There are so many different ways to leverage Facebook marketing, including through Facebook Events. Depending on the nature of your business and your marketing strategy, you probably have some type of event to promote from time to time, whether virtual or in-person. Unless you are uber-popular, people will probably not flock to your event on their own. But, you can get actively involved in promoting and managing the event through Facebook and other social networking sites. Let’s take a look at some best practices for promoting your event through Facebook marketing.
Here are 10 Facebook Event Marketing Tips (And a Bonus!):
- Give it a photo: If you have access to a graphic designer, make a custom picture that pulls together your brand’s event with a graphic or picture of a person. Otherwise, find an engaging photo that is eye-catching and inviting.
- Invite some Facebook friends, but NOT everyone: Be selective with who you invite and include a personal message. Think quality over quantity – are there some friends you should invite with a personal message or email? This may get their attention and help build a lasting relationship, which is what social media marketing is all about.
- Encourage sharing: Social media is all about word-of-mouth, and people will want to go to the same party that their friend is going to! Remind people to share your event on social networking sites and blogs.
- Connect with Partners: If you have vendors or partners that are taking part in the event, work with them to cross-promote the event, especially if they are active on Facebook. Tagging them in status updates or photos helps keep them connected and part of the event promotion.
- Give them a reason to RSVP: What is the benefit for your attendees to RSVP? Do they get access to something special, entered in a drawing, or VIP access? Give them a reason to take the extra step.
- Promote on your Facebook Page’s cover image: When appropriate, use your cover image on your Facebook Page to promote the event for a specific time frame.
- Give all the details: When describing the event, provide all the details you can, even if you have to add them as it gets closer to the event. This gives you lots of possible hooks that may be just what your “Maybe” attendees need to make the decision to attend (professional event organizers and event planners know this secret!)
- Use other Social Media Marketing- Your event, whether an in-person or a virtual networking event, can get a more exposure when you promote it through your blog and other social media channels such as Twitter and Linkedin. Look closely at all your social networking avenues to see how it can be integrated.
- Talk about it on your Timeline – There are lots of ways to do promote the event while still providing engaging content on your page as well. On your timeline, you can mention/tag the event by proceeding it with the @ sign. You can also share things like “Top 10 reasons for attending”, photos, or questions to get people talking. Of course, you will also want to promote it on the event’s wall, as well, to keep the people who have been invited updated.
- Promote with a Facebook Ad: When you create a Facebook event, you can also create a Facebook advertisement that links directly to that event. Facebook advertising has some amazing potential because you can get the ad in front of new people. Ads can target people based on their location, interests, and even friends. For instance, a Facebook ad could be placed in front of “Friends of Friends” with a link that says: [Your Friends Name] is attending.
And a Bonus —> Mix it up with integrated marketing: Facebook marketing can do a lot to spread the word of mouth for your event. But, depending on the nature of your event, you may also want to tie-in other traditional marketing. Email blasts, fliers, or direct mail may help you to gain new “Likes” and “RSVP’s” on Facebook if there is a compelling “reason to RSVP” (see #5).