Photo by Alema Darmel 

If you were ever in charge of putting together events, you know how big a role they can play in fundraising or building your brand. You also know events are part of nearly every organization’s calendar. How can you attract the people who will show up and support your work?

If you answered, “social media,” you would be correct—but only if your strategy is the right one. You want your event not only to be memorable, but to keep guests talking about it. That means you’ll want compelling, engaging content to post before and after the event and find the right social media to carry your message. I promise it’s all doable. Here’s how:

While sparkly posts and reels that make audiences pay attention are important, you need to realize no one will attend your event if they aren’t interested in what’s on offer. People who want to see screaming guitars at rock concerts will be less likely to show up for theater events that feature plays and musicals.

It’s up to you to research and promote an event that attracts people who already love your organization. Find out who your audience is now, and who they might be. They’re out there, so how do you identify them?

 

1. Listen, Chat, Engage

No doubt you have your own page or account on a variety of social media platforms (and if you don’t, you’ll want to set up accounts as soon as possible.) Make sure to engage with your fans, friends, followers, and viewers. Find out what groups they belong to and pay attention when they rave about something.

You’ll also want to join potential customers’ groups to learn more about them and their interests. Think of them as potential members of your community. How can you make sure they feel welcome when you invite them in?

It’s crucial to find out what your community wants before you create content about your event. That’s why you need to take the time to do your research carefully.

 

2. Make Your Content Relevant

You also want to make sure your event content is relevant, as well as appealing. Some organizations may have compelling content at their fingertips—especially those in the entertainment field. 

If your organization is less entertaining but provides valuable services, interview the clients you serve. Solicit testimonials from people who are looking forward to your event, and can tell others why they want to support the work you are doing. 

Your ultimate goal is for potential members of your community to know you understand their needs and will fulfill them. Start by creating an event that meets their needs. For example, family-friendly events that offer fun activities like visits to science museums or puppet shows can attract parents seeking new ways to enhance family time.

 

3. Find the Right Hashtag

Hashtags are a tried-and-true way of reaching audiences you wouldn’t encounter otherwise. It’s important to note that you’re not looking for just any hashtag. You want something that will, at the very least, make people curious enough to want to know more about your event. The hashtag should also conform to your brand. Key points to remember about choosing a hashtag:

• Take the time to Google articles about how to create exceptional hashtags—and read them.
• Look for a hashtag that is fun, memorable, and unique. 
• While your hashtag will bring people to your social media posts, you can also use it on your website, email,s and digital communications of all stripes.

 

4. Make Sure Visuals Conform to Your Brand

You don’t have to make everything look exactly the same—but be sure to use your brand’s particular colors in ways that let viewers know who you are. Make sure your invitations have the same look visually and verbally. The easier it is to identify you, the less work your target audience will have to do when you appear in their inbox or online.

 

5. Post Enough, but Not Too Much

If you’re posting every day, I hope it’s because you’re getting closer to your event and want to build excitement. If you’re only posting because you want people to notice, I’d recommend backing off for a while and trying two to three times a week. 

Quality is almost always more interesting than quantity, and in social media, less is often more. Post because you have something to say—and don’t risk boring your audience by posting too frequently.

6. Teaser Time

Bold graphics, animated stories, thirty-second videos, artwork, and other entertaining posts or reels can all be used to tease your audience by giving them previews of your event. Before posting, make sure to ask current and potential clients what kinds of teasers capture their attention.

If you decide to create video teasers, you can either go with professionally-made ones or the more home-made variety. The latter is a great option when you have a tight budget; in fact, many phone-created videos are judged to be more original and authentic.

Whatever you do, make your posts entertaining enough to draw your audience. Teasers are an excellent way to do that.

 

7. Interact With Your Target Audience

To build excitement about your coming event, interact more with your audience. You can use contests, polls, or a live stream to ask people to share their own experiences and opinions. Doing so will help get people talking—and spark ideas for even more ways to publicize your event.

 

8. Mix It Up

Using a mix of owned, paid, and earned media will give you much more exposure than if you just use one method of communication. Each method has its own purpose:

• Owned media are the posts and reels you share on your specific pages.
• Paid media are the ads you buy on social media platforms.
• Earned content can range from influencer posts to a story about your company by a reputable local newspaper or TV station.

 

9. Make It Easy to Purchase Tickets

Whenever you post or display anything—and I mean anything at all—be sure there’s an easy way to link up to ticket sales. It’s also essential to ensure your ticket links work on mobile devices as well as laptops or desktops. If you want to bring even more people to your event, give speakers or performers a promo code, so they can invite their network.

 

10. After It’s Over

If you can’t livestream the event but still want to share at least parts of it, work on getting video you can post on social media after your event is finished. Footage will include people who weren’t able to attend and make them think about attending next time. After-the-fact event posts will also attract new followers to your page and brand. 

While every event takes a huge amount of work and diligence, social media is one of the most crucial tasks, because it is so necessary to marketing. While it’s time-consuming, it can also be a fun way to broaden and refine your reach. 

Just remember that your main goal is to identify your potential community members, listen to what their needs are, and then post content that meets those needs.

The more you do those three things, the better you’ll be at filling up the seats at your event.

 

Author: Jenna Zark

Jenna Zark, Principal at Zark Writing LLC, has worked in journalism, public relations, video script writing, philanthropy, and communications positions. She is an award-winning playwright and published author whose most recent book Crooked Lines won six recent awards and honors, including first prize in the Overcoming Adversity Memoir Category from Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Please visit www.jennazark.com to learn more.