Social Media Marketing for Events

@SarahBuhrsarahbuhr@gmail.com

Social Media is Pervasive

Number of users on top social networking sites

Social networks come and go

How to convince and convert people within social media:

• Know your audience• Grow your audience• Engage • Identify and reward advocates

User activity by gender:

Women are more likely to share

• Men and women are almost equally present on social network sites…However– Women outpace men in social media engagement

5 to 1– Women are 50% more likely to comment on a post– Women are 80% more likely to share something

on your fan page with their friends

Social media channels are not your bullhorn

Social media requires listening skills• Who’s talking about you?• What do they think of you?• What do they care about?

Know your audience

• Who are they?• What do they care about?• What motivates them?• Where do they tend to go?• Who would they associate with/who are their

friends and influencers?

Grow your audience

Offer them a reason to “Like” you

Why people like or follow brands

• They joined for a chance to win• You offered them something (like a discount or

sales promo)• They know someone who invited them• They are already a customer or member• They are an employee or part of the

organization• They are a competitor

Engage your audience

• All engagement begins with a great story

Engagement means Action• Like• Follow• Share

• Pictures• Polls• Video

• Ask for input• Questions• Ask them to retweet or share• Ask them to invite friends

• Provide good content– Evokes emotion– Uses humor– Teaches them something useful – Calls them to action (tweet, share, blog, repost)

Images and graphics will get you the most interaction with fans

• Great pics and how-to’s using pics• Know their audience• Tons of engagement

Reward your audience

• Offers• Discounts• Giveaways• Good content

Identify and reward the advocates

• People with lots of followers/fans• People with online influence (Klout)• Super fans of your brand/event

Engagement for events

• Invite

• Ask for input

• Provide shareable content leading up to the event– Pictures– Video– Good stories– How-to’s– Discounts– Offers– Prizes

• Ask advocates to participate– Share on social media channels– Blogger networks– Press

Social press releases

In summary…

• Social media is about – Knowing your audience – Giving them things they want– Engaging them in a way that makes sense for what

you are promoting– Rewarding them for promoting you

Social media should…

• Add value• Be about your audience• Be sharable• Be social

Any questions?

@SarahBuhrAbout.me/sarahbuhrGoogle+