Does Your Conference Need Social Media?

by Frank M. Waechter | Social Media Marketing

Social media for conferences is absolutely essential. In the digital age, there is no question about it. As we have touched on before, this is where your target audience lives.

According to Eventbrite, close to 25% of traffic to event registration pages comes from social networks, and people who register after hearing about your conference on social media are 3X more likely to share it with other people.

Firstly, social media effectively serves as a platform for you to communicate with your target audience. Through engaging with them you can build a community, generate brand awareness, increase customer relations and loyalty.

As an association, it is imperative you achieve the following objectives:

Increase customer familiarity
Improve customer satisfaction
Grow brand awareness
Determine market positioning
Develop competitor insights
Identify and establish relationships with partners
Keep the conversation going after the event
Build a community
Generate new leads

Furthermore, to achieve any of this, you need an in-depth digital marketing strategy. Social media for conferences can be quite challenging, but we have got you covered! Try out these 3 tried and tested strategies.

1. Create a unique hashtag

Regarding social media for conferences, you cannot overlook the power of the hashtag.

By utilising a hashtag consistently, you will boost the online conversation around your conference. When people discuss your event online, they will use the hashtag – especially on Twitter. When delegates post photographs online of themselves at the conference, they will utilise the hashtag.

Just pick one, keep it simple and use it every single time you post.

It can potentially:

Group together all online conversation and media around your conference
Allow your audience to easily connect with one another
Encourage their followers to join in your conference conversation and find out more about it
Increase the online exposure of your association and conference

You should make your hashtag clearly visible in the following places:

Your social media biography’s
Your entire association’s email signatures
On registration and website pages
Encourage speakers to use it in their online interactions leading up to the conference
On all your branded material
Use it in all your social media interactions

2. Organic sharing

In order to promote organic sharing, you first must make it easy for your audience, partners and keynote speakers to share your content or event page online.

This can be done by getting a web developer to include social sharing buttons across your conference website. Furthermore, use your followers as a resource. By urging your followers to engage with your content, you will gain deeper insight into what they value. You can achieve this through the following:

Telling a story
Sharing an experience or behind the scenes content
Speaking about current events within your industry
Highlighting and discussing a previous speaker’s speech or theme from a past event
Pointing out something important about your audience
Sharing compelling visual images
Asking an intriguing question
Discussing relevant facts
Being humorous – sharing unique humour relevant to your audience and industry
Telling them why you are hosting the conference – why you are interested in the topics that will be addressed
Explaining to your followers why attending the conference will be beneficial to them
Asking them what activities they would like to engage in on the day
Asking them what they would like speakers to address at the conference

Further to this, ask your partners and keynote speakers to invite their followers to your event page. This way you will harness their following and take a step forward towards expanding your community.

Provide them with everything they need in order to do this. Make it easy for them by supplying them with a content pack including branded images, relevant hashtags, proposed copy and links.

3. Targeted social media advertising

Social media is a cost-effective strategy for promoting your conference because you can allocate budget for paid advertising which gives you the opportunity to reach people beyond your followers, based on the demographics and psychographics of the audience.

You will first need to identify your target audience as this is an effective way to reach like-minded people that will most likely want to attend your conference or at least show interest and hopefully attend the next one. In addition, you can also use paid advertising to retarget already interested users. For instance, through Business Manager on Facebook, you will be able to identify who has clicked on your registration link but may not have gone through with the full process. These could be individuals who are interested but are waiting for a payday in order to purchase a place at your conference.

By retargeting users, you can remind them of your upcoming event.

Social media for conferences can be a tricky and tedious task, especially in the last three months leading up to the event. Outsourcing your digital marketing is a cost-effective way of ensuring you reach the right people and that your interactions online are professional and productive. Above all, get in touch with me today for advice on digital marketing in the MICE industry.

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Three Ways In Which Social Media Are Becoming Increasingly Event-Centric

by Frank M. Waechter | Social Media Marketing

Technology and with it Social Media is changing the events industry from the inside out. In one way or another, current industry trends are linked to tech developments ranging from experiential meeting planning to ROI measurement. As an integral part of modern technology, social media are not only gaining broader acceptance among attendees at live events and other professional meetups but are also gradually adapting their nature to the changing environment that characterises the digital era. Today we take a look at the three main ways in which social media are becoming more event-centric and bringing like-minded professionals together into meaningful experiences, both face to face and online.

