Whether or not social media is being used is purely determined by your audience. And simply tweeting about how good your event is makes no sense at all. So what is it about then? Simple: quality and interaction!
Here are five useful tips:
Tip 1. Start by listening
In what type of social media is your target audience active? Ask them at registration, do a survey or Google the terminology. See what your target market is doing, what they find interesting, and cater to that.
Tip 2. Not an advertising tool
Don't use Social Media to shout out about how good your event or business is. Above all, use it to improve the overall quality of your event. Program planning, registration, information sharing, networking - social media can support all of these functions. This provides a positive experience and, what's more, it is shared. Who can ask for better advertising?
Tip 3. Focus on interaction
Interaction between, and with your followers is more important than numbers. So make sure that you participate in discussions, give comments, and provide meaningful information. The followers will come. And if you're really desperate, you can always buy them.
Tip 4. Integrate online with offline
Communicate your social media accounts through your 'offline' resources: mention names, hashtags, and what it is used for. Do you put photos on Facebook every day? Can it be tweeted at the venue? Are all your presentations on YouTube? Be sure to tell your participants so that they themselves can get into the action!
Tip 5. Take it seriously
Invest serious time, money and attention to Social Media. Feel free to experiment, but don't leave it to a trainee, or someone who does it as a 'secondary' duty. Make sure that you, as a person, is well connected to all media, so that you know exactly what your users consider fun - or just plain irritating.
Share your experiences!
What are your personal do's and don'ts regarding Social Media? What did you find unsatisfactory? Or what do you think is just super cool? If you post your do’s below, it may double the chances of you actually doing it!
