Tips for Getting Your Event Audience Buzzing on Social Media

Everybody wants the same things when using social media at events: a larger audience, and the right connections to potential partners. But one key detail that most people overlook is that it’s not just about how many connections you’ve made at an event, social media marketing strategy but how strong and genuine is the connection you’ve made with the right person.Real-time engagement is the Trojan horse of social media that allows you to cleverly embed your brand and message into what people are already talking about in order to create the ultimate viral package. The essential element here is that both you and the audience are sharing the same conversation. The common experience introduces to your content or brand to the audience in a way that didn’t start with a sales pitch.When people aren't being sold to they let their guards down and become more receptive to your message. That’s just the nature of conversation in general. To make the right impact with your event audience, provide a method for people to have those conversations. The best way to create those avenues is by adding an element of fun.For social to work in the C-suite, CEOs can use crowdsourcing software or new “actionable social” tools to solicit feedback from large groups. For example, department heads or sales managers can submit their own ideas and vote on the best ones to pursue for their group initiatives. This democratic format generates greater buy-in from constituents, which in turn leads to highly motivated individuals and better aligned teams.CEOs also need to manage which audiences participate in each initiative, doing away with the social free-for-all. social media marketing plan For instance, some crowdsourcing projects might invite internal employees to participate, while others would query only external partners or suppliers, depending on the project focus.Another important aspect of this process involves structuring crowd-sourced discussions around certain specific topics, and blocking out other subjects to be avoided by the group.

Show it to grow it

Hashtags are used to organize conversations on social media, especially on Twitter and Instagram. Today, it’s just a given that the good events will have an event hashtag. But the best, social media marketing companies most successful events use visual displays that stream the live social media content surrounding the event hashtag.Using this method allows you to give your audience a ‘highlight reel’ of the best-quality content from peers and provides visual reminders that everybody can, and should, join the conversation. Have a moderator go through the content so that you’re approving quality posts from the audience members that others are most likely to listen to and follow suit.Remember, the more observable you make content, the easier it is for your audience to imitate it.Businesses can also encourage customers to share their own experiences through Vine. If a picture advertisement is worth a 1,000 words, then Vine videos are much more valuable that traditional advertising. Reaching potential customers in six seconds is a challenge but forming that connection and catching their attention with the right video may be worth six hours’ worth of effort.A recent study by The 7th Chamber found that five Tweets a second contain a Vine link. Studies are showing that a branded Vine is four times more likely to be seen than a branded video. Businesses can capitalize on the popularity of this mobile app by sending out a Vine video featuring one of its products’ uses, a customer modeling apparel, a patron eating at your restaurant or drinking at your bar. This allows their friends to see them interacting with your business in a positive way, social media marketing services thereby increasing the chances that they will do so themselves.Leaders can also curate their social discussions by making some comments anonymous in order to solicit open criticisms, while requiring users to be clearly identified and accountable when voting on shared priorities.All of this so important to CEOs. Leaders need to get out of their boardrooms and escape their rigid hierarchies to engage with actual constituents.

Bring out the toys

Third-party platforms allow you to take the conversation to another level. Share social analytics periodically with your audience so they see how much impact their contributions are making. social media marketing university People will drive more posts around your event hashtag when they know they’re an integral part of an important conversation.Gamification can be your best friend. Track who is posting and highlight your event’s top influencers. You can create a visual leader board to give kudos to your social contributors while introducing some friendly competition. Give your audience the love and the credit they deserve. They’ll give it right back to you with continued positive exposure.Social media is becoming increasingly visual. This is evident by the rise of newer photo-sharing platforms, particularly Snapchat and Vine.Small businesses can leverage these platforms more intimately than Facebook and Twitter to establish a direct connection to send their customers special offers and deals directly. A restaurant could send a photo or video of their weekly special through Snapchat, capitalizing on the visual medium to encourage customers to come in and try it.It’s been more work than I ever expected but I’ve loved every minute of the campaign," Kart says. "It forces me to do all my marketing up front before the product is even done and I’ve received invaluable feedback on the prototype.It seems like her work might be paying off. what is social media marketing Kickstarter nominated that Adi campaign as a staff pick soon after the campaign's launch and Kart's campaign is 37 percent funded.Pricey Facebook advertising is simply not feasible for a number of SMB owners these days, but less expensive and effective opportunities are out there. SMBs that are adaptable and open to trying newer technologies and social media channels can stand up and fight bigger competitors on a daily basis without going bankrupt in the process.