1. Helping Personalise Events

Personalisation is one of the defining trends of the 21st century. When it comes to meeting planning, social channels can help rise to the challenge of personalising the experience for hundreds or even thousands of attendees.

Social networks give access to a wealth of data, which make it easier than ever to fine-tune every aspect of conferences and other events and to deliver exactly what the audience wants. Organisers can use these platforms to gather data directly from attendees via surveys and other direct feedback methods, and the results can be used to give a personal touch to crucial aspects of the meeting, like the registration process, seating arrangements, agenda selection, etc.

Instagram or Twitter hashtags are one of the most useful tools in this respect. Don’t limit the use of hashtags to the name of the event: to increase the personalisation levels of each meet up, you can create hashtags for “micro-moments” at the event and use them to draw the audience in (e.g. ask a keynote speaker, share the highlight of the morning session, etc.).

Lastly, personalisation is the key to a successful brand marketing strategy. If we view meetings as brands in themselves, we can easily create an identity for them using visual tools like Pinterest, which help define the meeting’s style and create a personal connection with attendees who identify with it.

2. Facilitating The Creation Of Immersive Experiences

Immersive experiences are naturally robust and engaging. Organisers can turn meetings into immersive experiences using favourite social channel features, like real-time streaming or curated user-generated content with a high visual appeal.

Live videos in the form of stories are one of the key social media trends due to their ability to capture attention and keep viewers engaged. You can put the power of storytelling right into the audience’s hands by encouraging them to publish Instagram or Snapchat stories, or make the meeting more immersive by building a sense of community around it with platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn, which rank high for their community building potential.

3. Helping Create Interactive Experiences

Real-time interaction is an integral part of the nature of every social network, and recently we’ve seen how this aspect is being brought into meeting planning. For example, Periscope lets attendees broadcast their meeting experience. Periscope live streams can be hashtagged and once published. They are live for at least 24 hours, so they can help extend the meeting’s momentum beyond its end date and be used for future event promotion purposes.

Similarly, over the past couple of years, LinkedIn has been offering the option to take part in invitation-only online events, mainly built around video interviews with recognised influencers in different industries, Q&A style. This tool could be used to connect the audience with keynote speakers before, during, or after a meeting.

Conclusion

All social media channels are diversifying their offerings with a focus on making events more participative, interactive, and genuinely engaging, and that’s undoubtedly a sign of where things are headed in the event marketing industry as a whole. Before you start planning your next meeting, why not speak to a digital strategist about how to make social platforms work for you?

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Social Media For Science And Research: Current Trends And Future Possibilities

by Frank M. Waechter | Social Media Marketing

It’s no secret that social networks are among the most widely adopted technologies of our times. Almost 40 per cent of the world’s population now uses social media and the figures only keep growing. Yet it seems that there is a gap between science and technology when it comes to the use of social media in scientific communities. In this post we explore the advantages of using social media for science, as a scientist and the possibilities that these technologies offer to both science and society.

The Role Of Social Media In Science Communication

Rates of social media use in the scientific community are low when compared to the general public or even to other professional groups. The traditional nature of scientific communication is unidirectional (think about conferences or articles in peer-reviewed journals), but this long-form narrative contrasts with the current evolution of communicative preferences across the globe. Nowadays, two-way interactive exchanges find in social media platforms the ideal space for conversations between people from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Scientists and researchers usually prefer to use professional networks with a clear scientific or academic focus. This is the case of Researchgate, Labs Explorer, Academia, or Mendeley, which are considered the best scientific social networks. But this begs the question of whether platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn are being unfairly overlooked and could in fact contribute something to scientific research.

The truth is that there is a reluctance when it comes to using social media as a scientist. A 2014 survey revealed that a large amount of US-based scientists will never consider using Twitter or Facebook for academic or professional work. The problem seems to stem from issues of reputation and credibility, hence the preference for more exclusive or professional networks like the ones mentioned in the previous paragraph. Within the scientific community, social media networks are generally perceived as not suited for “high-quality” science given the amount of banal or irrelevant content that is available on them. Credibility issues stem from the fact that very few authoritative voices are present on these platforms, but at the same time this can be an opportunity for scientiststo fill the void.

