Sometimes social media can be a slog for a marketing manager. If you’re promoting a lot of events every month, it can be even harder to keep up with social media. Creative social media campaign ideas for events can be draining to come up with when you can barely keep your head above water.
It’s easy to fall into a routine of basic social media posts for events, but sometimes an event requires a little more creativity. Sometimes the lightning strikes, but sometimes you need a little inspiration.
Well here it is. Some inspiration to get you started with more creative social media campaigns for your event promotions.
Impatient to get to the ideas? Jump to a few Quick Creative Social Media Ideas.
Defining the Power of Social Media Campaigns for Event Promotion
Picture this: a grand event with captivating performances, mouth-watering delicacies, and a buzzing atmosphere filled with excitement.
Now, imagine all of that going unnoticed because the event failed to harness the power of social media.
It goes without saying these days, but we’ll say it: social media campaigns have become an indispensable tool for successful event promotion.
These campaigns encompass a range of strategic activities aimed at creating buzz, generating interest, and driving attendance to events. Social media campaigns offer an unparalleled reach and engagement potential that traditional marketing methods can hardly match.
They can also combine with traditional efforts to make a fully integrated marketing campaign for your events.
By leveraging the best social media platforms for event promotion like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, SnapChat, and even LinkedIn (for business and professional events), organizers can tap into vast online communities brimming with potential attendees.
These campaigns allow event organizers to interact directly with their target audience in real-time – a feature that traditional advertising fails to deliver. Many of these campaigns unlock the power of User Generated Content (UGC) to expand the reach, engagement, and interactivity of a promotion in a way that no other medium can achieve.
Unlocking the Benefits of Creativity in Social Media Campaigns
Creativity is like a magic wand that has the power to transform mundane social media campaigns into mesmerizing experiences. It allows us to lift above the noise and stand out.
Incorporating creativity into your event’s social media campaign not only sets it apart from competitors but also captures attention in an oversaturated digital landscape. One major benefit of infusing more creativity into your social media campaign is enhanced brand recognition.
By crafting unique promotions that break traditional social media formats (or tap into the most powerful ones), you can rise above the event flyers every other organizer is sharing.
Another advantage lies in boosting engagement levels among your target audience. People are drawn towards novel ideas and innovative content on their feed – they yearn for something that transcends the usual barrage of promotional posts.
By embracing creativity through interactive contests or behind-the-scenes sneak peeks on social media, you engage your audience on a deeper level, creating a sense of anticipation and fostering a connection.
Incorporating creativity into your social media campaigns also allows you to generate valuable user-generated content.
When attendees actively participate in your event’s social media campaign by sharing their experiences, thoughts, or creations, it not only amplifies the reach of your campaign but also builds a sense of community around your event. Creative social media campaigns serve as the catalyst that propels events from obscurity to the center stage.
Events are uniquely positioned to transform these online connections into a real-world community and then take it back online again in between events. Online-first brands are clamoring for this kind of community building, so use that advantage because it comes easier for events.
By harnessing the power of these campaigns to their fullest potential, event organizers can not only attract a larger audience but also create an immersive and unforgettable experience for attendees.
So buckle up and get ready to explore some inspiring creative social media campaign ideas specifically designed for events!
Quick Creative Social Media Ideas
Take Inspiration from #Wrapped
Spotify’s annual #Wrapped campaign is a stroke of viral marketing genius.
A way you can apply this as inspiration to your own events is to do an end of year recap for the outcome of your events. Resound Presents in Austin, Texas had a great example of this social media post last year.
They summarized the number of shows, tickets sold, and some more fun stats like number of venues that caught fire. Obviously not fun that it happened, but good that they can have a sense of humor and bond with their fans over it.
A really genius version of this campaign would be to create #Wrapped-like summaries for your most loyal attendees that they could share on their socials.
Get Creative and Interactive With Discounts
It is getting harder and harder to stand out from the noise now. Later in this article, we’ll talk about some tried and true campaigns, like giveaways.
But even a giveaway can get lost in the sea of attention-grabbing posts.
Take some inspiration from Swoop (a Canadian Airline) and their This Beach Is a Coupon campaign. They created a disappearing coupon code on a literal beach and then live streamed it on Facebook until it was gone.
The genius of this campaign is the time-sensitive nature of it combined with something designed to catch attention.
You could come up with a similar visually engaging, time-sensitive aspect to a giveaway to break through the noise.
Classic Campaign Ideas for Events Reinvented for Social Media
Some of these are the classics but reinvented for social media. They work because they work.
