The document provides an overview of social networking and how it can benefit events. It discusses defining social networking, why events should use social networking to reach audiences and level the playing field with larger competitors. The document also covers which major social media outlets events should use, including how to effectively use Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest to promote events.
Saffire Events was founded by Kendra Wright, who has been building websites since 1995, when the internet began.In 2000, she joined forces with Aaron Pederson, Saffire Events’ technical director, and Jeremy Emerson, Saffire Events’ creative director.
Saffire Events was founded by Kendra Wright, who has been building websites since 1995, when the internet began.In 2000, she joined forces with Aaron Pederson, Saffire Events’ technical director, and Jeremy Emerson, Saffire Events’ creative director.
Since then, Saffire Events has addedalmost a dozen people, all to keep up with the ever-rising bar of online expectations.
Besides theirwork in the event industry, their team does work for large consumer companies in a lot of industries. This gives a breadth of experience that they bring to marketing events online.
A few years ago, a phone call changed the trajectory of theircompany.Rodeo Austin called and asked them to build an immersive, online presence. Immediately, Saffire Events felt this was an industry they wanted to call home, because this was an industry they could help. And the best thing is, because of geographic disparity, Saffire can bring the experience of lots of fairs and give us functionality that we would never be able to afford from someone just building one event website.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube, Linked In, Flikr, WHATEVER are just outlets for you to create your social network. These things do NOT stand alone. You can’t have a social network because you HAVE a facebook page.
This is social networking…being socially responsible.
Monika- can you put a slide here, like the graphic on the next page, but for traditional media…start it with Me: 1 and then some stats on how many people each one may reach? Like TV ads, Radio ads, direct mail pieces…you can kind of make up the #’s or just find an example. Obviously direct mail’s going to vary per campaign, so just guesstimate what you think…-Graphic from Mashable.com
These are your customers in each of these places…they’re already there! If you want them to come back to your site you need to reach them where they are first. If you have others that are not listed here, don’t panic, it’s okay! As long as you are able to maintain a positive presence with your additional social media, you can’t HURT yourself…you just have to make sure you can keep up with it. If you have to pick, because you’re short on time like the rest of us, these are the ones we’d suggest.
Different: younger, moms
Your competitors are already doing this! The big boys are using these social media and have done the research for you already that this is where you should be
If you already have a twitter account, do you have these things? They each take 2 minutes!
The guy that examine 200,000 tweets
1. Share your Blog postsDoes your company blog? Why not take the time to share that wonderful content with your audience on Social Media? Sharing your blog posts with your Facebook and Twitter followers will not only help you engage with them, but it will also increase web traffic to your blog. If you increase this traffic you can then convert them into paying customers.2. QuestionsAsk a question on Twitter, LinkedIn, Quora or Facebook and then share the answers you get. Create thought provoking and engaging questions based upon your area of expertise or industry that will produce great responses. Then share those answers with everyone on your company’s page. You can generate great feedback and start interesting discussions.3. Highlight Customer Stories and TestimonialsLet your customers do the marketing for you! Share the stories and experiences that your customers have had with your company for all to see. This will show your company from different perspectives and show others what they can expect when doing business with you.4. Local ActivitiesA great way to get people involved with your business and the community is to let them know about the things that are happening locally. Keeping your fans engaged with what’s going on in the community will not only look good for you but when they tell others where they heard about the event, they will be reminded of your company and that they heard it from you first! A good way to do this is to run a contest and give away something relevant to your community.5. Fill in the BlankThis is a great way to get some conversations started. By creating fill in the blanks, you are setting yourself up for some interesting responses. These types of comments/ posts really get people to participate because when people see them they just can’t help themselves and feel the need to chime in with their two cents.6. Organize a contestCreate a Contest that is both engaging and simple, but make sure that the prize is enticing as well! Simplicity goes very far when it comes to online contests. The fact of the matter is that people want to enter to win something for free, but are more reluctant to do so when they have to give out their information in fear of being spammed and contacted for services or products that they don’t need or want. Therefore use contests to create more visibility for your company and attract more followers and fans rather than trying to sell them something!7. Top 10 ListsCreate top ten lists for different topics related to your industry. This is a great way to give your professional opinion on what you think is more important along with creating some discussion and engagement. Top ten lists usually draw a lot more attention because they are easier to read and people like to see how things rank in a list. This is why whenever you can create a list about a specific topic, you should. It’s also great for SEO (Search Engine Optimization)!8. How-to VideosShow a video on how to do something specific that’s related to your business or industry. By making a step-by-step video, you not only improve SEO, but you’re also helping your online credibility. Just make sure that you pick something that you are an expert in and make sure it is done right. No one likes watching a how to video and not being able to do what it is you set out to show him or her. Since video is very popular on the Internet, it makes sense to be one step ahead of the competition and take the time to film out exactly what you are trying to show them.9. Post Funny Photos or SayingsPeople love to laugh, so if you have something funny to say or something funny to show, then share it! Just make sure it’s appropriate for your audience and doesn’t pull in politics or religion. You don’t want to lose credibility for something you thought was funny but offended your audience.10. Customer ContentDon’t put the entire burden on your own shoulders all the time. Let your customers and clients do the work for you! Allow them to upload and share their content with their friends and followers. Make sure that you respond accordingly to any negative content that may arise! Encourage your audience and provide them a place where they can share their content, to get all around engagement! Just be sure that it doesn’t turn off topic or become spammy.Leave us a comment below and let us know what has worked for you! We’re always curious to learn about what strategies work for particular businesses! You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Use the tips and tricks we went over to get people to click on your links and take advantage of
#1 we all know nothing sells an event like photos. Photos are also an EXTREMELY personal way to share an event, especially if the photo is of them. This is one of the great things about localized eventsAbout half of young Americans find their news through Facebook. Do you make it easy for people to share content and articles?
Saffire blog post about cover photo
Rodeo Austin has been a great partner to develop Saffire into what it is today (and what it will become!).
This quoteepitomizes why Saffire exists… To help elevate the fair industry by improving its most important front door, the one so many people will see regardless of whether they ever come to ourevent (but hopefully they will!) – our website. And theydo it in such a way that makes our lives easier, because we’re empowered to manage it (and enjoydoing it!) without any outside help.