Globalization has increased competitiveness in the business world. Today, we must create and sustain a competitive advantage to survive and thrive in our ambitious field. One effective way to do so is using event marketing. In the following article, we focus on the potential of using social media for event marketing.
What Is Event Marketing?
The strategy involving in-person engagement marketers use to promote their product/service or overall brand is called event marketing.
According to Allied Market Research, the event industry reached a value of $1,135.4 billion in 2019. What’s more, they expect it to generate a compound annual growth rate of 11.2% in the period between 2021 and 2028, which is more than most industries.
Therefore, it has become an essential part of the overall marketing success.
How to Market an Event?
Event marketing can take place online or offline. Consequently, there are numerous strategies and channels to get the word out and sell your event.
As time goes by, the age-old methods such as flyers, billboards, TV commercials, newspapers, and radio ads, have become less effective. So, we have decided to temporarily put them aside and focus on the potential of using social media for email marketing.
Currently, there are more than 3.6 billion social media users worldwide, according to Sprout Social. Their daily use amounts to an average of 144 minutes. Therefore, the chances to reach your target are incredibly high using these platforms.
Social Media Strategy for Event Marketing
No matter if you are hosting an online event or physical conference, using social media for event marketing can help you gain exposure. One thing to keep in mind is that the process doesn’t finish once you attract your target audience. On the contrary, an effective social media event strategy is a never-ending cycle, happening before, during, and after the event.
In continuance, you can find three practical strategies and tips to incorporate into your social media marketing efforts.
Post Teasers Before the Event
The goal to reach before the actual event is to build up the hype. What you want to do is get the target audience excited for what is about to come.
Teasers are a great way to keep your clients continually on the hook. Instead of giving them all information at once, you can incorporate some surprises on the way.
For instance, if you have several guest speakers, you can announce them one by one as the event comes closes. You can also post some short videos or other engaging info.
The ultimate goal of posting a teaser is to increase traffic, create leads, or even generate sales. The best way to achieve these objectives is to create a mini-story or an experience instead of a bland summary of your event.
The moments you choose to include in your teaser should provide just the right amount of information about your event but also be fun and engaging.
Critical Elements to Include in Your Teaser
- Introduction of your company/product
Teasers should be brief, so don’t waste too much time on this. Instead, include a short sentence or a video snap that sums up your operation. You can also use your mission statement.
One good example is: “I’m Janet James, and I am here to guide you through your fitness journey.”
- Images/Videos
The human brain is keener on proceeding visuals than text. So, you should never substitute your image and videos with text but use it as a complement instead.
- Name and Logo
Have you ever seen a logo and thought, where have I seen this before?
As mentioned, we remember visuals. So, it’s essential to include your company name and logo in the teaser. This way, your potential customers will associate the story from the video with your brand and engrave this perception in their minds.
One great tip is to save the logo for the end of the video in a teaser.
- Customer Testimonials
Word-of-mouth has always been a great form of marketing. People seem to trust one another. So, what you can do to increase your teaser’s effectiveness is to include customer testimonials or similar forms, such as snippets or quotations from reviews, results of using the product/service, or happy customers using your brand.
- Call-To-Action
Last but certainly not least, you will want to include a CTA. After all, it’s the final step that makes your marketing efforts worth it.
At this point, you can come up with a unique and specific step for your organization. For instance, you can ask the watchers to subscribe to your site or straightforward purchase the product.
Design A Custom Filter During the Event
The most important thing during the event is to create an experience. You don’t want to bore your audience. Instead, it would be best if you delivered something out-of-the-box so that the attendees will return for the next event, as well. Also, you can use social media to market the event.
At this point, you can create a branded filter for Snapchat or Instagram. Then, the attendees can share some photos or videos with their friends. The user-generated content, in turn, can highly contribute to your email marketing and brand recognition.
You can create an AR filter for Instagram Stories following these seven simple steps:
- Download Spark AR Studio
- Create a filter from scratch or choose a template
- Build your filter
- Add a 3D asset
- Edit the uploaded graphic’s behavior
- Test your creation
- Publish your custom filter
You don’t want to lose your customers after the event. Instead, you want to engage with them, create long-lasting relationships and loyalty.
A giveaway can remind the attendees of the event. You can set the most diversified criteria for qualification for the prize, depending on your needs and the effect you want to achieve. You can ask your followers to share the event on their story or tag a friend. By this, you will further increase your audience base.
According to Instagram, 80% of their users follow at least one business. Therefore, it’s the perfect place to increase visibility and customer engagement.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create a giveaway:
- Decide on your goal
- Choose the giveaway prize
- Determine the entry-criteria
- Consider a partnership
- Add a hashtag to help your content surface
- Set a time limit
- Launch and promote the giveaway
Remember, you should always set the giveaway prize and entry criteria according to the goal you wish to achieve.
For instance, if you want to increase your followers, you might ask the competitor and one of his/her friends to follow your profile.
If you wish to increase sales, you might giveaway an extra product, or a discount, in addition to purchase. One great example is, “Buy an event ticket, apply to the giveaway, and get another one for free.”
A giveaway is also beneficial before the event, where people can qualify for free-of-charge entry tickets.
Benefits of Using Social Media for Event Marketing
All things considered, event marketing can help you better engage with buyers, build brand recognition and customer loyalty. More precisely, 75% of content marketers consider real-time engagement as the most effective marketing tactic. On the other side of the spectrum, 74% of customers have stated that email marketing has positively improved their opinion of the entity/host.
Meaningful customer engagement and providing education of your brand to your target audience, in turn, generate sales. However, not every event is as influential, as not all events have the same attendance or reach.
What makes an event successful is an appropriate marketing strategy or promotion. A great way to achieve this objective is by using social media for event marketing.