My first real full-time marketing job was running promotions and community events at a regional radio station in Pennsylvania. After spending years on internet marketing as a freelancer, I quickly learned how powerful old-school promotional strategies and tactics still are. Applying some of these fundamentals to social media can create huge results.
Interactive Contests and Giveaways to Engage Followers
One of the most effective ways to captivate your social media followers and enhance their engagement is by running interactive contests and giveaways. These campaigns not only provide an opportunity for your audience to actively participate but also help you generate excitement around your event.
You can design various types of contests, such as trivia quizzes, caption competitions, or photo challenges that are directly related to the event or its theme. To encourage participation, offer enticing prizes like event tickets, exclusive merchandise, or even backstage passes.
When hosting these contests, ensure that the rules are clear and easy to understand. Utilize social media features such as polls or question stickers on Instagram Stories or Facebook posts to allow users to submit their entries conveniently.
Create a sense of urgency by setting a specific timeframe for participation and promote it extensively across all your social media platforms. By executing interactive contests effectively, you can not only engage your existing followers but also attract new ones who are intrigued by the excitement surrounding your event.
Most of these go wrong because the organizer doesn’t put enough of a push behind them or the prize isn’t enticing enough.
At the radio station, we grew a 30,000 person email daily email newsletter within just a few months from a promotion like this. It was actually one of the most reliable ways to grow and engage our audience both on social media and get them tuned into the radio station.
Viral Hooks for Contests and Giveaways
One thing radio struggles with that social media can excel at is viral hooks.
You need to think through, beyond just entering this contest, can you require a small step to enter that will expose the contest (and your event) to that person’s network?
Some examples of viral hooks that work right now:
- Share via stories and tag your page.
- Tag a friend you want to go to this event with.
Stories are the most engaged with feature on Instagram. They also exist on TikTok, Facebook, and obviously SnapChat where they started. You can keep track of these in your DMs if you have the users tag you in the posts.
Take it to another level by asking the users to do something unique and tag you in their stories. Then you can share those unique stories in your stories and keep the ball rolling.
An example giveaway requirement for events like this might be sharing your favorite photo from an event. This is likely to also include friends of the user, so you get that viral hook in a few ways.
Asking for tags in the comments can be one of the quickest way to get interaction because it’s really easy for the user to enter quickly.
Giving Contest and Giveaway Campaigns Enough Juice
When we did giveaways at the radio station that worked, we promoted it like crazy. I’m talking hundreds of mention per day on air and at minimum one post per day for weeks on social. The vitality only works when there is enough initial interest. So it can be worth boosting posts (on platforms where this doesn’t violate their ads terms of service) and getting shares by partners early on.
I’ve run plenty of giveaways and seen other organizers do the same where there was a pitiful response. The reason was always because the prize was either entirely uninteresting and/or there just wasn’t enough promotion given to the campaign.
Leveraging Partnerships and Trade for Better Prizes and Reach
A big win can be finding partners that also want to reach the same target market. By combining efforts, you can multiply the engagement and reach within that audience.
This can either be partners that already have an audience and want to engage them more, or could be a partner that has a valuable part of a prize that wants to tag along for the promotion.
An example of partnerships in event giveaways is travel packages. Getting a hotel and travel providers on board to giveaway travel and lodging to your event can hugely boost how valuable your prize package is. Even a hotel stay can make the perceived value of your prize much higher. Maybe childcare could be included too and make it a date night.
The possibilities for partnerships are endless. Don’t be afraid to ask. You’ll be surprised by how many yes responses you’ll get.
Influencer Marketing for Events
Influencers play a significant role in shaping consumer behavior and influencing purchasing decisions.
50 percent of Millennials trust influencers they follow. This was from a study done in 2019, so that number is likely higher by now.
Leveraging their reach and credibility can be an excellent strategy for expanding your event’s online visibility. Collaborating with influencers relevant to your industry or niche can help you tap into their established follower base while benefiting from their expertise and unique perspectives.
To kickstart this collaboration, identify influencers whose values align with those of your event and reach out to them with a tailored proposal highlighting how participating in the campaign will benefit both parties.
In this podcast with Kristen Lau-Grover, the Director of Marketing at the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival, she breaks down how this strategy has worked for them.
You want to remember that you are looking for influencers that are relevant to your target audience. The more niche your event, the more specific you need to get with what influencers you partner with. However, you also have an advantage because niche influencers tend to have even more trust and engagement from their audiences.
