Light the Spark! Social Media for Festival & Event Marketing Sheila Scarborough - Tourism Currents

What's In This For

You? @SheilaS@TourismCurrents

#NETourCon14

What To Do First:

STOP!

@SheilaS@TourismCurrents

#NETourCon14

Basics Still Matter● What are your overall event marketing goals?

● Who is your market?

● Where are they online?

Organizing Event Marketing

● Before

● During

● After @SheilaS

@TourismCurrents #NETourCon14

Event Goals: Before

Awareness, registration, anticipation of value ….

”Can't wait”

Event Goals: During

Sharing (onsite & off,) build on excitement ….

”So glad I came”

Event Goals: After

Sharing, excitement for next year ….

“I was there, so glad I went”

HOLY COW, let me at 'em!

Is it social media time

yet?

Patience, grasshopper....

Avoid Drowning● Do your

homework● Know your market● Connect social

media to your goals

● Measure & track

OK, it's time now....Boo-Yah!

Before

During

After @SheilaS@TourismCurrents

#NETourCon14

Social Media - BeforePossible goals before the event?

Raise awarenessWord-of-Mouth excitement

Encourage sharingConnect attendees

Support sponsors & Expo exhibitors

Social Media – Before● Facebook Event page● Facebook status updates

● On Facebook Pages● On people's personal profiles

● Budget for Page ads!@SheilaS

@TourismCurrents #NETourCon14

Social Media – Before● Pick a hashtag early!● Have a plan for Twitter● Instagram visual previews● Use LinkedIn if it's business/professional

@SheilaS@TourismCurrents

#NETourCon14

Social Media – Before● Blog posts

● Your blog and others● Speaker preview videos● Preview podcast interviews● Photos & video from previous events @SheilaS

@TourismCurrents #NETourCon14

Social Media – Before

Don't forget to highlight the venue

& host town@SheilaS

@TourismCurrents #NETourCon14

Social Media - DuringPossible goals during the event?

Share content among attendeesConnect attendees

Share with those not thereSupport sponsors & Expo exhibitors

Share fun social moments

Social Media – During ● Facebook updates continue● Tweets, Instagram with hashtag● Live radio show on Blog Talk Radio● LinkedIn updates continue● Livestream, show live tweets &

Instagram pics

●Photos, photos, photos

Social Media - AfterPossible goals after the event?

Share among attendeesShare with those who missed it

Help your industry knowledge baseSupport sponsors

Build more connections!

Share

The

Afterglow!

Social Media – After ● Summary blog posts, link posts● Facebook Pages & profiles● Tweets – save on Storify● LinkedIn status updates & Group

discussions● SlideShare for presentations

@SheilaS@TourismCurrents

#NETourCon14

Social Media's “Killer App” is....

year-round discussion & community

@SheilaS@TourismCurrents

#NETourCon14

Build A Barn!

Let's talk about Hutchinson, KSHutchinson, Kansas blogger fam story

What social media is ....

…. and is not.

Takeaways● It's networking & human relationships● Time + persistence = payoff● Meet your market where they are● Help attendees to share & grow

● Be more than a one-time-of-year event

@SheilaS@TourismCurrents

#NETourCon14

Photo Credits(all others my own)

● Mutton busting courtesy NEBRASKAland Days on Facebook

● Stop sign w/rabbits – Nationaal Archief Flickr Commons

● Goat pick-up sign – Gord McKenna Flickr CC

● Mr. Miyagi – amped Asia● Rescue SAR swimmer –

DVIDSHUB on Flickr CC

● Aggie yell practice – TX A&M Cushing Library

● SoMeT tattoo – Anne H. Swoboda Flickr CC

● Pineapple Whip fans courtesy Nebraska State Fair on Facebook

● Build a barn & Hutch bloggers – BJ McCray on Flickr CC

● Cats & beer – pinguino on Flickr CC

Thanks very much!Sheila

Scarborough

Tourism Currents

@SheilaS

@TourismCurrents