Special Events Social Media Strategy presented at the Upper Midwest Conventions and Visitors Bureau annual meeting in Lincoln, Nebraska.

1. SPECIAL EVENT
SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY
Presented By:
TYLER THOMAS
Social Media Specialist – University of Nebraska–Lincoln
social@UNL.edu | @TylerAThomas
September 15, 2014

2. TODAY’S GOALS
• Introduce you on how to integrate social
media into your overall events strategy
– Pre-Event
– During Event
– Post Event
2

3. GETTING STARTED
• Identify your audience
– The key here is to be as specific as possible
• Identify your message(s)
– Multiple messages are okay
• Identify your messaging vehicles
– Do you need to set up new channels?
• Set up a content plan and assign roles
3

4. ESTABLISH A HASHTAG
• A specific keyword for your event
• Identified with a # sign in front of text
– Letters and/or numbers Exmp: #UNL2014
– No Special Characters (* - _ &)
• Used on MOST social channels
• Why?
– Build awareness of your event/cause
– Encourage interaction
– Join the conversation
4

5. ESTABLISH A HASHTAG
• Research your potential options
– Avoid “noisy” hashtags
– Keep it short
– Add numbers to differentiate
– Work in the event name if possible
5
• #UMCVB
– Use capitalization to make it more clear:
• #ENThompsonForum
– Be aware of spam bots and hashtag hijacking

6. PRE-EVENT

7. PRE-EVENT
7
• Include your hashtag
& social channels on
marketing and other
promotional
materials
– Event registration
• Printed Forms
• Landing Page(s)

8. PRE-EVENT
8
• Include your hashtag
& social channels on
marketing and other
promotional
materials
– Event registration
• Printed Forms
• Landing Page(s)

9. PRE-EVENT
9
• Include your hashtag
& social channels on
marketing and other
promotional
materials
– Event registration
• Printed Forms
• Landing Page(s)

10. PRE-EVENT
10
• Printed materials
promoting the event
– Invitations
– Postcards
– Flyers
– Table Tents

11. PRE-EVENT
11
• Printed materials
promoting the event
– Invitations
– Postcards
– Flyers
– Table Tents

12. PRE-EVENT
12
• Printed materials
promoting the event
– Invitations
– Postcards
– Flyers
– Table Tents

13. PRE-EVENT
13
• Digital
communication
materials
– Website marquees
– Embedded on images
– Website callouts
– Email communications
– Digital Ads/Display Ads
– In videos

14. PRE-EVENT
14
• Event details/listings
on other websites
– Create an event on
Facebook (and promote it)
– Add your event to
community calendars
– Promote your event on
Eventbrite or other popular
event websites

15. PRE-EVENT
15
• Include keynote
speaker and other
event speakers’
Twitter @handles in
bios and marketing
materials

16. PRE-EVENT
• Create promotional content to promote your
event
– Create event specific content and share it
• Build a content team that can help you
manage content across platforms
16

17. PRE-EVENT
17
• Twitter
– Use your event hashtag
– Include event details
– Remember your key messaging points
– Use identified Twitter @handles
– Create incentives/ run contests if necessary
– Include visuals (optimized for Twitter)

18. PRE-EVENT
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19. PRE-EVENT
19
• Facebook
– Include visuals
• Create social specific images with embedded text
• Square images work the best
– Write short captions and include relevant
tags/locations etc.
– Identify target audiences/groups and focus your
posts using the audience targeting tool
• Create incentives/contests (liking, commenting, sharing)

20. PRE-EVENT
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21. PRE-EVENT
21
• Pinterest
– Create boards that would make sense to the target
audience
– Share links to the boards via other social networks
– Include relevant descriptions (to boost your
relevancy in search)

22. PRE-EVENT
22

23. PRE-EVENT
23
• Instagram
– Share images that are captivating
• Include the details on the image and/OR write a
description that includes all of the details
• Hashtags are very popular on Instagram, use them
– Share behind the scenes images to get attendees
excited about the event

24. PRE-EVENT
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25. PRE-EVENT
• Create teaser videos to highlight and encourage
attendance (include the hashtag in bumpers).
• Short on video production skills? These FREE apps
are all great at creating and sharing promotional
videos.
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– Instagram
– Vine
– Hyperlapse
– Flipagram
– PicPlayPost

26. AT THE EVENT

27. AT THE EVENT
• Announce the hashtag at the beginning of the
event (encourage participation)
• Use social channels to make announcements
through out the event and keep attendees up to
date
• Use Twitter to “Live Tweet” from the event
• Engagement:
– Monitor the event hashtag and interact with attendees
• Share photos/short videos on Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, Vine
27

28. AT THE EVENT
28
• Include the hashtag
on attendee
materials
– Notepads
– Swag Items
– Name Tags/Lanyards
– Event Signage
– Digital Displays

29. AT THE EVENT
• Create Social Situations
29

30. AT THE EVENT
• Create Social Situations
30

31. AT THE EVENT
• Create Social Situations
31

32. AT THE EVENT
• Create Social Situations
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33. AT THE EVENT
• Create Social Situations
33

34. AT THE EVENT
• Run Contest/Promotion
34

35. POST EVENT

36. POST EVENT
• Create a Storify story with all of the aggregated
social chatter
• Post speaker(s) slides on Slideshare
• Upload photos to Facebook/Flickr/event
website
• Share links to your “post event” media
36

37. POST EVENT
• Continue to monitor the hashtag and engage
with those sharing
• Follow influential attendees
• Promote your next event
• Debrief with your team and evaluate
37

38. THANK YOU!
Tweet me ›› @TylerAThomas
Email me ›› social@unl.edu
Connect with me ›› bit.ly/TylerAThomas