Whether they share it over social media, via a message, or simply show you their phone, one thing is certain: social media has the potential to share your brand and your corporate event in the same viral way as other content.
What Social Media Platforms Should You Focus On?
When we think about events and social media—separately and together—the very core of both is connection. It’s about people coming together to meet, share experiences or ideas, and grow relationships. Given social media’s ability to help us make connections, it’s a natural extension of an event.
Because social media is a tool you should be using to promote, energize, and celebrate your event, discovering which platforms to utilize, and when, is important. You don’t want to spend all your time focusing on one platform only to realize your audience is on another.
Audience demographics play a key role in selecting the appropriate platforms to promote your event. Consider the following from Satista:
- The 18-29 years (essentially Gen Z), primarily use Snapchat (41%), TikTok (35%), Instagram (32%)
- For your Millennials aged 30-39 years, LinkedIn (34%), X/Twitter (34%), Snapchat (33%), Instagram (32%) are the focus
- Early Gen X, 40-49 years mostly use LinkedIn (25%), Facebook (22%), X/Twitter (21%), with later Gen X, 50-59 years primarily utilizing Facebook (29%), LinkedIn (24%), Pinterest (24%)
1. Instagram
In 2024, there are over 2 billion Instagram users with 90% of them following a business account. That means you, your business, and your event have the opportunity to tap into a huge network of people. However, Instagram is all about images and videos, so what you’re sharing must stand out as users scroll their feed.
Instagram is also a great way to encourage attendees to share during and after your event. Your creation of a catchy hashtag can create buzz, making it easy for followers to see your spectacular event, especially through the eyes of attendees.
2. Facebook
As the world’s most popular social media platform, with 3 billion monthly users, it seems unimaginable that a social media strategy wouldn’t include Facebook. Facebook can simplify everything from helping users spread the word to streaming live as your event is happening. In terms of social media tools, Facebook has it all.
In fact, with hashtags enabled on Facebook and cross-posting to other platforms, you can amplify your message easily.
3. X
With 556 million monthly active users as of 2023, X (formerly known as Twitter) should be part of your game plan. Not only can you use hashtags, links, images, and more, but you can also connect guests to speakers, repost VIPs or people who mention your event, and essentially use the network to build buzz for everything associated with your event. During your event, it’s a great way to add a live feed or even live-tweet sessions, keynote speakers, and activities.
However, X has a character limit of 280 characters per post, but less is often more when it comes to connecting with your audience.
4. TikTok
Though it’s been around since 2016, TikTok soared in popularity in 2020, and the momentum continues. As a video-first platform, TikTok provides the ability to create tons of fun content. Plus, TikTok’s algorithm is skilled at placing content in front of audiences you might not know about.
With over 1 billion monthly active users, it’s a great way to connect with users of all demographics but particularly younger people as 60% of users are members of Gen Z. Plus, almost three quarters of Gen Z users report feeling a deeper connection with the businesses they follow and interact with on TikTok.
5. Youtube
For the attendees who want even more from your business, YouTube is an excellent platform. With 2.49 billion monthly active users, YouTube accounts for roughly half of all social media users worldwide.
YouTube Shorts, introduced in 2020, helped the platform join the short-form content bandwagon. If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop for video content, YouTube is the place to be.
6. Snapchat
While it’s not as ubiquitous as it once was, Snapchat is still in the game with nearly 414 million daily users and growing. Users spend half an hour on the platform and check it sometimes up to 40 times a day!
Similar to TikTok, Snapchat is a video-focused app that provides the opportunity for you to demonstrate the tone and energy you hope to create for your event. It’s a great way to draw your audience in and allow them to share content.
7. LinkedIn
We wouldn’t want to leave out social media’s more mature older sibling. Depending on the type of event, LinkedIn may be a successful avenue if your event includes educational content or professional development opportunities. Similarly, if there’s a networking element or industry focus, then LinkedIn should be included in your strategy.
