Marketing is an integral component of planning an event. A well-crafted event marketing strategy allows you to reach your target audience effectively. It provides prospective attendees with valuable information about your event and entices them to buy tickets.
Today, you have a variety of event promotion tactics to spread the word about your upcoming events. In addition to traditional marketing strategies like billboards and flyers, you have a wide range of digital marketing methods like emails, an optimized event page on your website, and online ads.
Social media has also become a popular place for event marketing. With more than 70% of the US population having a presence on at least one platform, social networking sites offer an excellent way to reach your target market. When deciding which ones to use to promote your event, one you’ll want to include is Facebook.
Why Facebook for Event Marketing?
When most people think of social media, Facebook is the first one that comes to mind. That comes as no surprise, considering Facebook is one of the oldest and most popular platforms, with 2.9 billion monthly users globally.
The number of users on Facebook means that you have a good chance of reaching people in your target audience. According to the platform itself, 700 million people use Facebook each month to promote events. Additionally, 35 million people view an event on the platform every day. In other words, Facebook is one of the best social media platforms for event promotion.
Kick Off With a Facebook Event Page
When you’re looking at how to promote events on Facebook, one of your first steps is to make an event page. When creating your event, be sure to include a relevant photograph (such as a picture from last year’s event), the name of your event, and the essential details. Creating a discussion within your event page will also come in handy for sharing updates and other vital information, which we’ll get into a little later.
Event Promotion Tips to Optimize Your Facebook Event Page
It’s not enough to create a Facebook event page for your upcoming event. Part of ensuring that you reach the most attendees is optimizing that page. Here are a few tips that can help:
- Use a short, memorable name. Your name should tell potential attendees what your event is about, but it shouldn’t be too long. Many Facebook users browse the platform on their mobile devices. Longer names tend to get cut off, which can impact their effectiveness.
- Add all the vital details. When creating your event, be sure to input the correct date(s) of the event, time, and location. You’ll also want to select an appropriate event category and keywords or tags. That information will allow Facebook to promote your event appropriately and ensure it gets suggested to people who might be interested.
- Write a compelling description. Your Facebook event description should be easy to understand and provide all vital information potential attendees need to know. Adding hashtags and mentions can help generate buzz. A link to your event webpage (or the registration page) can also be helpful.
Utilize Your Company’s Facebook Page
Many businesses across the country have company Facebook pages with loyal followers. If you have one, use it to promote your event. You can make your upcoming events easily accessible to your followers by enabling the “Events” tab at the top of your profile. When people click on that tab, they’ll be able to see what events you have planned and view them for more details. You can also pin your event to the top of your company’s Facebook page.
Post Regular Updates
Sharing updates in the discussion area of your Facebook event page is vital for keeping your upcoming event at the top of potential attendees’ minds. Updates help you generate important information as the date grows closer. They can also encourage engagement with and amongst attendees and those interested in attending.
Here’s a bonus: as people engage with your posts, their comments can appear on their friends’ feeds. That increases the visibility of your event and may even help attract more attendees.
Types of Updates to Post
There are several types of updates you can post on your marketing event on Facebook. Some of your options include:
- Sneak peeks that show what’s happening behind the scenes as you prepare for your event
- Short video interviews with staff, guests, vendors, or other event participants
- Spotlights on special guests, speakers, or event sponsors
- Special offers from sponsors that will be available during the event
- Important reminders about your event
- Exciting news or developments
- Media coverage
- Teasers
- Event schedules
- Ticket and promotional deadlines
How Often to Post Updates
Regular updates are an essential component of marketing an event on Facebook. The question is, how often should you publish updates? Generally speaking, posting once a day (or five times during the week) is sufficient. However, what matters more than your number of posts is the quality. The goal should be to provide your audience with something of value.
Don’t Forget to Encourage Conversation
Encourage conversations and sharing (engagement) by posting questions for the people attending (or interested in attending) your upcoming event. For instance, if you’ve held the event in the past, ask people if they’re new or returning attendees. Other questions you might consider asking include:
- How did you hear about this event?
- What are you most excited to see or experience at the event?
- Which speaker are you looking forward to hearing?
As you post your updates and questions, don’t forget to engage with people who comment, too. That shows your (prospective) attendees that you care about their opinion.
Inspire Sharing
Word of mouth advertising has long been an effective method of promotion. People trust recommendations from friends, family, and others they know well. In a way, social media is a digital form of “word of mouth.”
To help spread the word about your event, encourage your attendees to share your Facebook event page on their feeds. You can ask your sponsors, vendors, and exhibitors to do the same. That allows you to tap into their audiences as well. You might even consider working with Facebook influencers or recruiting affiliates to help with your event promotion efforts.
Offer Giveaways
Who doesn’t love free stuff? Giveaways are another great way to encourage more engagement or sharing. For instance, you could ask attendees to share your Facebook event page on their feeds along with a custom hashtag in exchange for a chance to win free tickets. You can also create a post that asks participants to answer a question or share a comment for a giveaway entry.
Ask Followers to RSVP
After you create a Facebook event, the people who see the page have the option of clicking whether they’re interested or going. When they choose either option, their decision appears in their friends’ feeds, putting your event in front of more people.
Are you finding that people aren’t RSVPing to your Facebook event? Consider giving them an extra incentive. Offering an entry into a drawing or special perks could provide that extra nudge.
Boost Your Facebook Event Page and Posts
Boosting your event or a specific post allows you to increase awareness of your event. It can also encourage more RSVPs or ticket sales.
When you boost your event page (or a post within it), you transform it into a quick, simple ad. You fill out the ad creative, choose your target audience, and set your budget. Once published, the ad bypasses the newsfeed algorithm, enabling you to get your event in front of more people who might be interested in attending.
Run Facebook Ads
You can also choose to create an ad campaign using Facebook Ads Manager. Much like boosting your event, your campaign can help you increase awareness, get more RSVPs, or encourage more ticket sales. You can also create campaigns that retarget people who have shown interest in past events or target new attendees.
Ad Objectives
When creating an ad campaign, your first step is to select your objective:
- Awareness
- Considerations
- Conversions
From there, you can select from one of several subcategories. Choose the option that fits your ad campaign goal. You’ll also need to create an ad account and set your budget.
Types of Event Ads
Next, you’ll create your ad. The Facebook event ad format you select affects how your ad looks on a person’s feed. Some of your options include:
- Image ads
- Video ads
- Carousel ads
After selecting your format, it’s time to fill out the details and create a compelling message that encourages your audience to take action.
Meaningful CTAs
Finally, you’ll also want to include a call to action (CTA). Depending on your specific goal, that could be “learn more,” “book now,” or “sign up.” You can also direct your audience to your event registration page to purchase tickets.
Increase the Buzz with Facebook Event Marketing
As the most popular social networking platform, Facebook is a perfect place for promoting your upcoming events. Creating an event page is only the beginning. You’ll also need to update it regularly, encourage sharing, and get people talking. The main goal is getting your event in front of more people and generating more ticket sales.
A solid strategy is essential for getting the most out of your event marketing, and Events.com is here to help. We offer everything from event management to sponsorship. Our promotional tools will aid you in making the most of your upcoming event, regardless of how you choose to promote it. Schedule your demo today, and learn how Events.com can help you with Facebook event promotion and other marketing efforts.
