Creating impactful social interactions before, during and after events #SMWLDN

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By Roos Wijnen - Graduate Account Executive

Today, I went to Social Media Week London, where I attended a presentation on how technology can help you encourage more social interaction by your target group around events, to maximize impact. Let me take you through the key points…

So, what do you need to do to get people talking about your events?

Pre-Event

· Research showed that 54% of buzz around events is in anticipation of events.

· Research content that is relevant to your audience.

· Do research into target group interests.

· Get your target group to vote on polls as to what they want to see/do at the event or what kind of event would interest them.

· Make sure your audience knows what the event is about – get sharers to spread the word)

· Research showed that Twitter is the most powerful channel for events (it brings direct value, higher revenue per share, etc.), both for B2C and B2B.

· Start talking about the upcoming event months in advance, for example by sharing last year’s success, or by revealing details on the event.

· If you are a sponsor of an event, support the event by adding value à focus on that in social media posts

· Promote your #hashtags!

· A good way to get people to share about your event on Social Media is to have a pre-event competition (e.g. to win an invite to the event, to get something extra at the event (VIP?))

At the event

· Do live tweeting (for example via Slido)

· At big events, you can use multiple #hashtags to break content down in silos, creating focus, generating better response, and making it easier for you to track.

· In B2C, create sharable personal actions, for example live tweeting, have photographers taking photos at the event that can be posted on Social Media and shared by involved audience.

· In B2B, make sure you do research pre-event so you have 2/3 relevant pieces to share at the event itself to create conversation.

Twitterwalls at events (live tweet feed)

Pro’s	Cons
· Networking booster · Bookmark content · Creates interaction with the audience · Higher likelihood of audience sharing over Social Media · People love to see themselves and their input shown at events	· Don’t let it drown out and distract the audience from the main event – it is important to keep the core content valuable

* Make sure to always monitor the content to avoid #hashtag-hijacks and unfavorable comments.

One of the most important things at events is guest satisfaction. How can you increase guest satisfaction and engagement at events?

· Survey/poll/research your target group to find out about their interests and what kind of event they would like to attend of your brand BEFORE organizing the event.

· Get them registered.

· Make them feel like the only person in the room.

Cheap/free apps for events – both for at the event and for tracking afterwards

· Guidebook

· Slido

· Social bakers

· Or just Google “free measurement tool”

However, when creating an app, take the following into account

· Make sure to create awareness of the app among visitors.

· Make the content of the app valuable – it has to have added value!

· Use no paper, just an app (create the need) – but be sure to promote the app!

Paper for a big event is +/- twice as expensive as creating an app.

Post-event

· Life experience is king – don’t try to re-create the event online, because your audience will experience it differently than the actual live event.

· Right after your event, engage your audience that wasn’t at the live event, to leave them thinking “Gee, I wish I would’ve been there”.

· Keep your audience engaged through sharing content, videos, pictures, blog posts etc. after the event (not just professional pictures, but also pictures visitors made).

· Make a max. 30/40-second video compilation of the event for sharing.

· Make sure to track the tools and efforts used and measure their effectiveness compared to your KPIs (e.g. visitor satisfaction, revenue, etc.)

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