Advantages Of Using Social Media For Science

The “Big 3” (Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn) have the potential to be the best scientific social networks if they are used to promote research interests expertly.

A 2018 study showed that some science-related pages and Facebook profiles have a follower base in the tens of millions. The fact that they can reach such wide and non-specialised audience means there is potential for scientists to see this platform as a space where to create online communities that have common interests. Facebook’s social nature makes it easy to find audiences with similar concerns or likely to collaborate in projects ranging from research sponsorship to events funding. On this note, a study of the engagement levels generated by science-related Facebook pages showed that the highest engagement was achieved by posts related to research funding, and a US study confirmed that many scientists think that having a social media presence can help them demonstrate relevance to funding agencies.

LinkedIn has a wider acceptance among scientists perhaps due to the idea that this network as a high-profile platform with a predominantly professional focus. But this platform offers more than the option to create an online profile, and it can become the virtual equivalent of a lab meeting or a discussion between like-minded professionals.

Twitter is often used to interact with fellow scientists, tweet about research or link to relevant articles. Some studies have shown that academic tweets lead to increased citations and paper downloads, so this platform can be an alternative way of establishing a presence within the scientific community. It is also worth noting that only 5 per cent of Twitter interactions involve organisations and the media, so there is potential for exposure when organising events or drawing attention to scientific activities that require funding.

There are two Twitter features that are specifically useful in the scientific arena: conference hashtags have proven particularly powerful, and lists can help create online communities of individuals with common interests and goals.

What’s more, Twitter can indeed be used to support the scientific process by providing raw data that has immense value in and of itself from a sociological point of view. Researchers, scientists, and conference organisers can gain extremely valuable insights into how social media users react and interact with news and announcements, and these findings can be then used to discern patterns and modify online strategies to reach an even wider audience in terms that make sense to them.

To recap, social media can become a productive communication channel for researchers to find funding, for conference organisers to attract delegates and sponsors, and for scientists to raise awareness about their work. All these platforms can be used to cultivate stronger links with colleagues all over the world and to raise awareness about current research on social issues. To make the best use of social media, it’s important to keep two things in mind: focus on the audience and focus on purpose. The quality of social media content and interactions is not an inherent characteristic of the platform itself, but rather depends on how they are used. And only good things can happen when they are used for purposes like outreach, communication, and collaboration.

Social Media Platforms And Science Technology: Future Trends And Possibilities

Ultimately, the issue at stake is whether and how social media can be used in a better way for science. In this sense, it’s sensible to suggest that the expert use of social media can complement and boost scientific endeavours across three main areas:

Social media networks can help spread scientific knowledge. Sharing is the very nature of these platforms, so they can help bring down barriers to the dissemination of scientific information and foster a culture of science communication between different stakeholders.
They can also help make research and scientific contributions more widely available. Traditionally, scientific communities have been “gated”, but social media can contribute to the democratisation of scientific discourse and make it available to more people. As a side effect, this can generate curiosity and / or a deeper appreciation for the contributions that science has made and can made to society at large.
Last but not least, science itself can have a stronger online profile thanks to social networks. This can add credibility to the wealth of information generated in the public sphere, counter the effects of fake news or unproven claims with solid scientific research, and generate public debate about issues that are of paramount importance for society as a whole. This is already happening in areas like food security and environmental science.

To summarise what we have discussed so far, one of the key roles of science is to research social issues and find transformative solutions to questions that concern us all, and social media platforms are just another medium to promote scientific activity and make it more accessible. The channel is there, so all that remains is for scientific communities to make the best possible use of the tools available to promote their research interests and extend the benefits of science to the general public.

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A Quick Guide To Integrating Social Media Into Your Event Communication Plan

by Frank M. Waechter | Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing

A Quick Guide To Integrating Social Media Into Your Event’s Communication Plan. Compelling and engaging communication is an essential aspect of conference marketing, as it plays a crucial role in driving genuine engagement. Since social media marketing is a powerful tool used to achieve the same objectives, it makes sense to incorporate it into your event’s communication strategy. In this post, we show you how to leverage social marketing tools to boost communications and make your event stand out.

The Facts

Modern events must include social marketing to some extent or another, as this strategy has proven to help organisers build event and brand awareness and create an information channel that delivers what attendees expect in engaging ways. According to this infographic, approximately 40% of businesses know that integrating social media marketing into their event planning and promotion is the way to go forward.

