Five top pieces of practical advice for event managers on planning digital content and using social media to strategically drive attendance at events

1. SOCIAL MEDIA
FOR #EVENTPROFS
THE GUIDE TO
EVENTS

2. UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’RE
USING SOCIAL MEDIA
What platforms do your
delegates use?
What do they use it for?
How can you add value?
How should you engage?
What do you want out of it?
1

3. THE RULES OF THE GAME
HAVE CHANGED FOREVER 2
• Mobile drives over 50% of all
e-commerce traffic
• More people own a mobile
device than a toothbrush
• The average person has a
seven second attention span
• By 2018, video will account for
two thirds of mobile usage.
• Heuristic behaviour demands
phatic engagement
Source: Social Media Revolution, Erik Qualman 2015

4. IN OLDEN DAYS (LIKE 2014)...
2
Source: blog.sumall.com

5. TAKE YOUR DELEGATES
ON A “JOURNEY”
Your content plan needs to
consider:
• Platforms you will use
• Frequency of content
• How much you
generate / source from
third parties
• How to maximise social
sharing
• How to continue to
engage before, during
and after the event
3

6. EXPERIMENT WITH SOCIAL: .
MIX-AND-MATCH PLATFORMS .
4
• Not every platform suits every delegate or event
• Be prepared to try new platforms, but don’t be afraid to
drop them if they don’t work out
• Cross-pollinate & repurpose content for different audiences

7. 4

8. DO NOT FALL AT THE
LAST HURDLE
Make sure SOMEONE is managing social media at the event.
Use an easy #hashtag to type on a smartphone
Fave / retweet / share throughout the event
Keep an eye out for hashtag hijacking
Maintain a consistent tone of voice, don’t engage in arguments
5

9. THE GUIDE TO
EVENTS
For more information, visit
www.guideto.events
Photography credits:
Eric Lenghan
Capotrix
Chaitanya Surya
Paul Van Der Werf
Joshua Ganderson
Rebecca-louise
World Economic Forum
Habrda