Elevating Influencer Marketing for Your Events
Make it a real campaign by combining influencer marketing with your giveaway strategy.
Invite influencers from your target demographics and geographies to promote your event and giveaway to their fans well ahead of the event. If you can offer the same prize as the giveaway to them as well, you can earn more buy-in from them.
A common, motiving prize for an event is travel + lodging + VIP access to the event. The bigger the event, the more worthwhile this is.
If it’s a small event, you’ll likely want to stick with the VIP access and work with more local influencers like your community’s “places” or “things to do” influencers.
Alternatively, consider organizing influencer takeovers on your social media platforms, where they can engage directly with your audience through live videos, Q&A sessions, or behind-the-scenes content. This works particularly well if your featuring a performer who also has a sizable crossover with your audience.
These collaborations not only enhance the reach of your event but also add an element of authenticity and expertise, thereby boosting audience engagement and interest.
Learn more about how to create a strategic collaboration plan.
Behind-the-scenes sneak peeks to generate excitement
Human beings are naturally curious creatures who crave insider access and exclusive information. By providing behind-the-scenes sneak peeks into the preparations and planning of your event, you can effortlessly generate anticipation and excitement among your followers. This strategy allows you to showcase the hard work that goes into creating a memorable event while making your audience feel involved in the process.
To execute this campaign idea effectively, document various stages of event preparation through photos, videos, or even live streaming sessions on platforms like Instagram Live or Facebook Live. Showcase venue selection, decor setup, artist rehearsals, or team meetings to provide a glimpse into the efforts invested in bringing the event to life.
Additionally, encourage interaction by inviting followers to guess certain aspects related to the event based on these sneak peeks. Creating a sense of exclusivity can be achieved by reserving some behind-the-scenes content exclusively for your most engaged followers or those who have purchased tickets in advance.
User-generated content campaigns to foster community involvement
User-generated content (UGC) campaigns are an exceptional way to foster community involvement while simultaneously increasing exposure for your event.
Encourage attendees and followers to share their experiences using a specific hashtag or by tagging your social media accounts directly in their posts related to the event.
You can create valuable online buzz.
To initiate UGC campaigns successfully, make sure that you create an eye-catching and easily identifiable hashtag specific to your event.
Promote this hashtag across all channels – website banners, email newsletters, social media posts – so that it gains widespread recognition. Encourage attendees by offering incentives such as features on your official event page or the chance to win exclusive merchandise or VIP experiences.
Additionally, regularly engage with and re-share the best user-generated content, providing recognition to participants and encouraging others to join in. This not only helps you build a sense of community around your event but also acts as free advertising, as participants’ networks become exposed to your brand and event through their posts.
Unique Hashtag Strategies for Event Promotion
Hashtags have become an integral part of social media culture, and when used strategically, they can be a powerful tool for event promotion.
Creating a memorable and relevant event hashtag is essential because it helps to unify content related to the event and makes it easily discoverable by attendees and those interested in the event. A memorable hashtag should be short, catchy, and easy to remember.
Check out this handy guide from Hootsuite with data to back up the number of hashtags you should use on each platform.
For example, if you are organizing a music festival called “Harmony Fest,” consider using a hashtag like #HarmonyFest2022 or #FeelTheHarmony. These hashtags not only reflect the essence of the event but also facilitate brand recall.
In addition to creating an event-specific hashtag, it is crucial to utilize branded hashtags throughout your social media campaign. Branded hashtags include your event name or company name and can help increase brand recognition and visibility.
When attendees use these branded hashtags while posting about your event on their social media platforms, it generates user-generated content that reinforces your brand identity. For example, if you are hosting a technology conference called “TechCon,” incorporating a branded hashtag like #TechCon2022 or #ExploreTech will allow participants to easily locate relevant content relating to the conference.
Encouraging Attendees to Use Event-Specific Hashtags for Real-time Engagement
An effective way to boost engagement during events is by encouraging attendees to use event-specific hashtags in their real-time social media posts. This practice not only creates excitement but also fosters community involvement as participants share their experiences with others attending the same event.
You can incentivize attendees by offering rewards or giveaways for those who engage with the hashtag consistently throughout the duration of the event. To encourage real-time engagement through hashtags, make sure they are prominently displayed at various touchpoints during your event — on screens, banners, programs, and even on the stage backdrop.
Remind attendees through announcements or MC shout-outs to use the event hashtag when sharing their thoughts or photos on social media. By doing so, you create a sense of community among attendees and enable them to connect with each other through their shared experiences.