Conferences and events are now primarily social, with the most popular platforms used being Facebook (78%), Twitter (56%), LinkedIn (49%), and YouTube (42%). The effectiveness of these tools is so evident that in a recent study, more than 80% of event organisers said there were planning to increase their online marketing activities.

Why It Works

Social marketing works because it is highly versatile. In addition to increasing event and brand awareness, it can boost loyalty, generate leads, increase overall revenue, and reduce marketing expenditure. Because content is so crucial in today’s digital environment, every action you take to produce and distribute event-related content online has an impact on your event’s ranking and reputation.

Another reason to include social platforms and tool into your event’s digital marketing strategy, social marketing makes it easy to gather feedback, which is mainly valuable in real time environments (such as events), when immediate solutions and agile problem-solving are expected. Moreover, social media tools can also be used to handle customer support using a personal approach, to measure performance and engagement, and to generate valuable insights that can be used for future research and reputation management.

Moreover, a diverse online marketing strategy can extend the event’s impact beyond its actual date, add an interactive element, and provide resources that can be accessed anytime and anywhere.

How To Integrate Social Media Into Your Event Marketing And Communication Plan

When integrating marketing plans with event communications, you should follow the principles of any marketing plan: research your audience and offer an experience beyond their expectations by using a variety of channels and formats.

First of all, your event marketing and communications plan should be split into three stages: pre-event, event, and post-event. Start with creating a content production calendar and match it to the organiser’s communication goals, ensuring that it also has a solution-focused component. Think about what problems or questions attendees are likely to have: anything from the agenda to accommodation, travelling to the venue, things to do in the area, registering, buying tickets, etc. Before and during the event, your key priorities should be:

Considering that nearly 80% attendees use a smartphone to find info about events, communicate using mobile-friendly content and formats.
Make content shareable and interactive: Some ideas include Twitter chats, unique hashtags, LinkedIn invitations or showcase pages, event guides, video testimonials from previous year’s attendees, sneak peeks or behind-the-scenes footage. Ensure that content is released at the right time and familiarise yourself with the best time to post on each social platform.
Focus on creating opportunities for content generation during sessions and also during breaks. The objective is to build relationships and keep the conversation going using real-time tools like live streaming or social walls in the break room with live feeds or quotes from speakers. Gamification is another technique that lends itself well to conference marketing, for example creating contests where attendees can submit their own content. Doing this shifts the focus of where content and value originate from organiser to participant.
Monitoring is a crucial aspect of digital marketing for events. Apps can make this task much more straightforward and insightful, as long as you use them on a daily basis and use social media management tools to integrate multiple networks. And since we have mentioned apps, mobile apps for attendees should always be considered. If you choose to do this, make sure apps offer something attendees can’t do elsewhere. For example, use an app to boost the event’s social and networking component by letting attendees find matches based on interests, job title, or other relevant factors, and allowing them to book their seats next to each other.

Once the event is over, remember that content creation must be followed up with content curation. In addition to Facebook and Twitter, consider capitalising on any visual content generated during an event, such as videos, blog posts summarising the event’s highlights, SlideShare presentations, Pinterest boards, or by offering virtual access to most important sessions. And of course, always end on a positive note by sending personalised thank yous via email or social network mentions.

Conclusion

Integrating social media strategy into your event marketing and communication plan will help create a unique voice for the event and provide a seamless and wide-reaching experience that communicates value. To bring communication and engagement together, use the tips outlined in this article and don’t hesitate to draw on the know-how of digital marketing experts like fmwaechter.com who specialise in promoting events using social business models.

The post A Quick Guide To Integrating Social Media Into Your Event Communication Plan was first published on fmwaechter.com. Author Frank M. Waechter.

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Building Relationship Online With Social Media Marketing

by Frank M. Waechter | Social Media Marketing

What´s the issue with building a relationship online?

Thеѕе days а lot оf uѕ аrе online, wе socialise, purchase, run businesses оr аrе part оf а community. Social Media Marketing hаѕ tаkеn thе trіеd аnd true method оf word-оf-mouth marketing, mаdе іt global аnd immediate. Building relationships wіth your online community wіll hаvе а powerful impact uѕіng Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+, аnd mаnу оthеr social platforms. Building relationship online wіll gеt уоu іn front оf уоur target market/audience аnd gеt уоu noticed rеgаrdlеѕѕ оf уоur type оf business.

