Do you need help promoting an upcoming event? Not to worry. I’ve got some suggestions for you!
Whether you’re planning a small local festival or a large conference, you can use Facebook to help you get the word out. In this article I’ll reveal 15 ways to market your event on Facebook.
Grab your coffee, notebook and pen. Heeere we go!:
1. Update your cover photo
Make sure your cover photo on your business page promotes your event. Include a “Register Now!” button on it as well as the registration link right in the description area.
2. Create a Facebook event
Add the events tab to your Facebook page. To get this, visit www.facebook.com/events and click “Create Event.” Make sure to fill out all the important details of the event. From there, you can invite your friends if you’d like.
3. Write posts on your wall, and include your registration link
Tip: When you write posts, create a sense of urgency. “Register now, tickets are going fast!”
4. Give away free tickets
Create some buzz around the event and give away free tickets! This is a great way to build excitement and get people involved. To do this, you can run a variety of different contests on your page. For example, try out trivia questions, caption this photo, “like and share this post” and we’ll choose a random winner, etc. For a full list of Facebook contest ideas, click here.
5. Post Videos
Do you have any clips from last years event? Post them on Facebook and show everyone how fun it was! Here’s an example of a video Saratoga Chamber of Commerce posted from their Annual Dinner:
On a budget and can’t quite swing a videographer?
Do you have random clips in your digital camera, and not sure what to do with them? I recommend checking out YouTube to see how you can edit videos, add music and text within a matter of minutes. For free. BOOM. You’ve got a video.
6. Announce your event in your email signature
Include a link in your email signature to your event page with more details. Remember, every email you send out is an opportunity to promote your event!
7. Promote on local city pages
Is your event local? Reach out to your local city Facebook pages and see if they will promote your event for you.
Are you located in the Capital Region? Find out how you can reach hundreds of thousands of people by promoting your event on our Albany, Saratoga Springs or Adirondack Facebook pages for only $150. (Here’s an example of a post on the Adirondacks page promoting the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival which reached over 80,000 people. Holy smokes, that’s a great ROI!)
8. Facebook Comments Plugin
Add the Facebook Comments Plugin to your event page on your website. Anytime someone writes a comment (and the button for posting to Facebook remains checked), you get additional visibility to your event page. Here’s an example from Mari Smith:
9. Boost your post
Get your post in front of more eyes, outside of your current fanbase. You can pay a minimal fee to boost your post to people in a certain geographical location. So, how exactly do you boost a Facebook post?
- Go to any post you’ve recently created.
- Click Boost Post at the bottom of your post.
- Click, “More Options” to select your targeting options and budget.
- You’re good to go! Check back afterwards to see the reach it had.
10. Add social share buttons to your event registration page
Do you have a page on your website promoting the event? How about a registration page? Add the social share buttons to it, which will tap into your registrants social network. Here’s an example of Mari Smith’s share buttons her on her registration page for Social Media Success Summit.
11. Include an arrow in your cover photo that points to the registration app
If you have access to a designer, have them create a cover photo for you that includes an arrow that points directly to a registration app! Once clicked, it will open to a page with more information and an area where people can register right then and there. (If you need help with this, contact us!)
12. Use Testimonials in Your Marketing
Using testimonials in your marketing can be super-powerful. But how do you get them?
There’s a couple ways you can do this:
1. Interview friends or family who have attended in the past (Either written or on video.)
2. You can appear all “high tech” and use a system like SurveyMonkey. Utilizing your email list, send out a survey asking people who attended your event before to fill out a quick 1 minute survey. The most important questions you need to ask are:
- Would you recommend this event to a friend or colleague?
- What was your favorite part of the event?
- If you were recommending this conference to a friend or colleague, what would you say?
- What can we do to make the event even better next time?
Testimonials go a long way. Gather these and then share them with the world!
13. Empower Prospects to sell for you
Make it easy and effortless for prospects to pitch the idea to their peers or boss. Create a “one-sheet” that explains what the event is, the benefits, etc. that can easily be shared. For example, if you want to convince your boss that you’d like attend the ever-so-amazing M2Con 2014 this year, you can just click and send it to him! Here’s an example from Mike Stelzner:
14. Add a Registration App to your page
Add a Registration App to your Facebook page, titled “Register Now!” that links right to your information and registration page. You can create this for free using WooBox.
15. Tag past attendees in photos
Post pictures from previous events and tag friends or businesses that you know in them. (Just make sure it’s a flattering picture. ;)) By doing this, you have the chance to pop up in their friends Facebook news feeds, adding extra visibility for you and your event.
16. Post “behind-the-scenes” pictures to create buzz
Create buzz and post behind the scenes pictures of the event preparation! (Marketing meetings, band practicing, drink cups or promotional materials, event coordinators, etc.)
So there you have it. My top tips on promoting your event via Facebook. Do you have any other tips? Let us know in the comments below. Have an event coming up and you need help? Contact us and let’s chat!
