Like many businesses, you are probably wondering how to get more of the wonderful social shares and interactions that other companies in your sector boast about. Sometimes it feels as though there is a secret formula that only a handful of people are privy to. This isn’t really the case, but a lot of hard work does go into creating the perfect social media campaign.
If you are looking for a piece of it, perhaps you ought to think of doing an event, as it can actually be quite beneficial when you connect the dots both online and offline. So read on and find out how event and social shares go hand-in-hand…
Pre-event hype
The first thing to examine is the period leading up to the event you are planning. Obviously the primary steps are sorting out the type of event (awards ceremony, conference, exhibition) and getting the basic arrangements settled (date, time, maximum capacity, pricing, etc). You can then begin hyping up the event on social media and getting people involved. If you schedule in dates and times for exclusive event information, you can create a buzz around the event before it even kicks off. This is even possible for a very first event; it’s up to you to make the information as juicy as possible to really spike interest.
On the night
If you are using Don’t Panic Projects as your awards organiser or events specialist, you won’t have to worry about the logistics of the event and you can instead focus on generating the all-important social interaction. It is important for you to be present on the social networks all throughout the evening, mentioning those involved and sharing photographs. You should create a bubble of excitement, so those who aren’t involved definitely attend the next event you host. Of course, this will also entice people to come back if they have been involved the first time around.
Post-event gossip
Hashtags and mentions shouldn’t end after the doors close on the event; it is important to keep the momentum up for as long as possible. Awards ceremonies often have big parties attached to them, so hiring a photographer can be a good way of getting material to share on the morning and week after. Conferences will have specialists giving talks on specific topics, so put their slides and notes online for people to access and share around to other people they know.
Learn from your mistakes
It is unlikely that everything will go exactly according to plan, but your experience will arm you with information you need for your next venture into the events space. Get valuable feedback from attendees so you know whether to book your event at a different venue, or even re-evaluate your pricing structure – this information can be so key to improving your event the next time around. However, you can quickly become experienced in holding events and you should see growth year-on-year if you go about things in the correct manner.