Bеttеr Exposure

Bеіng present online wіll provide exposure fоr уоur product, services оr personal brand. Yоu muѕt hаvе аn optimised website; we are nоt оf thе belief thаt уоu dо nоt nееd а dynamic and responsive webpage thеѕе days. Hаvіng а website іѕ wіthіn уоur control. Post оn уоur blog аnd social platforms; valuable, relevant аnd shareable content thаt wіll expose уоur knowledge аnd expertise tо уоur audience. Thrоugh уоur efforts, the people, wіll start tо notice уоu аnd уоur brand.

Gеt Fоund bу Potential Members or Costumers

Thіѕ аlоnе іѕ аn incentive tо bе present online. If уоu аrе nоt whеrе уоur potential people are, thеn whеn thеу аrе іn nееd оf уоur services, guess whеrе thеу wіll go? If уоu wаnt tо bе found, gеt online аnd start creating а presence. Aѕ а service business, gеt thаt website uр аnd running аnd set uр уоur social media platforms ASAP.

Mоrе Opportunities

Hаvіng а presence online соmеѕ wіth mоrе opportunities tо connect tо stakeholders, members, influencers, sponsors, business partners, like-minded people, thе potential fоr mоrе work and many other. Communicate аnd interact, wіth people, seek оut opportunities tо dо business аnd collaborate.

Building Relationships online

Whеn building а business offline, relationship іѕ key. Thе ѕаmе applies tо running/promoting а business online. People buy frоm people. Join industry-related forums, groups оn social networks etc. Forge lasting relationships, ѕо whеn аn opportunity соmеѕ along, guess whо thеу wіll contact. Start today!

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Social Media Marketing Productivity: Putting Your Best Foot Forward

by Frank M. Waechter | Social Media Marketing

The role of a social media marketer is now more in demand than ever before. Managing a social media platform takes a unique alchemy of skill, experience, insight and the ability to think outside of the digital box. Having said this, the ultimate goal is still the same. It is to successfully present the product or service of a particular business to the intended audience. Working smart as opposed to hard will breed success. Working smart heavily involves the concept of productivity in social media marketing. Let us look at some of the ways that this essential feature can be leveraged to produce viable results.

Boosting Social Media Marketing Productivity: Knowing Your Goals

Would the captain of a sailing vessel ever set out to sea without knowing the ultimate destination? Planning your exploration is the same concept to take into account from the very beginning. Professional social marketers always have a sound game plan in place before they undertake any projects. A handful of questions that must be answered well in advance include:

What are the short- and long-term targets?
How will social media help to address these goals?
What is your intended demographic?
What type of brand identity do you hope to establish?

Examining each of these questions will enable you to place your focus in the correct direction; minimising wasted efforts and vastly increasing productivity.

Time Management

One of the most pragmatically useful tips is to plan the release of your content around a predetermined schedule. Many would-be marketers tend to become quickly overwhelmed with when to post, how often and on which sites. This will ultimately lead to confusion and lower levels of productivity. There are several social media tools which can help with the planning aspect of content and when it should be publicly released.

Easy-to-Learn Tools

Social marketing should always involve the latest productivity engines and CMS platforms. Unfortunately, there are many times marketers use the wrong medium. To be at fault with channels or tools can result in lots of confusion, and ultimately, PR campaigns will suffer. Choosing the best portal for your specific needs is critical. Each should boast a user-friendly architecture, and ideally, it should be scalable so that you can add or subtract different sections as might be required in the future. The basis of any productive campaign in digital marketing always involves laying a firm groundwork.

Collaboration and Interdepartmental Accountability

Many of the most efficient media campaigns are the products of collaborative thinking and a well-oiled team. Communication is therefore essential so that each member can express his or views to the others. Thankfully, the majority of marketing platforms will allow you to delegate certain tasks to specific stakeholders based off of their skills and expertise. It is still critical to point out that relying upon these systems alone can be dangerous. It is the responsibility of the team leader to make certain that everyone is actively involved and meeting the appropriate deadlines.

