How To Use Social Media To Promote An Event

Much has been said about Social Media, particularly with regards to the giants in the field, namely Facebook, and Twitter. Whilst absolutely valid, and very powerful ways of promoting your product or event, what other ways are there available to you in order to create a buzz or hype for your particular promotion? Finding out and utilising different methods of promotion through different Social Media websites might just prove to be the difference between you and the competition!

How To Use SoundCloud to Promote an Event

One vastly popular Social Media site that has expanded over the past few years, growing from 1 million subscribers in May 2010, to 10 million at the beginning of last year, is SoundCloud. The trend of growth is set to continue growing, so how can you get the most out of this music promotion website?

Well, SoundCloud features various exciting and useful features, such as embeds for websites, social networks within itself, and artist showcases. You can also link to exclusive tracks put up by the artist you are promoting, before they have even been released. You also have to possibility of sharing your audio content through interactive SoundCloud groups, and use a completely customisable audio player to show off your upcoming artists, right across other Social Media pages, like Facebook and Twitter. SoundCloud also feature a SoundCloud Stratus player, which can be embedded on your website. The player links back to your SoundCloud profile, where potential customers will be able to read all about your event.

Additionally SoundCloud distributes music using widgets and apps, so users can place the widget on their own websites and blogs, and then SoundCloud will automatically Tweet every track uploaded, ensuring Twitter users are kept up to date with your promotions latest developments.

How To Use Google+ to Promote An Event

Whilst Google+ didn’t exactly take off in the same way Facebook or Twitter have, it still has a hell of a lot of good features that are often overlooked by promoters. The main advantage of using Google+, is that it’s developed by Google, and as you will know, Google pretty much ARE the internet!

Much in the same way as Facebook, Google+ has both personal profiles, and specific pages for events and bands, which behave in a similar way to Facebook. However, the big advantage with Google+ is its sharing capability. As an example, everyone that goes to your event can upload photos in real time, and can then have a place to go to relive the gig or event long after it has passed. Everyone can contribute, and everyone can see it, without having to track it down across the internet. Mobile phone integration is also possible.

You also have the option of having your event fully combined with Google Calendar, so that users of that feature can see and respond to the event invite. With Google+ you can set up email reminders for everyone you have invited, although, try not to overwhelm your potential guests with alerts and notifications! Change this default setting by going to the Settings tab in the invite and making sure invitees only receive the most vital information, as well as changes, regarding the event. To get the most out Google+, make sure to spend some time customising all your options in ‘Settings’, to make sure your customers are getting all the information they personally need.

Most importantly, put +1 icons within your website’s content right next to your Facebook and Twitter icons. It can also be put on any material you use to promote your event, linking straight to your Google+ address. When your audience sees your Twitter, Facebook and Google+ icons, they know your company have a credible Social Media presence, and are more likely to check out your event.

How To Use Spotify To Promote An Event

If your event revolves around music, you can’t go far wrong with Spotify. Music is a powerful tool in creating an online community. Obviously, people in your target market are going to have pretty similar tastes in music. With Spotify, you can draw those people together by having them work together by building a playlist for your event, or by adding new songs to an appropriate playlist, specifically tailored for your event.

Spotify is fully compatible with Facebook, with updates to your spotify, or what you’re listening to at that given time being posted into the Ticker Feed. Utilising the chance to create a piece of content that directly involves your target audience will undoubtedly make your event stand out from the rest.

Remember to link your Spotify activity to Facebook, where customers you can use Skiddle’s online Facebook Ticket Shop to purchase tickets there and then.

Twitter and Facebook Reminders…

How To Use Twitter To Promote An Event

The strengths of Twitter lies in its spontaneity, its informal nature, and its immediacy. Promoting an event on Twitter alone is not the best marketing strategy, although used in conjunction with Facebook, or other Social Media websites, it can and will provide an effective complement to your promotion.

With your promotion, remember to ‘Web Add Twitter’ information onto all event announcements, hashtag wherever possible, including email signatures, to generate as much traffic as possible. Share related news, SoundCloud links, your Facebook event page, and add plenty of photographs, giving potential clients an idea of what they can expect from your event.

People on Twitter love a retweet too, so where appropriate, retweet posts from people hashtagging your event to make them feel included, and a part of the overall experience. During the event keep people informed as to what is going on, adding pictures along the way, and after the event, thank everyone for involved. This will foster a sense of community, with everyone playing a part in the event. Essentially, the key to success is to start early with your tweets, create a catchy hashtag, add value to your event, and share everywhere!

If you are wondering how to use Twitter to sell event tickets, simply link to Skiddle’s Facebook Ticket Shop at regular intervals, where the customer will be taken straight to our page, and in moments can become proud owners of tickets to your event.

How To Use Facebook To Promote An Event

Facebook is arguably to daddy of Social Media at the moment. You can use it as an inexpensive, effective, and measurable tool for promoting specific events. You start by simply going to the Events page on the website and clicking Add Event. The more information you add here, and the earlier you add it, the more successful your promotional campaign will be. Invite as many people as you can, inviting fans, friends, and friends of friends.

Encourage your customers and fans to do some sharing for you. You’d be hard pressed to find a better way of promotion than word of mouth, or in this case, fans recommending your events to their friends. Encourage this behaviour by providing ‘Share’ or ‘Like’ icons within your events page. It’s also a good idea to have others that work with you to do the same, ensuring maximum spread of your event.

The higher the number of people that click ‘Attending’, the more the indifferent or undecided customers become likely to want to attend. And with Skiddle involved, you can sell your tickets on Facebook, without having to link to an external website, by adding Skiddle’s Facebook Ticket Shop to your event.