuals and a compelling message. Use teaser posts and hints about the event details to generate curiosity and interest.
Early promotion also helps secure early bird registrations and builds momentum as the event date approaches.
You can use tools like Social Champ to consistently post on all your social media platforms at the same time.
Engage With Potential Attendees
Engage directly with your audience by responding to comments, answering questions, and encouraging discussions about the event.
Creating a sense of community and involvement will make potential attendees feel valued and more likely to participate.
Regular interactions also help build relationships and trust, making your audience more excited about the event.
An example of community engagement by Bar Crawl Nation Utilize Countdowns
Countdowns are an effective way to build excitement as the event date approaches.
Regularly update your audience with countdown posts, highlighting how many days are left until the event.
This creates a sense of urgency and keeps the event top-of-mind. Visual countdowns, such as stories on Instagram or Facebook, can be particularly engaging.
An example for using countdowns in Instagram Story to promote an event User-Generated Content
Encourage your audience to share their thoughts and excitement about the event using a specific hashtag.
Share user-generated content on your social media channels to increase engagement and create a buzz around the event.
User-generated content is social proof, showing others that people are excited and involved in your event.
Run Contests and Giveaways
Host contests or giveaways related to your event to boost engagement and attract a wider audience.
Offer event tickets, exclusive access, or branded merchandise as prizes to incentivize participation.
Contests can be based on sharing posts, tagging friends, or creating content related to the event, thus increasing your event’s reach and visibility.
A giveaway post by Olympics 2024 Share Behind-the-Scenes Content
Give your audience a sneak peek behind the scenes of your event planning process.
Share photos and videos of the venue setup, speaker rehearsals, or team preparations to create a sense of connection and anticipation.
Behind-the-scenes content humanizes your brand and makes the event feel more accessible and exciting.
Here’s a behind the scenes post for Women In Tech Finland:
View this post on Instagram
Collaborate With Influencers
Partner with influencers in your industry to reach a larger audience.
Influencers can promote your event to their followers, increasing your event’s visibility and credibility.
Ensure the influencers align with your event’s theme and target audience. Collaborations can include sponsored posts, live takeovers, or giveaways.
An example of an influencer partnership is at a Rare Beauty masterclass event. Use Event Pages and Groups
Create dedicated event pages and groups on social media platforms to centralize information and engage with potential attendees.
These spaces allow you to share updates, answer questions, and foster a community around your event.
For example, event pages on Facebook or LinkedIn can serve as hubs for all event-related information and interactions.
A snapshot of the Events page on Facebook (Meta) Share Speaker and Performer Highlights
Highlight the key speakers or performers at your event through dedicated posts. Share their profiles, achievements, and what they will bring to the event.
This helps build excitement and credibility around the event content. Speaker spotlights can include video introductions, interviews, or behind-the-scenes looks.
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During-Event Promotion: Top Strategies for Promoting Your Event on Social Media While It’s Happening
Promoting your event in real-time on social media can significantly enhance engagement and reach.
Here are the top strategies to effectively promote your event while it’s happening:
Live Streaming
Live streaming is one of the most powerful tools for real-time event promotion.
Platforms like Facebook Live, Instagram Live, and YouTube Live allow you to broadcast key moments.
These may include keynote speeches, performances, or panel discussions.
Live streaming engages remote audiences and creates a sense of immediacy and excitement.
You can promote your live streams during the event, interact with viewers by responding to comments and questions in real time.
Posting Live Updates
Keep your audience engaged and informed by sharing frequent updates directly from the event venue.
Post photos, videos, and updates about what’s happening at the event. Highlight key moments, speaker quotes, and attendee reactions.
Using features like Instagram Stories and Twitter threads, you can provide a real-time narrative of the event.
This can keep the momentum going and draw in followers who aren’t physically present.
Engaging With Attendees
Engage with both on-site attendees and your online audience by responding to comments, liking posts, and sharing user-generated content.
Encourage attendees to use a specific event hashtag and tag your official accounts. Actively engaging with your audience fosters a sense of community and encourages more interaction.
This engagement not only amplifies the event’s reach but also enhances the overall attendee experience.
Hashtags and User-Generated Content
Create a unique and catchy hashtag for your event and encourage attendees to use it in their social media posts.
You can monitor the hashtag to track engagement and interact with posts from attendees.
Additionally, you can also use user-generated content on your official channels.
This can validate attendees’ experiences and expand your event’s visibility to their followers.
Interactive Polls and Q&A Sessions
Use interactive features like polls, Q&A sessions, and live chat during your event to involve your online audience.
Platforms like Instagram Stories, X (Twitter), and Facebook provide tools to easily create polls and host Q&A sessions.
This interaction makes your audience feel involved and valued, increasing their engagement and satisfaction.
Social Media Takeovers
Invite influencers, speakers, or team members to take over your social media accounts for a portion of the event.
This brings fresh perspectives and can attract their followers to your event content.
Takeovers can include live updates, behind-the-scenes insights, and personal experiences.
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Post Event Promotion: 10 Smart Ways to Promote Your Event on Social Media After It Ends
Promoting your event on social media after it ends can help maintain engagement, generate buzz for future events, and extend the event’s reach.
Here are ten smart ways to do it:
Share Highlights and Recaps
Post videos, photos, and highlights from the event.
Create a recap video showcasing the best moments and key takeaways. Share quotes, speeches, and significant interactions that occurred.
Publish Testimonials and Reviews
Share testimonials from attendees, speakers, and sponsors.
Highlight positive feedback and reviews on your social media platforms to build credibility and attract future participants.
Create a Post-Event Blog Post
Write a detailed blog post summarizing the event.
Include key moments, speaker insights, attendee experiences, and any noteworthy outcomes. Share this post on your social media channels.
Engage With User-Generated Content
Encourage attendees to share their own photos, videos, and experiences on social media using your event hashtag.
Repost and engage with this content to foster a sense of community and excitement.
Announce Future Events
Use the momentum from the event to promote future events.
Announce dates, themes, and key details for upcoming events to keep your audience engaged and looking forward to the next one.
Share Behind-The-Scenes Content
Give your audience a glimpse behind the scenes.
Share photos and stories about the event’s planning, preparation, and execution. This humanizes your brand and makes your audience feel connected.
Pro Tip: Maximize post-event engagement with Social Champ’s tool. Schedule content in advance to keep momentum, analyze metrics for insights, and post at the best times when your audience is most active!
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Thank Your Attendees and Sponsors
Thank everyone who attended, participated in, and supported the event publicly.
Tag them in your posts and express genuine appreciation. This not only shows gratitude but also encourages them to share your posts.
Highlight Key Learnings and Takeaways
Share key insights, lessons, and takeaways from the event.
Create visually appealing graphics or infographics summarizing the main points. This will provide value to your audience and encourage them to engage with the content.
Run Post-event Contests and Giveaways
Run contests or giveaways related to the event to keep the excitement alive.
Ask attendees to share their favorite moments or answer questions about the event for a chance to win prizes.
Promote Recorded Sessions
If applicable, share recordings or highlights of workshops or performances for those who couldn’t attend.
This will drive ongoing engagement and extend the event’s value.
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The Bottom Line
Social media event promotion requires a strategic approach that uses the latest tools and trends.
A comprehensive social media strategy can significantly enhance your event’s visibility and impact, from pre-event buzz and real-time engagement to post-event follow-ups.
Using platforms like Social Champ, you can streamline the promotion process, analyze engagement metrics, and curate user-generated content.
Embracing these strategies ensures that your event reaches a broader audience, creates lasting impressions, and builds a stronger community around your brand.