Well-Defined Development Processes

Social media marketing productivity also involves setting up clear steps towards achieving a clear goal. Examples can be hitting certain sales targets, gaining a particular number of followers or surpassing revenue figures from the previous financial quarter. The main takeaway point is that defining the steps involved will provide all stakeholders with a clear course of action. Another benefit is that checklists and other step-by-step guides can help to highlight any potential problem areas within a campaign.

The Decidedly Negative Impact of Distraction

In this sense, we are referring to the distractions that can be caused by news feeds about marketing tasks. It is quite easy to lose focus while working if we happen to come across a site’s or friend’s update or an interesting third-party article. Distraction can be the downfall of what would have otherwise been a productive activity. Remaining focused on the one task at hand is critical. If this proves nearly impossible, there are numerous software algorithms which will block the incoming newsfeed.

Outsourcing Tasks

Even the most experienced marketing specialists will outsource specific tasks to third-party firms and similar consultants. Outsourcing will often involve ancillary concerns such as content calendars, customer service enquiries or blog and social media updates. The key point here is that the overall levels of productivity will be streamlined if the experts can devote more of their time to the core metrics involved with a project as opposed to tackling countless responsibilities to no avail.

These are some of the most efficient ways to increase social media marketing productivity within the existing workplace. Each should be implemented alongside the others so that the overall impact is more pronounced. The expression “time is money” is certainly appropriate here.

The post Social Media Marketing Productivity in 2017: Putting Your Best Foot Forward was first published on fmwaechter.com. Author Frank M. Waechter.

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Developing Social Media Strategies for Conferences & Events

by Frank M. Waechter | Social Media Marketing

When we talk about social media strategies for conferences and events, we have to take a look at communication. Communication in the twenty-first century has changed beyond all recognition. Even a few decades ago, the idea that the internet would shape our social worlds was the stuff of science fiction. This is not to say, of course, that face-to-face communications no longer have a place. They do. The role of a conference – to exchange ideas, to promote products and services and simply to meet with like-minded people – will never be superseded by online symposia. Nonetheless, conference organisers who ignore the online world – in particular, social media – do so at their peril. Not only can social media be harnessed to promote an event, but it can provide a superb means of interaction with guests before during and after the conference. Used well, it will allow for a richer experience for attendees and help you to improve your next conference offering.

Why Social Media Strategies for Conferences Count

Any conference that has the experience of the attendee at its heart should engage with one or more social media platforms. With no social media presence, or a poorly thought-through one, modern audiences will simply think the conference is not up to scratch. In other words, social media strategies for meetings are necessary because the average attendee expects there to be Tweets or Facebook posts.

They might not choose to articulate it that way, but without a conference organiser seeking to engage with them through social media, large parts of your potential audience will simply think something is missing. No matter how intense the experience is for visitors on the day, their perception of how the conference has been put together will already be formed. Remember that conferences, especially trade shows, are often in competition with one another and ones with inferior social media strategies will find it increasingly difficult to maintain their profiles.

Contemporary Digital Marketing Strategies That Create a Buzz

Part of the importance of using social media for a conference is to generate excitement. Promoting an event can be costly when you look at traditional print media, but digital marketing strategies often afford more ‘bang for the buck’. This is never more the case than with social media where shares and likes can get your programme of events noticed by more and more people at zero cost. Even if you pay for advertising via social media, the results can be cost-effective and highly focussed on your target groups.

Encourage Hashtag Usage

Create a catchy hashtag for your conferences, such as #event2017 or similar, and encourage attendees to post on social media using the tag. This will generate its own momentum over time, and anyone with a professional interest in the conference’s subject matter or sector will soon be able to pick up on it. Post Tweets and Facebook posts using the hashtag yourself in the run-up to the conference as well as sharing attendees’ posts.

Answer Questions Submitted by Social Media

When you have followers who cannot make your conference but who still want to be engaged, it is still possible to get them to be involved. During talks and open sessions, there is often ample opportunity for Q&A sessions, so why not conduct this live on Facebook video? You could also ask people to submit their questions to your speaker via platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn. The greater the engagement, the better future conferences are likely to go.

Make Announcements on Social Media

A lot of people like social media because it is where they can get news directly. When you have confirmed a speaker or a demonstration of something, announce it on social media. Potential visitors are more likely to attend if they can see the nuts and bolts of how the ‘show’ you are putting on is coming together. Flyers, newsletters and e-mail notifications still have their place, but social media announcements tend to create more buzz. Got something genuinely showstopping to announce? Make a teaser post a day or two before along the lines of, ‘We have a big announcement coming up soon. Watch this space.’

