how to excel at event marketing with social media
DESCRIPTION
For more tips, view the free webinar video: www.HubSpot.com/eventsTRANSCRIPT
How to Excel at Event Marketing
Heidi Tobias Senior Manager of Distance Learning, Constant Contact
@htoby
Maggie Georgieva Inbound Marketing Manager, HubSpot
@mgieva
Meet today’s speakers:
Challenge Image credit: Digitalnative
Challenge
Getting people to respond to invites
Getting people to pay attention to invites
Minimizing no shows
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Top 3 challenges
Challenge
What do you and your attendees want?
Break through the noise
What are your promo channels?
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Agenda:
Social media + events 4
Post-event activities & follow-up 6
WHAT DO YOU AND YOUR ATTENDEES WANT?
What do you want to accomplish?
Your why for having an event determines:
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3 How to measure ROI
Desired result
Type and content 1
What do
attendees
want?
Learn what attendees desire:
What types of events interest you?
Why do you attend events?
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4 What social media tools do you use?
What of our past events have you attended?
Ask the uncomfortable question about a previous event:
“What didn’t you like about our last event?”
Top 3 things attendees want:
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What is in it for me?
Why would I want to attend?
What topics/trends drive a response?
Event organizers wanted:
• Increase attendees to events
• Update perception of chapter
• Fundraise for Sidney M. Oman Cancer Center
Attendees wanted:
• Something interesting to do while giving back
• Attending an “It” event
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Event success
Event success
What organizers achieved:
• 7,800 attendees
• 250 volunteers
• Profit of $150,000
• Increased engagement
What attendees received:
• A good time and doing something good
• New wines and a way to be involved
• Motivation & resources for next event
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BREAK THROUGH THE NOISE – PROMOTIONAL FOUNDATIONS
Break through the noise
Create objectives for you and your attendees
Monitor before, during & after
Identify the right people and ways to promote
Use this info to make next event rock
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Ideal
Attendee
Break through the noise
• People new and familiar
with you?
• What makes them the
same/ different?
• Influence in networks (local
and social)?
Where do they look for info?
Break through the noise
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Create a steady stream of content
Stage timing to keep their interest
Make each post unique & compelling
Promotional Foundation
Start with those who know you
and love you- Email Invites!
• Branding is important
• 79% of respondents said they hit
the "report spam" button when
they don't know who the sender
is.-Email Sender and Provider Coalition
• Show your personality
• Use a subject line & headline
that captures and keeps
attention
• Personalize the message to
each recipient
• Provide event details
79% hit the "report spam" button when they don't know who the sender is.-Email Sender
and Provider Coalition
Do your invites do
more than just ask
people to come?
Today, 71% of the U.S. online
audience watches video on the
internet, and the number of
streams consumed should more
than double by 2013 – Forrester
Research 2009
Video in email can increase click-
through rates by as much as
three-hundred percent – Forrester
Research 2009
Engage with Video in
Email Invites
Promotional Foundation
Invitees share in
Social Media
How do you know if your invites did their job?
5 weeks: Personal email invites
3 weeks: Reminder, speaker
info & discounts
1 week: Don’t miss email with
social media.
Use shareworthy
content:
-Showcase speakers and
related content
-Feature reviews from past
events
-Use the words that
attendees use, not internal
jargon
Design for sharing and
search
WHAT ARE YOUR PROMO CHANNELS?
Flour
Sugar
Chocolate
Eggs
Butter
Milk
Image credit: sassyradish
Paid
Referrals
Blog
Social
Media
Other
Campaigns
Promotion
Build Registration
Page
What to Include on your Landing Page:
Compelling copy and images
Bullet points
Speaker info
Social media sharing links
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Create a Call-to-Action
Community
Create a
Blog Post
Don‘t
Forget!
Create
Video
Write Press
Release
Use Ads
Post on
Social
Media
SOCIAL MEDIA + EVENTS= SUCCESS WHAT AND HOW IT WORKS
Social Media + Events = Success
A tool is not a strategy. Strategy is about communication and
conversation
Clearly defined goals
Leveraged networks of participants (speakers & attendees)
Measurement of success
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Tools
Social Networks
YouTube Video
Location-based apps
Communication
What will the event be
about?
