This document discusses using social media for festival and event marketing. It provides tips for setting goals and utilizing social media before, during, and after an event to raise awareness, encourage participation and sharing, and maintain excitement in the months between events. Key recommendations include identifying goals and target markets, using platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to engage attendees year-round rather than just when the event is approaching, and encouraging sharing through hashtags and content about sponsors.

1. Light the Spark!
Social Media for Festival & Event Marketing
Sheila Scarborough - Tourism Currents

2. What's In
This For
You? @SheilaS
@TourismCurrents
#TXDT2014

4. What To
Do First:
STOP!
@SheilaS
@TourismCurrents
#TXDT2014

5. Basics Still Matter
●What are your overall
event marketing goals?
●Who is your market?
●Where are they online?

7. Avoid Drowning
● Do your
homework
● Know your market
● Connect social
media to your
goals
● Measure & track

8. Organizing Event
Marketing
●Before
●During
●After @SheilaS
@TourismCurrents
#TXDT2014

9. Event Goals: Before
Awareness, registration,
anticipation of value ….
”Can't wait”

11. Event Goals: During
Sharing (on-site & off,)
build on excitement ….
”So glad I came”

13. Event Goals: After
Sharing, excitement for
next year ….
“I was there,
so glad I went”

15. Before
During
After @SheilaS
@TourismCurrents
#TXDT2014

16. Social Media - Before
Possible goals before the event?
Raise awareness
Word-of-Mouth excitement
Encourage sharing
Connect attendees
Support sponsors & Expo exhibitors

19. Social Media – Before
●Facebook Event page
●Facebook status updates
● On Facebook Pages
● On people's personal profiles
●Budget for Page ads!
@SheilaS
@TourismCurrents
#TXDT2014

21. 40 more photos
shared
below this!

24. Social Media – Before
● Pick a hashtag early!
●Have a plan for Twitter
● Instagram visual previews
●Use LinkedIn if it's
business/professional
@SheilaS
@TourismCurrents
#TXDT2014

27. Social Media – Before
● Blog posts
● Your blog and others
●Speaker preview videos
●Preview podcast interviews
●Photos & video from
previous events @SheilaS
@TourismCurrents
#TXDT2014

29. Social Media – Before
Don't forget to
highlight the venue
& host town
@SheilaS
@TourismCurrents
#TXDT2014

32. Social Media - During
Possible goals during the event?
Share content among attendees
Connect attendees
Share with those not there
Support sponsors & Expo exhibitors
Share fun social moments

37. Social Media – During
● Facebook updates continue
● Tweets, Instagram with hashtag
● Live radio show on Blog Talk Radio
● LinkedIn updates continue
● Livestream performances, show live
tweets & Instagram pics
●Photos, photos, photos

42. Social Media - After
Possible goals after the event?
Share among attendees
Share with those who missed it
Help your industry knowledge base
Support sponsors
Build more connections!

43. Share
The
Afterglow!

44. Social Media – After
● Summary blog posts, link posts
● Facebook Pages & profiles
● Tweets – save on Storify
● LinkedIn status updates & Group
discussions
● SlideShare for presentations
@SheilaS
@TourismCurrents
#TXDT2014

49. Social Media's
“Killer App” is....
year-round discussion
& community
@SheilaS
@TourismCurrents
#TXDT2014

50. Build A Barn!

52. “I wish some of our area event organizers would
do a better job of maintaining excitement about
events year-round to help generate awareness.
It's not effective to have a Page sit dormant for
10 - 11 months out of the year & only post when
you are getting ready for event weekend.”
“….or to STOP posting the week before the event
because they're busy with actual event
prep stuff.”

53. “We have a food festival that could really
benefit from highlighting vendors &
sponsors on all those whacky "National
(INSERT FOOD THEME) Day" or even
posting about history of dairy & other
foods (or BEER) in our state.
They just totally miss the opportunity on
some things & it's sooooo frustrating.”

66. What social
media is ....
…. and is not.

68. Takeaways
● It's networks & human relationships
● Time + persistence = payoff
● Meet your market where they are
● Help attendees to share on social
●Be more than a one-time-of-year
event @SheilaS
@TourismCurrents
#TXDT2014

69. Photo Credits
(all others my own)
● Mutton busting courtesy
NEBRASKAland Days on
Facebook
● Stop sign w/rabbits –
Nationaal Archief Flickr
Commons
● Goat pick-up sign – Gord
McKenna Flickr CC
● Rescue SAR swimmer –
DVIDSHUB on Flickr CC
● Pineapple Whip fans
courtesy Nebraska State
Fair on Facebook
● Build a barn – BJ McCray
on Flickr CC
● Cats & beer – pinguino on
Flickr CC

70. Thanks very much!
www.tourismcurrents.com/texas-downtowns
Sheila
Scarborough
Tourism Currents
@SheilaS
@TourismCurrents