by Jessi Minneci | June 21, 2019
In this day and age, social media provides one of the most effective and cost-efficient ways to increase awareness about an upcoming event. In order to maximise your event's presence on social media, you'll need some strategy behind your posting schedule. However, it's not enough for followers to just see your updates - you also want to engage and convert them at the same time.

Below, we will set your engagement efforts up for success with simple, practical tips on using social media outlets to drive event buzz and awareness.

For Facebook: 

•    Extend audience reach with events feature
If you hold a number of meetings and conventions throughout the year, use the "Events" tab on your company's Facebook page to display your year's calendar. This will show all of your upcoming events on one convenient list, and provide a simple way to share what's coming next.

•    Join group conversations
It doesn't matter which industry you're in, there's a community related to your event hanging out on social media. Be proactive about finding these groups on Facebook and building relationships with the people who manage them. The goal is to present yourself and your organisation as a thought leader.

For Twitter: 

•    Create an event hashtag
Whenever you post anything relevant to your upcoming event, make sure to include your hashtag in the messaging. Add it to all of your social account bios as well. And don't stop there - promote your hashtag on all your other communication channels.

•    Track event buzz with your hashtag
When interacting with event attendees, encourage them to use your event hashtag in their relevant postings before, during and after the event. Then, use free tracking tools like TweetDeck or Hootsuite to determine the frequency of your hashtag's use and its popularity.

For LinkedIn: 

•    Use your profile as a platform
Keep in mind that in this more professional channel, members are scrolling through their feeds in search of information, advice and opportunities. LinkedIn provides a great space to share the educational and professional highlights of your upcoming event. Use this promotion space to highlight speakers and panel members, meeting destination perks and so on.

•    Take advantage of sponsored updates
Similar to ad campaigns, you can use LinkedIn sponsored updates to give your posts a boost and grow your audience. According to LinkedIn, sponsored content allows you to reach a highly engaged audience better. The content helps drive leads, build brand awareness and nurture key relationships at every stage of your event's lifecycle.