Social media has become one of the biggest tools for marketers to reach new customers. According to GlobalWebIndex, “54% of social browsers use social media to research products.” Therefore, now is the perfect opportunity for you to utilize social media platforms to boost your next event! It doesn’t matter how many followers you have. Here are several strategies to create a greater reach to potential attendees.
Hashtags
Using hashtags on different social media platforms can help boost organic reach for your upcoming event. Not only should you create a hashtag that is specific to your event, but also use hashtags that are popular and relevant. Having a hashtag specific for your event can help attendees share the event and connect with others. Also, adding relevant hashtags creates the opportunity for others who do not know about your event, but use similar hashtags, to find you. Be sure to use your specific hashtag across all social media platforms. Here is a suggestion on how many hashtags you should use when posting about your upcoming event:
Instagram: Up to 30 hashtags per post
Facebook: 1-2 hashtags per post
Twitter: 1-2 hashtags per post
LinkedIn: 1-3 hashtags per post
Paid Ads
Use your most successful social media posts as paid ads for your upcoming event. Paid Ads will let you create a campaign that is specific towards your goals in who you want to reach. Here are a few things to consider when creating a paid advertisement on social media:
Who you are targeting: Age, Income, Gender, Occupation, Geographic Location, Education
What platform you want to advertise on: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.
Why are you using Paid Ads: Brand Awareness, Website Traffic, Conversions
Event Landing Page
Directing people to an event landing page from social media makes it easy for them to learn more about your upcoming event. On your event landing page, you can post updates, the schedule, registration link, speakers, social media accounts, contact info, etc. You should include any information your attendees need to know. Be sure to promote your landing page across all social media accounts, so it is easy for others to share for further reach.
Email Marketing
Build an email list! Email marketing gives you a direct connection to your event attendees. It allows you to build a list you own, create an experience, and enable automation. This can be a helpful tool to help boost your upcoming event. It doesn’t matter how big or small your list is! One connection can grow into multiple. Here are a few email ideas to help promote your event and get individuals to register:
Invitation: Invite the people on your list to attend your upcoming virtual event. Let them know the benefits of attending and what is in store.
Share Your Story: Share why this invite is important. What is the “Why?” of your event. Let them know!
Testimonials: Showcase other people’s experiences with your company and event from previous years. This “social proof” shows the benefits of attending your event. Such as, Reviews, Ratings, Testimonials, Case Studies, etc.
Urgency Email: An “urgency email” provides a reason for your email list to register right away. For example, this could be a countdown to the event or a special benefit for registering early. Anything that creates a sense of urgency.
Go Live
Going Live boosts your connection to potential attendees by showcasing the person behind the event. This could mean going live on social media such as Facebook Live, Instagram Live, or producing a free webinar. It gives a little taste of what your virtual meeting has to offer. You can either go high-production or low-production. All you need is a camera, a mic, and a background of your choice! Most importantly, make sure you are the center of the frame and look right into the camera to increase engagement with your audience. Check out 5 Elements That Will Take Your Virtual Presentation to the Next Level for more information on this topic.
Social Media Contest
Creating a social media contest connected to your event can help promote social sharing of your event. This is not only a brand awareness strategy. It could also lead to future conversions as people share the event with their friends and family. Word of mouth can be your biggest benefit when it comes to marketing. People trust their friends and family when they promote what you are selling.
Event Advocates
Use your event’s speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, promoters, attendees, etc. to be your biggest advocates on social media. Having them promote your upcoming event gives you greater reach by branching out to their networks. Make it easy by providing shareable content they can use to talk about the event. In return, you can help promote them as well.