Written by Annie Alvarado
Social media is free, has an extended target audience reach, is fairly easy to use, and did I mention that it’s FREE? Whether you’re promoting a new product, event, concert, or fundraiser, etc. social media gives you the ability to engage your audience and create a buzz around your event and event planning apps can help you plan your next event.
Here are some ideas on how to use social media and event planning apps to plan your next event, from inception (planning) to completion (after event statistics). All steps are not included, but these are steps social media and event planning apps can help with:
Planning and research
- Choose a venue – be sure to research venues (be sure to ask about their digital connections).
- Check Calendars for date and time conflicts.
- Read message boards and chat with peers regarding: venues, material, speakers, etc.
- Find information on target audience.
- Determine program cohesiveness (informational material, find/research speakers, prepare message points for speakers, determine and prepare schedule).
- Use message boards, reviews, and search engines to find supplies online.
- Staff event: find speakers, staff, volunteers, etc.
- Research venue logistics i.e. signage, parking, food, etc.
- Post all information on a website, either your company’s or one made for the event.
- “10 steps to get started with event planning” wildapricot.com/articles/how-to-plan-an-event
- “21 commonly missed event planning checklist details” https://whova.com/blog/commonly-forgotten-event-planning-checklist-details/
Promotion
- Use a PitchEngine (or another app) to create multi-media enabled press releases.
- Send invitations and include URL with event info.
- Create event listings on social media networks and calendars.
- Integrate social media with event registration. Apps like Loginradius not only registers attendees, it will collect and store attendee data for future use.
- Use a hashtag on social media sites.
- Create a promotional video to: post online, send with invitations, include in press releases, etc.
- Prior to the event, issue a media advisory alerting reporters of the event.
- Share pictures of speakers with quote overlays on website, invitations, registration page, etc.
Organization
- Start advertising event, place on online calendars, social media sites, and send invites.
- Send press releases to the media and post on your social media sites.
- Research and organize event material – create program timetable.
- Collect RSVPs online or in a event planning app.
- Prior to the event, issue a short media advisory alerting reporters of the event.
- Online event organization checklist at: https://www.wildapricot.com/articles/how-to-plan-an-event
Engagement
- Use an app to live stream the event, e.g. LiveStream
- Create and displayTwitter walls.
- To have attendees see each display or go to all areas of the event, use FoursquareSwarm, (or another app) to create check-in locations.
- Start aTwitter or Facebook contest – give away prizes for people that can correctly answer event/marketing trivia.
- Create a hashtag for the event.
- Create event pages on: Facebook Events, Evenbrite, Upcoming, LinkedIn, etc.
- Post to your various event pages and provide Twitter transcripts to attendees.
- Use Backify Session Tweets – will automatically make a PDF book of all tweets using your event hashtag.
Post event management
- Use event planning apps and social media to keep target audience engaged and informed, e.g. Constant Contact, MailerLite, 10TimesEvents, Mailman, etc.
- Use event apps to collect post event statistics.
In conclusion, social media can help to research: events, venues, staff, speakers, supplies, to disseminate information to target audience, send invitations, record RSVPs, event registration, event marketing, record transcripts and/or videos to stream/post/print, engage attendees, encourage attendee interaction, disburse information to attendees to enhance their experience, and much more. And, as a bonus, most of the social media sites and apps mentioned in this post are FREE!
Useful Information:
- Link to an infographic with information on using social media to plan an event: https://nonprofitquarterly.org/2013/04/26/infographic-social-media-s-impact-on-event-planning/
- Link to a basic event planning checklist: http://blog.memberclicks.com/event-planning-basics-–-a-checklist
- 18 social media and event planning apps to help you plan, advertise, produce, get statistics of events, and more:
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- Facebook Events
- Eventify
- PitchEngine
- LiveStream
- FourSquareSwarm
- Eventbrite
- Google+
- HooteSuite
- Markletic
- Conf.app
- SnapChat
- Session Tweets
- Loginradius
- TikTok
Sources:
prrisingstar 