If you are just jumping into the Social Media Revolution for your event marketing, you are probably overwhelmed by all of the lingo, applications and sites. You can Tweet on Twitter, Ping with Pingfm, post on Facebook, upload to YouTube, and blog. But who has the time? Most event promoters - large or small - were working 60-80 hour weeks before social media.
Life in the PR world has gotten tough for any traditionalist. (That's why I call those folks who try to live on press release mass mailings, pitching and whining to editors, and stagers of the meet and eats.) Magazines are going belly up. Newspapers have gotten smaller and in some cases unethical - demanding cash expenditures for news coverage of your event, and some television news teams "sell" live broadcasts of their show from your event. This means we are all working harder to get the story in print, on-air and then seen.
Enter Social Media - the New Darling of the promotion world. It's free. It's abundant. It's full of niche markets. And all it takes is time ... well time and a little bit of knowledge. So here are a few tools for you newbies to the new media wave.
RESEARCH: Discover the most common search terms used when browsers search the web for your event. It's free - go to google ad word keyword tools. Type in your event name and see what search terms come up. You'll see a list of search terms. Some that appear more frequently than others - some that are used millions of times. Make a list of the top terms and keep this within your eyesight whenever you write about your event.
BLOG: Whether you choose WordPress, blogger or live journal, start with a blog about your event. Be concise and friendly. Judiciously use words from your keyword search tool research. Dont' overload or force the use but be cognizant of the key search terms. Make sure you include a boiler plate at the end of your blog that directs readers to your event website and contact info. When relevant use links and incorporate links.
TAG: (or label) Establish tags for your blogs that pertain to your event, and preferably utilize some of your key search words.
WIDGETS: Add these to your blog connecting or providing a diary of your Facebook and Twitter accounts, or provide a link to your Twitter and Facebook pages.
FACEBOOK: Develop a PAGE for your event and an individual account in the administrator or your name. Why? You can have an unlimited amount of fans, but a limited amount of friends. And, there are some things you can do as an individual with Facebook, that you can't do as a business or organization. This goes both ways - there are some special things you can do with a fan page you can't do with an individual. Create Invites to your event and send to your "fans" and friends. This allows fans and friends to also forward the invite.
TWITTER: Develop a twitter page and immediately begin following key individuals. (Board members, other events, media representatives.)
LINK: Twitter to your Facebook page so posts are synchronized on both.
YOUTUBE: Create videos, upload commercials and b-rolls of your event. Be aware of the copyright laws for entertainers music though. Encourage fans and followers to upload event photos to Youtube through your social media.
PINGFM: Very cool free tool that you can use to post to all social media at the same time. You can blog from Ping, Tweet, or Facebook - or all at the same time. Ping has lots of cool applications and tools. Check it out.
FOLLOW AND FRIEND: Other social media and public relations experts. They are posting great info daily. The media scene changes daily and the only way to stay updated is to stay linked to the hottest gurus.
Vocus and PR Newswire have free webinars teaching everything from SEO of your public relations campaign to social media etitquette.
YES! Virginia. There is Social Media Etiquette and if you violate it you will lose followers, fans and credibility. Twitter is not the place to post endless tweets about your latest book, your online ticket office, or your sponsorship packages. It is the place to tell followers about your entertainment lineup, when and where tickets are available, how to save money on tickets, tips for the best way to enjoy your event. Do not sell. Teach, share, inform.
Once you have "blogged" you can notice your blog on Facebook, Twitter and Myspace. Some applications allow you to "tweet" pieces of your blog throughout the day.
GOOGLE ALERT: If you haven't signed up for Google Alert - do so immediately. This cool app lets you know whenever there is a story about your event, you and board members. It all depends upon what terms you post when signing up for the alerts. This will also help you keep track of the effectiveness of your social media, as well as traditional media mentions and coverage.
CAMPAIGN STRATEGY: Develop a campaign strategy that also ties to your traditional media and public relations. Be sure to provide blogs, Facebook, Twitter widgets on your website linking back to your event pages. Include social media info on flyers, postcards, brochures. Be sure to have an online press room with all of our press releases ... make them easy to download and "copy and paste."
READ: There are tons of great books... actually being published daily, on social media and PR/Marketing 2.0. Some of my favorite
“Twitter Power,” by Joel Comm
“Putting the Public Back in Public Relations. How Social Media is Reinventing the Aging Business of PR” by Brian Solis and Deirdre Breakenridge.
