If your business or non-profit is hosting an event and you want the word to spread, Facebook Events is a great place to start. However, simply creating an event in Facebook does not equate to a successful event and large turnout. There’s more work to be done to get the most out of this tool.
- Create a Fabulous Event Image- Use the large area to display an event photo, and never, ever leave it blank! Make sure it’s sized correctly.
- Provide Complete Information- Make sure you have dates, times, locations, cost, directions, ticket sales, and any other information about the event provided so people don’t dismiss it as something they don’t know enough about to commit.
- Invite- Log in as your Facebook page and click ‘Invite’ to reach out to your followers. Next, switch to your personal Facebook account to invite your friends who might be interested. Finally, encourage your colleagues or others involved in the event (such as co-hosts, sponsors, guest speakers, etc) to do the same.
- Share-One way to get the event in front of your fan base and into their Newsfeeds is to “share” the event. The day you create it, it’s likely to find its way into the Newsfeed of quite a few fans. However, Facebook’s algorithm is dependent upon a variety of variables, so you should NOT assume all fans saw it the first time you posted. Share the event to the Facebook Fan Page Timeline, and/or post and link to it regularly in the days leading up to the event.
- Keep It Fresh-Once people start joining the event, keep the information fresh by posting updates, teasers, prizes, speaker announcements, and media like photos and videos. This will maintain interest among attendees. When something excites them, they might comment or share it, which will increase visibility among their connections on their Newsfeed.
- Email-Add the event link to your email footer. Invite people to “click to RSVP”.
- Newsletter- Include the event and link in your eNewsletter or next email blast. Don’t assume everyone is on Facebook as often as you. They may be more occasional users, and simply haven’t seen what you have going.
- Paid- Consider promoting your event (paid) on Facebook. You can set a budget, the audience, and other parameters that can make it a very cost-effective marketing effort. Think about the cost of a postage stamp if you were to mail a flyer to everyone.
- Look Elsewhere-If the event is significant enough to reach beyond your Facebook audience, it’s important to market it through other channels as well. Relying solely on Facebook might mean missing potential attendees. Share the event on other social media platforms, add it to your local Chamber events calendar, and collaborate with your colleagues to identify additional places to promote it.
- Cross Promote-If you have any other businesses, organizations, or people (speakers, presenters, etc) who are also part of the event, have them help cross-promote on their fan pages, events, newsletters, etc. This is very effective and can really help the word spread. It takes a little extra work to figure out which vertical industries or partners are key to helping, but can make a world of difference in traffic (and success) of your event! You can now co-host events that will greatly help with this. Also, you can now add someone else’s event to your fan page and they can add your event to their page.
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