Social media improves event awareness

Whether it’s to launch a new product or show appreciation for customers, hosting a company event is an effective way to get your brand noticed. Attendees can learn more about your organization’s products and services and understand what your brand stands for. But you won’t reach that level of success without first developing a strong communication strategy to get the word out.

One of the most effective ways to raise awareness of a company event is to advertise it on social media. Maximillion Events surveyed event organizers about the significance of social media for event promotion, and 75 percent of them said it was “very important” to use social media sites to boost event awareness.

Many marketers are realizing how effective events and conferences can be at increasing brand awareness and are trying to find more funding for them. According to 2015 research from Econsultancy, events are the top offline marketing strategy companies are focusing on this year from an investment standpoint.

What are the best ways to utilize social media for event marketing?

• Create an event hashtag on Twitter: Developing a hashtag on Twitter will help people find conversations about your event, according to Cvent. The hashtag should be short and similar to the name of the event.
• Share your event on relevant Facebook pages: Do not hesitate to advertise your event on other Facebook pages that relate to your company in some way. Explain why the event will benefit the members of the Facebook page.
• Ask highly connected attendees to mark they’re attending on LinkedIn: LinkedIn users typically find events through their business connections, so it’s important to ask your highly connected attendees to mark “attending” on their LinkedIn pages. When these attendees’ connections learn about the event, they may come check it out.

Giving away promotional items at company events
Now that you have raised awareness of your company event through social media and enticed more people to attend, show your appreciation by giving them something to take home. According to the Advertising Specialty Institute, handing out promotional products gives customers a favorable view of your company. They will appreciate that you gave them a gift, and it will serve as a reminder of your event for a long time to come.