Creating a Social Media Strategy for Your Event outlines principles for integrating social media into event planning and management. It recommends (1) defining goals for social engagement before, during and after an event, (2) learning existing online communities and encouraging sharing to start dialog, and (3) supporting networking and continuous engagement through the event with hashtags, groups, and sharing content to extend the experience beyond the event. The document provides best practices for monitoring social media discussions, addressing issues that arise, and incorporating the "backchannel" into panels, keynotes and Q&A.

1. Creating a Social Media Strategy for Your Event Charlene Li Altimeter Group April 13, 2010 1 Prepared for Eventbrite

2. It’s not about the technologies

3. 3 It’s aboutrelationships

4. Three Principles Of Modern Events Events should have a strategy that includes the before and after – not just during. Events should integrate with existing communities and social networks where they exist. The audience can assert control over the event, so encourage audience engagement -- and know when to get out of the way. 4

5. Define Your Strategy With Goals 5

6. Social engagement must be continuous 6 Learn Dialog Support Innovate

7. Learn where communities already are 7

8. Tap Plancast attendees at similar events for leads 8

9. Encourage sharing to jumpstart dialog 9 Encourage advocacy with badges

10. If you don’t, others will. For example: #NCAA #NCAABB #FinalFour #Final4 #MarchMadness Decide on event hashtags in advance. Also designate session hashtags if needed. Publicize in advance in all channels Website: attendee section, bloggers/media section Promote at the event itself – repeatedly Include in signage, printed programs Announce from the stage, again and again Encourage dialog with hashtags 10

11. Create groups/communities to connect 11

12. Support pre-event networking 12

13. Ask for proposals via social media 13

14. SXSW asks for comments on proposals 14

15. Social engagement must be continuous 15 Learn Dialog Support Innovate

16. SXSW connected with an iPhone app 16

17. Aggregate and display the backchannel 17

18. Balancing front- and backchannels takes practice, skill, and experience 18

19. Determine the role and relationship of the backchannel to speakers at your event 19 Will speakers be able to adequately monitor the backchannel? When is the speaker expected to be able to see and respond to the backchannel, if at all? Is the organizer prepared to monitor and address “bad behavior”? Integrate the backchannel differently for different formats (e,g, Webinar, panel, keynote).

20. Designate non-presenter to track questions, if possible. Remind everyone about hashtags being used. Monitor Twitter, live blogging, and Webinar Q&A. Address connectivity, volume, platform issues. Screen and prioritize questions. Notify presenter about any problems. Example: We prepped and practices before this Webinar. Webinar best practices 20

21. Moderator reminds people about hashtag for comments/questions. Also provide SMS texting option if desired. Moderator monitors the backchannel. Or designate one or more people to moderate the questions and DM/text questions/issues. If moderator monitors, requires practice practice practice to succeed at this. Panelists can also monitor the backchannel. Example: Jeremiah Owyang at SXSW pushing discussion into Q&A because of backchannel. Panel best practices 21

22. Presenters with prepared speeches have little possibility of reacting to the backchannel. Speaker is focused on reading the audience, making real-time adjustments to the room. Conference organizers must be prepared, and also prep the speaker. Designate someone to monitor the backchannel and signal speaker with any major problems. Message with monitors or SMS – but speaker needs to be prepared (and most won’t be open to this). Speakers need to engage active backchannel members – even until you get on stage. Get them on your side. Keynote best practices 22

23. What can go wrong – danah boyd at Web 2 Expo, Fall 2009 23 danah had a new speech, couldn’t see her laptop, and was nervous. She didn’t know about the backchannel that would be displayed. Audience was reacting to the backchannel, she reacted to the backchannel, etc. Organizers turned off the backchannel screen and then back on, unbeknownst to danah. More from details from danah at http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2009/11/24/spectacle_at_we.html

24. A better way to include and expose the backchannel – during Q&A 24 Show backchannel during Q&A so that the speaker can select the questions. Emcee can ask pre-selected questions to get started. Monitor the backchannel during the speech and ask Q&A on behalf of the audience. Also eliminates “non-questions” and floor hogging.

25. Social engagement must be continuous 25 Learning/innovating Advocacy Support/planning Dialog

26. In the backchannel, launch a survey. “Rate the panel, talk, scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent).” Create a place where people can go to have further discussion, if warranted. Promote your next event or session. Direct people to related sessions. Ask for feedback and extend the dialog 26

27. Rexi Media empowers speaker ratings 27

28. Create a blog post or page that summarizes the event. Encourage replay by sharing content. Upload to SlideShare, Scribd, Flickr, YouTube, etc. Embed in your post/page. Include an audio recording, linked to slides if available. Link to relevant blog posts that covered the event. Capture entire backchannel, insert as an archive. Worried less about cannibalization, more about extending the experience of paid attendees. Create and share event summaries 28

29. It’s about the relationships, not the technologies. Create and foster dialog before the event to drive attendance and engagement. The social backchannel changes the relationship between speakers and attendees – so be prepared. Encourage replay by sharing, not hoarding, content. Summary 29

30. 30 30 Thank you Charlene Li charlene@altimetergroup.com blog.altimetergroup.com Twitter: charleneli For slides, send an email to slides@altimetergroup.com http://bit.ly/buyopenleadership