Integrate Social Media with Your Next Event
Posted by Cynthia Baker on Fri, Jan 20, 2012 @ 09:06 AM
Becoming an industry thought leader is a central goal for most businesses. One of the most effective ways organizations showcase their unique insight is by hosting special events, such as conferences, symposiums, or lecture series related to their business. While these methods have been around for a long time, successful organizations are bringing new life and enhancing the patron experience by making social media a key component to their events.
Social media can play a key role in the build up to an event, growing exposure and generating buzz among attendees and industry practitioners. A healthcare group might consider hosting an event forum on their website, giving participants the opportunity to share ideas about conference themes. The event forum also allows event organizers the chance to blog on relevant topics. As this content is shared through the forum, then to personal social media accounts and blogs, these organizers become ambassadors for the event.
Throughout the event, social media can be used to engage participants and also push the event beyond the conference hall, to the audience who could not attend. At the recent IBM Lotusphere conference, social cafes were set up around the event. These social media areas featured large touch-screen televisions, allowing users to interact with a variety of real-time social media content related to the conference. Participants could see blog posts, status updates, pictures from the event, and even tweet right from the screen. To provide incentive for participants to fully engage with the social aspects of the conferences, prizes were awarded to winners of social media scavenger hunts.
After the speeches are over and chairs are folded, organizations can use social media to keep their message and conference community growing. Consistent engagement with their online their online group allows organizations to pass along updates, without the air of unwanted advertisements. More importantly, regular interactions give a human element to otherwise faceless events. That human touch is the essence of social media and the spark behind a strong social business strategy.
Special events provide tremendous opportunity to grow visibility among a variety of stakeholders. How has your organizations used social media to establish valuable connections at events?