Hashtags

By far, the most popular tool for promoting a new event is a simple #hashtag. There’s a real art form here, though, in creating a hashtag that people are really going to use. You want a hashtag that’s short and easy enough to remember, unique enough not to get confused with other hashtags, and creative enough to stand out in a crowded sea of social media. Moreover, you want to make sure that you are using the exact same hashtag across all social media platforms. Now is no time to get cute.

Video highlights

Another effective tactic is putting together a video highlight reel of past events. In the marketing world, this is known as the “sizzle reel,” and you should treat it much like a Hollywood studio would treat a film trailer for an upcoming film debut. It should grab the attention of potential participants, and highlight the most outstanding aspects of your upcoming event.

Shareable assets

In the social media world, “assets” simply refer to things like properly sized images for social media posts and high-resolution images for blog posts. The idea here is that you want people sharing information about your upcoming event, and one way of doing that is by unlocking a lot of great content that people will be excited to post on Facebook or Twitter. Best of all, try to give a small group of social media influencers or other Internet VIPs “exclusive” content that nobody else has. This helps to reinforce their role as influential voices on the Internet, so you are helping them out at the same time as they are helping you out.

Photos with speaker quotes

If you’re like most people, you probably get a lot of motivational or inspirational memes in your social media news feeds – stuff like photos of a gorgeous mountain sunrise, accompanied by a motivational quote about getting up early and accomplishing things. Well, you can use that same approach for your event. In this case, you will be using photos of your speakers (either past or upcoming), together with snippets of inspirational or thought-provoking things they have said in the past. This helps to generate enthusiasm and passion around the event.

Visual testimonials

Finally, you will want to include visual testimonials of past attendees. Or, if this is a first-time event, you can use “advance praise” from future participants. It’s best if you can use a photo of the participant, and then splice in the text quote on top of the photo. But even a photo of a packed auditorium or busy exhibition hall, combined with an upbeat quote, will suffice.

By keeping these tips in mind, you will be able to generate excitement and engagement around your upcoming event. Just remember that, if you are going to be using video clips or images from past events, that you secure any necessary approvals. Social media can play an important role in promoting your upcoming event as long as you use it wisely.

Want more? Download The Guide to Social Media Marketing and learn how to raise your game on social media, become more aligned with your customers and followers, and create a better perception of your brand.

*This post originally appeared on socialmedia hq.