With over 1 billion users worldwide and 60+ million companies utilizing the platform, it’s a useful way to share articles, highlight speakers and workshops, or discuss the type of industry knowledge and expertise that may be shared at your event.
8. Pinterest
The key to using this social media platform is knowing your demographic. Pinterest is nearly all visual and of its 498 million monthly active users a whopping 76.2% are female. While Pinterst might not be the top social media platform that comes to mind, it continues to grow year over year. And, 85% of weekly Pinterest users report making a purchase based on pins from brands.
These are the key social media networks to tap into. It’s crucial that you not only understand the demographics of your audience, but you also match that demographic to the appropriate platform and gear your content to that medium as well. Great content is only great if it is seen and shared, so choosing the right content, tone, and platform should be part of your strategy.
How Social Media Promotes Positive Event Experiences
At any event, if you look around the room, you’ll notice phones raised to snap a selfie. You might also notice attendees exchanging profile information to keep up with one another online. The point is, social media has become a constant among more than half of the global population. So, it should also be leveraged during corporate events.
While social media offers a dynamic way to enhance the attendee experience and amplify the event’s reach, its impact on attendee engagement is particularly vital because it encourages continuous interaction. This boosts their sense of belonging and connection with the brand, which in turn enhances their overall satisfaction. Further, positive experiences shared by attendees contribute to a strong event reputation, influencing future attendance, and therefore overall event success.
Much like how social media has evolved over the years, so has the workforce. In the next few years, Gen Zers alone are expected to comprise 30% of the workforce. Along with millennials, these generations bring unique characteristics, one of which being their aptitude for technology, and specifically, social media.
So, if these platforms are where millennials and Gen Zers are interacting with brands, then these platforms also need to be included in event strategies.
How to Leverage Social Media at Your Corporate Event
Social media strategy, however, is about more than understanding the socials, it’s about how you put them into use. Ready to help draw attendees in, drive more engagement, answer questions, and make your next corporate event more successful? Leverage social media.
Before Your Event
Before you have your mobile app up and running, you can, and should, get attendees excited and build word of mouth. You can tell them what to expect, answer questions, and give suggestions to prepare them for the event.
Here are a few ways you can create buzz for your event:
- Create the event page on Facebook, using a header image that captures the tone of your event
- Post teaser videos of entertainment, venues, speakers, and activities
- Create an AR filter
- Show behind-the-scenes photos of the preparations
- Create a giveaway for swag before the event
During Your Event
Your goals during the event are a bit different. While you may want to continue increasing awareness for people who could not attend, you also want to engage your guests.
To continue to drive engagement:
- Post photos, videos, quotes, and testimonials from attendees
- Live stream the events or sessions
- Offer prizes for attendees who comment, share, or answer trivia questions and other social media games
- Create a selfie station, urging attendees to post their selfies using your event hashtag
- Set up separate discussion groups within your event page on Facebook to allow for breakaway discussions
- Pose questions to your attendees on social media and engage with their answers
- Follow your own hashtag and engage with posts that use it
After Your Event
After the event, you’ll want to encourage conversations, foster connections, and keep the energy going. However, your secondary goal is to collect feedback and observations to help you assess the success of the event.
To meet those goals:
- Continue to share pictures and videos from the event
- Send out a “thank you” to attendees and ask them to give observations and comments about the event
- Thank your speakers, venues, vendors, and more, so guests can easily find their social handles to connect/follow them as well
- Send out a reminder about surveys to collect valuable feedback
- Review what was shared by your attendees to help you assess the value of different activities, speakers, and more
- Review your strategy, analyzing what worked and what didn’t
Social media is just one element of event planning, and when your brand, company, or products are counting on the success of an event, it’s worth investing in a sound strategy that will help you achieve your event goals.
If you need help in planning an unforgettable experience for guests—one that leaves lasting impressions on social media and beyond—get in touch with the team at Bishop-McCann. We’re ready to help you through all the stages of your next corporate event!