Live Streaming Events: Engaging Your Audience in Real Time
Live streaming events on social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram Live has revolutionized event marketing by providing a unique opportunity to engage with your audience in real time. With the ability to broadcast live video content, you can showcase the excitement and energy of your event to a global audience, regardless of their geographical location.
We recently interviewed Alessia Priolo about innovating with VR in events. A key takeaway was that live streams open up accessibility to the event.
The benefits of live streaming for event marketing are extensive. Firstly, it allows you to interact with your audience in real time, fostering a sense of inclusivity and participation.
You can respond to comments and questions as they come in, making viewers feel heard and valued. This interactivity not only builds stronger connections between your brand and its followers but also generates buzz around your event.
To ensure successful live streaming, thorough planning and promotion are vital. Start by determining the objective of your live stream – whether it’s introducing a new product or sharing behind-the-scenes moments from the event.
Prepare an outline or script to guide the flow of content during the broadcast. Additionally, promote the upcoming live stream across all your social media channels beforehand to generate anticipation among your followers.
Captivating Storytelling through Instagram Stories and Snapchat Stories
When it comes to visually captivating content formats for event marketing on social media, Instagram Stories and Snapchat Stories reign supreme. These features provide an excellent platform for storytelling through short videos and images that disappear after 24 hours. To make use of these platforms effectively, focus on creating visually appealing content that showcases various aspects of your event.
Use high-quality images or videos that highlight key moments, exclusive interviews with speakers or performers, or even sneak peeks into preparations behind the scenes. Furthermore, take advantage of captivating features like filters, stickers, location tags, and GIFs available on these platforms to make your Stories more engaging.
Filters and stickers can be customized to include event branding or relevant themes, while location tags help users discover your event when they’re in the vicinity. By incorporating these features strategically, you can enhance the visual appeal of your Stories and leave a lasting impression on viewers.
Leveraging Geolocation Features on Social Media Platforms during Events
How geolocation features can enhance event promotion
When it comes to promoting your event, leveraging the geolocation features available on various social media platforms can be a game-changer. These features allow you to target specific audiences based on their location, ensuring that your event reaches the right people in the right place. By utilizing geolocation, you can tap into the local market and generate buzz among potential attendees who are nearby.
Geolocation features enable you to create targeted campaigns that focus on individuals within a specific radius of your event venue. This is particularly useful for smaller, localized events where reaching the local community is crucial.
For example, if you’re organizing a food festival in a particular neighborhood, using geolocation allows you to specifically target food enthusiasts living in that area. By reaching out directly to those who are most likely to be interested, you maximize your chances of attracting relevant attendees.
Utilizing geotags to create location-based content
One innovative way to make use of geolocation is by incorporating geotags into your social media posts and content. Geotags are digital markers or tags attached to posts that indicate the user’s current geographical location. By adding these tags when posting about your event on platforms like Instagram or Twitter, you create an immediate connection between your content and the venue.
When attendees see posts with relevant geotags associated with an event they plan to attend or have attended recently, it helps build excitement and fosters a sense of community around the event experience. Not only does this increase engagement among existing attendees but it also sparks curiosity among those who haven’t yet decided whether or not to attend.
Encouraging attendees to check-in at the event venue
Another effective way to utilize social media’s geolocation features is by encouraging attendees to check-in at the event venue. When attendees use location-based check-ins on platforms like Facebook or Foursquare, it creates a visible endorsement of your event.
This can act as social proof and encourage others to check out what’s happening. To incentivize attendees to check-in, consider offering exclusive perks or discounts.
For instance, you could provide a special discount code for merchandise or offer access to a VIP area for those who check-in using a designated hashtag. By making the check-in process fun and rewarding, you not only boost engagement but also generate buzz among attendees’ social circles.
So remember, leveraging geolocation features on social media during your event can significantly enhance your promotion efforts. Utilize geotags to create location-based content that resonates with attendees and potential visitors.
Encourage people to check-in at the event venue and provide incentives for doing so. These “rarely known” tactics will help you maximize the impact of your social media campaign and create an immersive experience that leaves a lasting impression on both attendees and virtual onlookers alike.
Conclusion
There’s no way we can tell you how exactly to be creative in promoting your own events. You know your attendees and audience better than anyone. Hopefully, this serves as a strong jumping off point to get inspired with these creative ways to use social media for event promotion.
Check out more posts below for other ideas on promoting events.