Add Video Content

Few media options work in the powerful way that video does. Ask your speakers to provide a little content of what they are going to be talking about to whet you attendees appetite for more. If that is not possible given their technical abilities, then ask for a few photos of what they will be talking about and create a slideshow to post on your conference’s Facebook page.

Harnessing Social Media to Boost Attendees

As well as generating a degree of hype, social media is an excellent means of increasing your conference’s numbers. As a simple marketing tool, its power should never be underestimated. Pitchengine is the perfect tool for creating press releases which will work across several social media platforms. If your event has lots of people saying that they are ‘interested’ or ‘maybe’ going to attend, then this is the best way of reaching out to them. Remember that social media allows you to work out who is coming to the conference and who might still need to be convinced to purchase a ticket. Analysis of their demographics should enable you to tailor your digital marketing to attract the sort of people you have previously failed to convert.

It is worth noting that a social media strategy which is aiming to boost numbers needs to continue right through the conference. If yours is going to run over several days, then continue to engage with your audience on social media, perhaps pointing out what is coming up or drawing attention to tomorrow’s highlights. Furthermore, retweeting positive messages from visitors, especially if they have used your hashtag, will encourage more latecomers to pitch up.

In Summary

Social media can be a conference organiser’s friend. Not only will it allow you to stay one step ahead of your competitors, but it can provide a cost-effective means of promoting your work well before the conference takes place. Run well, and a social media campaign will generate interest from newcomers while offering an incentive to continue to take part for your more established clientèle. During a conference, it is the ideal tool for keeping visitors and speakers on track, by pointing out changes in schedules and generating reminders about keynote speeches and so on. Ultimately, it can help you to create a community where your conference is received positively by like-minded people who value the experience afforded them.

The post Developing Social Media Strategies for Conferences & Events was first published on fmwaechter.com. Author Frank M. Waechter.

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The Pivotal Role of Social Media in the Hospitality Industry

by Frank M. Waechter | Social Media Marketing

Social Media in the Hospitality Industry. It can be argued that the hospitality industry is entirely unique in the fact that success or failure will often depend much more upon customer reviews as opposed to discrete products or services. In other words, the opinions of others will have a massive impact regarding how a business is perceived. In the past, this equated to simple word of mouth or the recommendation of a friend. Social marketing has now undeniably changed the playing field. What are some of the most notable impacts within the hospitality sector? More importantly, how can hotels and similar properties leverage this tool to their advantage?

The Surprising Role of Social Media in Hospitality Industry Sectors

Sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram can have a massive influence on the perception of a certain hotel (or a chain of properties). To put this in perspective, it has now been shown that no less than 75 percent of all consumers will consult with a social media outlet before committing to a product or service¹.

No longer is a static web page sufficient in and of itself to attract customers and to drive business. This is to say nothing about major online hospitality review sites such as TripAdvisor or Booking.com. Now that we can appreciate the fundamental role of social media in hospitality industry sectors, how can businesses capitalise upon its influence?

The Most Frequently Used Networks

To appreciate what customers may be saying, it is first critical to know which sites they are visiting the most. Keep in mind that this may not necessarily be popular portals such as Facebook or Twitter. Due to the rise of the smartphone, guests are now utilising locations which allow them to post pictures and descriptions (such as Instagram). Identifying which sites are popular is the first step towards effective customer relations management.

Engagement: The Key to Successful Social Media Marketing Success

Engagement is the very same rule which applies to every modern business. It is critical to socialise with customers, and this is why the concept of “social marketing hotels” has been created. Guests need to feel as if their needs are being addressed. Proactive client engagement will serve two primary purposes:

It will contribute to building brand loyalty over time.
Any problems can be identified and rectified to avoid future complaints.

It should also me mentioned that other patrons would see that the hotel takes the needs of its patrons seriously. This is an excellent form of passive social media marketing, and within the hospitality industry, such a benefit cannot be overlooked.

Social Media in Hospitality Industry Promotions

Social customers simply love hearing about new promotions and deals. As a growing number of consumers are now relying upon social networks to retrieve valuable information, it only stands to reason that such bonuses should be made visible. Customers can be rewarded by following or “liking” a specific page while they are also able to be sent timely newsletters. These strategies are other effective ways to build brand recognition and loyalty.

