If your business or non-profit is hosting an event and you want the word to spread, Facebook Events is a great place to start. However, simply creating an event in Facebook does not equate to a successful event and large turn-out. There’s more work to be done to get the most out of this tool.
In this Coaching Blog, I will be sharing my top ten tips to a successful Facebook event.
10. Create a Fabulous Event Image- Gone are the days of Facebook only giving you a small thumbnail space for your event image. Now you get a large area to display an event photo that you need to take full advantage of, and never, ever leave it blank! The size of the image needs to be 784 x 295 pixels. You can utilize Canva to create an image that is the right size.
9. Provide Complete Information- Make sure you have dates, times, locations, cost, directions, ticket sales, and any other information about the event provided so people don’t dismiss it as something they don’t know enough about to commit.
8. Invite-The only invites you can send (for free) on Facebook to an event are to those to whom you have a personal connection. This is precisely why it is so important that you treat Facebook as a networking and relationship tool, rather than a news dissemination device. I’m not advocating you spam all your friends and family with every event you create, but do go through your connections looking for those who might be interested.
7. Share – One way to get the event in front of your fan base and into their Newsfeeds is to “share” the event. The day you create it, it’s likely to find its way into the Newsfeed of quite a few fans. However, Facebook’s algorithm is dependent upon a variety of variables, so you should NOT assume all fans saw it the first time you posted. Share the event to the Facebook Fan Page Timeline, and/or post and link to it regularly in the days leading up to the event.
6. Keep It Fresh– Once people start to join the event, keep the information fresh. Post event updates, teasers, prizes, speakers, pictures, videos, etc to keep the interest of those who plan to attend. When something excites them, they may comment (which their connections will see in their news ticker) or they may share it to their wall (which their connections will see in their Newsfeed).
5. Email – Add the event link to your email footer. Invite people to “click to RSVP”.
4. Newsletter – Include the event and link in your eNewsletter. Don’t assume everyone is on Facebook as often as you. They may be more occasional users and simply haven’t seen what you have going.
3. Paid- Consider promoting your event (paid) on Facebook. You can set a budget, the audience, and other parameters that can make it a very cost-effective marketing effort. Think about the cost of a postage stamp if you were to mail a flyer to everyone.
2. Look Elsewhere –If it’s a big enough event that transcends a target market that isn’t entirely on Facebook, you’ll need to market the event elsewhere. It’s likely that many people won’t have even heard about it if all your eggs are in one basket.
1. Cross Promote – If you have any other businesses, organizations, or people (speakers, presenters, etc) who are also part of the event, have them help cross-promote on their fan pages, events, newsletters, etc. This is very effective and can really help the word spread. It takes a little extra work to figure out which vertical industries or partners are key to helping, but can make a world of difference in traffic (and success) of your event!
In conclusion,
Facebook is a must-use platform when it comes to creating events. It’s a free and effective way to get the word out on any event your business plans on hosting. But just creating a Facebook event, crossing your fingers and hoping that people will participate is no good; you need to promote it as well!
