How Do We Make an Event out of Social Media?

[image error]In a day and age when social media is the rage for both businesses and personal matters, it is safe to say that too many people still do not entirely get it.

If you're a business owner who is looking to increase your social media presence in order to better connect with both current and potential customers, there are means by which to go about that.

First and foremost, define your goals for social media and why you need this networking tool to further your business along.

So, still baffled as to why using social media to promote events and more is right for you?

Take a few moments to study these tips and then see how you can employ them in your business:

Create event pages on major social networks like Facebook and Twitter. For your company's event page, you want things like the event's date and locale, along with contact information. Also make sure you provide registration details so interested parties can sign up;
Use location-based tools – With location-based sites like Foursquare, you can encourage event attendees to check in on the day event, while offering free goodies. With some good PR, you are likely to encourage those checking in to encourage co-workers and friends to do the like;
Know your hashtags – When using Twitter, hashtags carry a lot of weight. Let's say you are a catering business and you want to promote a big event you're working. Be sure to use the hashtag in your marketing efforts so that your marketing team and others can spread the message using a simple word or words;
Utilize images, video and more – Whether you are using Twitter, Facebook or another social media tool, the addition of images, videos and such are great accessories to promote your event. While you can and need to use words to promote events, images, videos etc. can leave the viewer with a much more powerful impression and interest in your event;
Employ a blog – A blog can be a powerful tool, but only if it is quality content/images and most importantly, is regularly updated. Blogs can be a great means by which to engage with both present and potential clients, providing them with valuable information and even deals, coupons, etc. Before utilizing a blog, make sure it will be worthwhile and fresh;
Drive viewers to your site – Different tools such as YouTube (www.youtube.com) and Ustream (http://www.ustream.tv/) are great options that offer embed codes one can simply copy and paste into a company web page. By doing so, you can help drive inbound traffic and hopefully have visitors share the imagery with people in their social networks.

When you use social media to promote your events, you increase the chances of more people attending the event, more people learning about your company, and in the end, bettering your return on investment (ROI).

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