Pipeline Management

Social media should always be employed as a form of pipeline management. While sales data and occupancy rates are important, these may not provide the “big picture” necessary to make the most informed decisions. Social media posts and comments will provide an additional level of insight, and as a result, specific marketing campaigns can be tailored around trending subjects and issues which guests find the most appealing.

Regular Updates for SEO Improvement

On a final note, it is crucial to mention the importance of online exposure about social media posts. Greater degrees of interaction will cause SERP rankings to increase. In turn exposure within the hospitality sector can grow. This leads to higher click-through rates and ultimately, greater success.

The concepts of social media in the hospitality industry needs to be taken seriously in these modern times. To learn more about this subject or to discover even more turnkey solutions based on your requirements, please feel free to contact us and speak with a dedicated specialist.

The post The Pivotal Role of Social Media in the Hospitality Industry was first published on fmwaechter.com. Author Frank M. Waechter.

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Facebook for Business

by Frank M. Waechter | Social Media Marketing

Nearly every business owner is aware of the important role that social media marketing, like facebook for business, can play towards boosting a particular marketing campaign. Sites like Facebook increase client engagement rates, promote specific products and keep fans up to date with the latest advertising campaigns. However, static content alone is no longer enough. Unless firms understand how to leverage the real power of this massive portal, their efforts could fall upon deaf ears. How can you develop a balanced digital marketing approach to this concept and what other tools do Facebook digital marketing platforms have to offer? Feel free to use the suggestions below as a short checklist when forming your social media campaign.

Facebook for Business: Understanding the Power of Live Feeds

Consider the advantages of the webinar. Concepts such as real-time communications, in-depth product presentations and visitor feedback will often come to mind. Now, imagine a platform which requires no additional hardware and can nonetheless reach out to your chosen demographic. These are the main takeaway points of Facebook Live from a business perspective. No other equipment is required, there are no subscription fees, and broadcasts can be transmitted for up to 90 minutes with no interruptions. Whether you choose to publicise a live news feed from within a trade seminar or the conference room of your home office, connecting with your audience has never been easier.

The Power of Visual Content

The average online consumer is now more discerning than ever before in the types of products and services that people follow on a social media page. So, static text alone is no longer enough to generate a significant following. If you want to improve your Facebook for business, images, infographics and video clips should become integral parts of any Facebook digital marketing campaign. This approach will lend a visual appeal to your brand while simultaneously providing the viewer with more in-depth information.

Peak Viewing Times Regarding Facebook for Business

The evolution of the smartphone enables users to access Facebook at any time of the day. However, there are still peak hours regarding inbound traffic. According to a study by Mashable, the most extended viewing hours on weekdays are at eight o’clock in the morning, three o’clock in the afternoon and eight o’clock in the evening. Thus, it is a good idea to release any posts just before these increments. Considering viewing times will help to make certain that you are tapping into the largest audience base. Another trick which digital marketing professionals employ is to release a “teaser” advertisement in the morning followed by a more in-depth discussion in the evening. Let us not forget that many users do not have the time to read through a lengthy post during the day.

Preliminary “Likes”

Companies can offer visitors information of value after they like a particular page. That is important for two reasons. First, a greater number of likes will help to generate further social media exposure. As the choice is entirely voluntary, only those who are interested will subscribe; another significant advantage when gauging the efficacy of a marketing campaign. Some offers that a business could provide:

Discounts or Coupon Codes
Email subscriptions
Free white papers
Event invitations

Cross-Linking Platforms

A final point to make is that you should always link across to different platforms. Pro-active linking will add digital impact to your reputation, and of course, your SERP rankings will inevitably improve. Outbound links should be included on your homepage, within email campaigns and even within other social media circles such as Twitter and LinkedIn. It is critical that visitors can find your Facebook page from any one of these sources.

Leveraging the power of Facebook for the business purpose should become a permanent portion of your overall social media marketing, and thus digital marketing strategy. Let us also remember that all of these suggestions will cost nothing to implement, so there are no financial drawbacks. With time and focused effort, this robust social media platform can become another spoke on the wheel of online success.

This article Facebook for Business was first published on fmwaechter.com. Author Frank M. Waechter.

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