Putting The Social (Media) In Your Social Events
If you’ve taken the trouble to organize a really cool, great event, you want everyone to know about it. Especially if you’re raising funds or awareness for a great cause. How can you use social media to leverage your exposure?
Spreading the word: First, make sure all of your followers know what you’re up to. If ticket sales are open to all, or if it’s a free event, you want to spread the word widely. Don’t be shy about posting status updates on your various platforms, but be creative. Why not give followers an inside look at your preparations? If you’re launching a fundraising video at your event, give your social media followers a sneak peek. If you’re packing goodie bags, let everyone see what’s included (especially if you have sponsors – hit two birds with one stone!). This is a nice way to keep your event on people’s minds without hitting them over the head with your “Buy tickets now!!” message.
I also think it’s great to show examples of how your cause is especially meaningful around the time you’ll be promoting the event. Share stories and photos. Give people a good reason to buy that ticket.
Hashtags are more than #: If you’re thinking of creating a hashtag for your event, make sure people know what it is in advance. Integrate that language into your marketing material early. Hopefully you’ll get folks talking early, and giving your guests a hashtag is a reminder to be social. This is especially valuable if you have any high-profile or celebrity guests in attendance. It’s worth asking them in advance if they’d lend their weight to your cause by sending out a Tweet or Tumblr post. Many are happy to do so.
Sharing the news: Those who do buy tickets should have the option of sharing that message on their social media platforms. This obviously works best when your guests can purchase tickets or donate online. Be sure to integrate social sharing buttons into the page so guests can click to share once their purchase is complete.
Real-time updates: Don’t forget about social media once your event is actually going on. Try to have a staff person monitoring your hashtag and feeds throughout the evening, then re-tweet or re-post comments and updates from your guests. Take photos and let your followers know about all the great things happening at your party. You’re providing real-time updates on what your organization is doing, content that can often be hard to come by. Don’t waste it!
Post-party posts: Once your event is over, you can (and should) collect these posts as part of your event file. They provide evidence of the event’s non-monetary impact. You can also consider pulling together an album of unofficial photos to go along with whatever your professional event photographer captured.
Last but never least: Don’t forget to thank your friends and fans and share what your event accomplished!