Who will be there?
Why is the event important?
Conversation
“Do not miss it!”
“At this year’s event…”
“Hear them speak…”
Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc.
Social Media + Events = Success
Use communications on social networks to create awareness
and enthusiasm to attend
Facebook + Events= Success
Register right from Facebook
Encourage comments and likes
Talk with and respond to questions
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Facebook+ Events = Success
Consider a custom landing page to promote your event
Facebook + Events = Success
During Event -Facebook
Live
Updates
Share
materials
Photos
and
Video
Share
via
Mobile
Twitter+ Events = Success
• Create and use a
#hashtag for the event
• Thank each sponsor for
the contribution they’ve
provided.
Include their handles in
the tweet
• Raise awareness
Guess Speakers
Topic & Issues
addressed
Use Twitter to create a place online for conversations about the event
Twitter + At Events= Success
Attendees tweet using #hashtag
Add their handles to name tags
Live feed of photos & videos
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Twitter has 165 Million Users –
50% of them use Twitter Mobile. –Mashable.com, “Mobile by the Numbers
LinkedIn + Events = Success
Join LinkedIn Groups
Join Groups where the
people you want to attend
participate.
Can’t find one? Start one
and nurture the conversation.
Ask questions in the group
– Follow up with those who
posted
– Answer questions asked of
you
Understand your connections through
InMap:
http://inmaps.linkedinlabs.com/
LinkedIn + Events = Success
Promote your
event in your
profile and on
your updates
Invite your
connections
Live updates
from event in
status
updates and
groups
YouTube + Events = Success
Create a strong desire to attend with
a video
Promote your event on your website or email and
include a YouTube video
Guest speakers
Activities
Success stories
Increase attendance with videos.
Mobile + Events = Success
Do you have a Foursquare venue? Create a location to check in
Co-marketing with local businesses? Drive traffic to each other
Leave a tip or review about your event
Leave a “To Do” about your event
Scavenger hunt around event – Hints in tips area
– Understand interests of people checking in (profile info)
Location-Based Services information
http://www.socialquickstarter.com
• Watch how many and who
has checked in
• Review comments, tips and
to do’s left by attendees
• Watch for instant feedback
– Negative comments
about the food
– Problems with the
facility
Real information in real time
How can you use mobile at the
event?
Mobile + Events = Success
Direct to web-based event
information
Get feedback via a poll or short
survey
Access video content that is
complementary to the event
objectives
Access live Twitter stream
focused on event #hashtag
Direct access to Facebook
event
How do I build? -http://bit.ly/
Add- .qr at end of shortened url
Consider using QR Codes to keep the interaction going
QR Code information http://www.socialquickstarter.com
POST-EVENT & FOLLOW-UP
Image credit: s.alt
Post-Event Activities:
Archive Event Materials
Collect Feedback
Distribute Archives
Promote Next Event
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Post-Event Activities:
Archive Event Materials 1
Archives Matter
Archives
Post-Event Activities:
Distribute Archives 2
Distribution
Post on Website
Email Folks
“Get all the slides,
handouts and even
the Flickr stream.”
Announce on Twitter
Photos on Facebook
Other Sites
SlideShare YouTube
Flickr
Post-Event Activities:
Collect Feedback 3
Collect Insights
Photo Credit Dunbar Gardens :
Launch Survey
What to Ask in a Survey:
Were you satisfied with the content?
Will you refer others?
How likely are you to come again?
What did you like or not like about the event?
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Facebook Poll
Review Twitter Hashtag
Coverage
Post-Event Activities:
Promote Next Event 4
Call-to-Action “Check out the list of
existing groups…”
Calendar
Save the URL
Next Steps:
Learn how to leverage inbound marketing to promote your events with HubSpot:
www.HubSpot.com/demo
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See how event marketing works in a live tour from Constant Contact: http://conta.cc/EasyEvents
THANK YOU
Q&A