The best platforms to promote events
The silly season is just around the corner, and that means more events in a month than us Perth folk typically see in a year (did somebody say ‘Big Country Town’…?). The influx of events, festivals and celebrations can mean that our social media is inundated with invites and promotions. Organisations battle it out to get the attention of Perth’s party goers, and it can be difficult to sift through the notifications to find out what’s really happening!
In this environment, selecting the right social platforms to promote your events is incredibly important to ensure that you reach the right audience. So, which platform should you use to promote your event? You’ve come to the right place…
- Facebook – the event hub
Facebook is still a powerhouse for event promotion. Not only can you create and share event-related details to save time and resources on FAQs, attendees are able to share the event and invite friends. This kind of word of mouth promotion leverages the power of personal recommendations and taps into the trust and credibility that individuals place in the opinions of friends and family. Organic promotion in this way not only extends reach and engagement, but also carries a genuine influence that traditional promotional advertising often struggles to match.
- Instagram – the place for visual appeal and storytelling
We all know the ‘gram as a visual-centric platform through its stories, static posts, and reels. Instagram is the perfect place to showcase all of the brilliant visual aspects of your event. You can use tools such as dedicated event hashtags to encourage the creation of user-generated content, and share posts and stories to build excitement and anticipation. The Explore feature on the Instagram app can help you reach a broader audience that are likely to engage with your content, and collaborations with influencers that post relatable content for your target audience can amplify your events promotion.
- LinkedIn – professional networking and B2B events
If you are looking at targeting a professional audience or your event is B2B focused (think seminars, networking, trade shows, etc), then LinkedIn should be your go-to platform. Create a compelling event page, share updates through your personal profile and company page, and make use of LinkedIn Groups to encourage discussion around our event and topics to be covered. Sponsored content and targeted advertising, when used strategically, can help you reach specific professional demographics.
- YouTube – engaging video content
Video content has long been and continues to be a powerful promotional tool, with YouTube being the perfect platform to leverage. Teaser videos, BTS footage, interviews with special guests and employees and event highlights can build excitement and showcase what attendees can expect. For larger or sold-out events, live streaming on YouTube can also bring real-time engagement with those who can’t attend physically to participate virtually.
Effective promotion of events on socials requires a strategic approach that considers the unique strengths of each platform, coupled with the purpose and audience of your event. By leveraging the diverse features of Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube you can create a comprehensive and engaging social media strategy to promote your event and ensure that it receives the attention it deserves from the audience it intends to reach. Remember to tailor your content for each platform, encourage user participation, and monitor analytics to refine your approach for future events.
With the right social media strategy, your events can reach a wider pool of your target audience, with heightened success, attendance, and visibility. If you need help getting started on understanding how socials may be leveraged for your organisation’s events, reach out to our socials team here.
