As social media grows as a leading digital marketing tool, its myriad of uses grows along with it. With this ever-expanding marketing apparatus, it’s vital not only to keep up with the technology of the day, but also to foresee its uses into the future. Case in point: your brand may be posting on social media channels to promote an upcoming event, or you may be eager to upload the best photos afterwards. However, most brands do not take advantage of the benefits of social media during their events. Through the expansion of a social media timeline to include live updates from an event, brands are able to make their experiences more widely shared, and can more effectively promote future events. Keep reading to learn a few of our favorite strategies.

• Be Prepared

Preparedness is a key tenant in the events industry, and social media engagement is no exception. Just because you are able to fire off a tweet or post a photo with the snap of your fingers, does not mean you should. There are a few key tips to maximize impact and avoid mishaps.

• Do your research. Seek out ideas from similar events in your industry. Learn about the biggest and most successful events you can think of. It does not take a big budget to implement a successful social media strategy, so allow yourself to replicate the best of the best.

• Invest in ads. Social media advertisements are a great way to target a very specific audience based on location, interests, industries, and more. If you have a strong understanding of your event’s demographic, you can appeal to an even wider audience.

• Use the right camera, audio, and lighting equipment. Just because you are able to quickly and easily post a snapshot from your phone does not mean you should sacrifice the quality of your content.

• If possible, assemble a team of 1-3 people that can focus exclusively on social media during your event. This will ensure that your channels are receiving enough attention and there will not be any typos or embarrassing snafus.

• Make sure your event space is visually perfect. Even if you will not be taking photos of video from the event, it is likely your guests will be.

• Live Stream

Bring your online audience into your event with a live stream on your social media channels. The live stream is an incredibly lucrative marketing tool that you should be using during each event. It is as easy as setting up a tripod and streaming a concert, panel discussion, or speech. Don’t believe live streaming will be lucrative for your event? Keep reading:

• 67% of your live stream audience is more likely to buy a ticket to your next event after watching a live video of your event or of a similar one.

• 80% would rather watch a video than read a blog post.

• Behind-the-scenes access is a huge draw for 87% of audiences.

• 96% of B2B organizations are using video as part of their online marketing.

• Live Tweet

Although not as effective as video streaming, live tweeting can be an even easier social media tool. Our industry tips are designed to help bring your event to life on the screens of your potential audience:

• Watch a run-through of your speaker or panel before your live event, and save the most compelling quotes as tweets in your “Drafts” folder. Once the event is underway, fire them off in real time, saving yourself time and effort on the big day.

• Invite Twitter followers (both those watching the live stream at home, and those who are physically present at your event) to Tweet their questions during a presentation. For the Q&A, select your favorite questions and allow your presenter or keynote speaker to answer them. You can give the contributor a special shout out by posting their question on the projector for all to see.

• As always, don’t forget to include your event-specific hashtag, and tag all relevant participants in every tweet!

• Encourage Your Participants

What’s the best way to reach the networks of your event attendees? Through their own social media pages! When your participants post on their channels, you reach an audience that is exponentially larger than any advertising money can buy. To successfully accomplish this, there are a few key points to implement:

• Create a unique hashtag that will put all of the event posts in one location. You can collect the best photos and audience testimonials and re-post them on your brand’s accounts.

• Social media influencers have even larger digital networks. Reach out to your industry’s influencers, invite them to attend your event, and ask them to promote it on their social media channels.

• Make your event truly exceptional. People are more likely to post on social media if they feel they’ve done something meaningful. Zone in on whatever is likely to be a highlight of your event — whether that’s a speaker, meaningful exercise, or inspirational moment — and remind your audience to post on social media immediately afterwards in order to maximize participation.

• Incentivize social media posts. Encourage your guests to check into your event on Facebook, post a photo on Instagram, or write about their experience on Twitter or LinkedIn. Automatically enter each social media post into a raffle. Provide an exciting prize to the winner, or even give away free tickets to your next event!

These simple tips will take your social media strategy to the next level and increase your marketing impact without busting your budget. For creative, engaging solutions, your best event partner is always Wizard Studios. Get started on your next event today!