From the Blog: August 21, 2023

Social Media Content for Events

Event management and planning have evolved significantly in recent years, thanks to the power of social media. However, most meeting planners don’t have the bandwidth to also consider a social media content calendar, while they’re managing logistics of planning an event. In this blog post, we’ll explore why having a content calendar for event planning is essential, along with some actionable items you can bring back to your team.

The Power of A Content Calendar

A content calendar is a carefully crafted plan that outlines the content you’ll create and share leading up to your event. It helps you organize your social media content, blog posts, email campaigns, and more, ensuring your tactics align with your event’s goals and timeline.

Content calendars are designed to allow you to effectively engage with your audience. By strategically releasing content, you can build excitement and anticipation among your attendees, speakers, and sponsors.

Most importantly, a content calendar helps keep your team on the same page, ensuring everyone is working towards the same objective. Consistent messaging and branding across all channels can enhance your event’ recognition and credibility. 

Content Considerations Before The Event

It can be hard to figure out where to start when building your content calendar, especially if you do not have metrics on how your content performed in previous years to help refine your strategy. Don’t fret if you don’t have those metrics! You can start building them now so you can make data-driven decisions when it comes to your social media content calendar.

Prior to your event, think about utilizing these social media content calendar suggestions:

  • Behind-the-scenes preparations
  • FAQ session or video about the event
  • Speaker announcement and/or speaker interview video
  • Testimonial from previous event
  • Countdown graphics (e.g. “30 days to go!”)

Content Considerations During The Event

During the event is what public relations professionals consider to be content gold. This is where you can really capitalize on the opportunity for generating content, but you need to do so with a plan in place. That’s where having a well thought out social media content calendar can help as it allows you to prioritize the content you need to capture during the event.

During to your event, think about utilizing these social media content calendar suggestions:

  • Host a live podcast recording
  • Backstage access
  • Real-time polls
  • Event day highlights
  • Exhibitor and Attendee Interviews

Content Considerations After The Event

After an event is where you can really engage with your audience and make a lasting impression so your event is on their must attend list for the following year. By creating your social media content calendar ahead of time, this ensures you’re delivering your content timely at the conclusion of the event. 

After your  your event, think about utilizing these social media content calendar suggestions:

  • Exhibitor Teardown Sped Up Video
  • Session highlights
  • Thank you posts for attendees, speakers, sponsors, and collaborators
  • Announcement/teaser for the next event

In event planning and management, social media is your greatest ally, and a well-structured content calendar is your compass. By optimizing your content with a strategic social media event content calendar, you can ensure that your event reaches a wider audience and makes a lasting impact. 

FAQs

How do you measure the effectiveness of social media content during an event, and what metrics should be considered for future planning?

Before an event, review your conversion tracking to determine how well your social media content influences specific actions, such as event registration or ticket purchases. This metric provides a direct link between your social media efforts and event attendance. Take a look at your engagement metrics during your event such as likes, comments, shares, and clicks on your social media channels. These metrics indicate how well your audience is interacting with your content in real-time. Post-event, ask for attendee feedback through surveys and focus on gathering information about their favorite social media moments, what content did they find most valuable, and areas for improvement. This can help you set goals for future events and continue to provide an event experience that resonates with your audience.

What are some potential challenges that event planners may face in implementing a social media content calendar, and how can these challenges be mitigated?

Event planners often face challenges due to limited time and resources. Balancing pre-event needs and real-time content during an event can be difficult for even the most experienced event planner. To mitigate this, consider streamlining your content creation process by leveraging social media scheduling tools and outsourcing social media tasks.

Are there specific tools or platforms recommended for creating and managing a social media content calendar for events, and what features make these tools effective for event planning purposes?

Hootsuite is a popular choice for creating and managing social media content calendars. Its scheduling features allow you to plan posts in advance which helps maintain a consistent posting schedule. It’s also important to note that the platform’s analytics provide insights into audience engagement, making it effective for refining strategies based on real-time data.

Another worthy contender is Sprout Social. Serving as a comprehensive social medial management tool, it caters to event planning needs. It provides features for not only scheduling content, but also engagement tracking and social listening. The reporting tools in Sprout Social offer in-depth insights that helps event planners in refining their strategies.