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The “How To” of Event-related Social Media

Our previous post on social media for events took us through the “5 W’s” – who, what, when, where, and why. This follow-up post will expand on the much-related “how” of social media for events.

Now that you have answered your “W” questions, the how includes the all-important action items needed to maximize your social media integration efforts. Here are a few of TME’s best practices:

Persevere. Many organizations utilize social media for their general mission and organization, but quite a few do not carry this over to their events, creating a missed opportunity to further engage their audience. If you’re not as accomplished with integrating social media into your events, that’s ok. You have to start somewhere. It might not be seamless on your first try, and you may need some tweaking to your strategy afterwards, but hindsight is 20/20. Take heart in knowing that at the end of the learning curve is progress, and in social media, something is better than nothing.

Inform. If you want your attendees to use the hashtags or other event-related social media tags that you’ve created, share them! Put hashtags on your online registration site, your press release, and most importantly, start using it on social media as you ramp up in the days before the event.  For onsite promotions, put your hashtags on the program, the step-and-repeat, your customized napkins – any place you can fit them. Even the classiest of affairs can still have creative and tastefully integrated hashtags throughout the event. This contributes to an excellent branding strategy as well.

Enable. If you’re asking your attendees to use hashtags or other social media during your event, make sure you’ve provided WiFi for them to access the social media sites. Few things are more frustrating than wanting to communicate and being unable to do so. Ensure your event venue has the capability to make the connections happen.

Engage. Don’t let your social media sit static during your event. Have a dedicated staff member who is responsible for posting throughout the event. This includes shout outs, photos, comments, and replies to those who are posting about your event. Make sure it is a two way street.

The beauty of social media is that it’s an ever-changing reflection, a unique picture of each event. Use that to build momentum throughout your events. Remember that guests are coming to your events to learn, to support, and to be engaged, so take advantage of the extra level of engagement that social media can offer.

If you think you need more assistance than your staff can provide, contact us, and we will provide you with TME approved experts in the social media field.