By Libby Esterle, Senior Account Executive
Recently, we put together a series of social media best practices and recommendations for a client and I thought, why not also share some of our insights on our very own social media platforms? So, as our world continues to open back up and people are starting to attend events again (I, for one, am looking forward to resuming our weekly wine tastings at Country Fresh Farm Market), here are some tips and tricks for leveraging social media at events:
Post before, during, and after.
Before the event, promote it to help get people excited about it, share important information, and start the conversation online. Plan at least three posts prior to the event.
During your event, share it. Utilize visuals, photos, and videos and share notable highlights, attendees, or experiences. Plan for two to three posts during the event.
After your event, recap it. Thank sponsors or partners and share relevant details, such as number of attendees, number of products purchased, amount of money raised. Finally, provide a call to action to encourage ongoing engagement and interaction. Plan for one to two posts after the event.
Your hashtag should be simple, descriptive and one that hasn’t been used before. Also include your hashtag in all communications and make it easy to find in your social feed. If attending an event, make sure to include the event’s hashtag on any live content posted or shared.
If a company or person is included in your post, make sure to tag their account. This encourages engagement, but also expands the reach of your content.
Play to the platform.
Instagram and Twitter are great assets for live event content, as both make it easy to share visuals and short-form content frequently. Facebook and LinkedIn are better platforms for less frequent, long-form content. Instagram Stories can be utilized to show photos and videos from the event.
Let others be the advocates for your event and for your brand. By monitoring event-specific hashtags and account tags, you can see who is talking about the event. Engage with those advocates by liking, replying, or sharing their content. This not only starts a conversation with them, but encourages others to post, as well.
Repurpose content.
Finally, create a recap highlight reel from the event using screenshots of your posts, shared posts, and photos from the event. Share this content on your website, or in your e-newsletter.
Do you have any other tips, tricks, or best practices to share?