Hi friends! Check out the full notes below from Pitch and Plan Podcast Episode 102— Digital Event Campaigns. You can listen HERE.

In the second episode of Pitch and Plan, April Burks is joined by Antoinette Minor to tackle the topic of social media in event planning and promotion. Antoinette shares how she has been able to pivot in the face of new challenges during this unusual time and how the event world will change now that things are being done virtually.

Antoinette starts the interview out by explaining the timeframe that most events follow when starting to promote on social media platforms. It depends majorly on where your business is at the time of planning. Antoinette gives the example of a new business preparing for their first launch. The overall marketing campaign should be around 6-12 months with the first 6 months building your brand and audience. The next 6 months involve actively promoting the event on social media. Antionette continues stating that if you are already an established organization and know your audience well, then 6 months before the event is when you should start promoting.

April and Antoinette discuss the different social media platforms that are important to market on to have a successful event. Eventbrite works similarly to GrubHub. Someone may not know exactly what they want, and the platform is a way to suggest what is around making it a really good marketing tool. Antoinette points out that many people often miss out on the opportunities that are available to them on LinkedIn. Adding LinkedIn to your arsenal allows you to target a different type of audience. With Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter you are selling tickets in a one-to-one exchange meaning that it relies on someone being interested in buying a ticket for your event. On LinkedIn, you can communicate with companies on the benefits of having a team attending the workshop as a bulk purchase or even offering a table for sponsorship.

Something people often overlook is the email market. Antionette believes you should have some sort of email list for your event. Even if it’s as simple as compiling the names of those who purchased tickets and start to market over the years or by creating content that will help prior to the purchase to entice the audience to attend.

April and Antoinette share their thoughts on ticketing platforms with Antoinette sharing that Eventbrite is her #1 ticketing platform. Antoinette suggests though if you can put the ticketing sales on your own website that you should do this before using a ticketing platform. April also adds for event planners to make sure you check your contracts for your event. Sometimes when you are having your event you are required to use a certain ticketing system to be in compliance with the contract you are working under.

Promotion and planning of events on social media have changed due to COVID now that all promotion is for virtual events. April urges that you dig deep and decide if your event needs to happen at this time and if it is worth it. Sometimes it’s beneficial to pivot or even scrap an event strategy entirely as it doesn’t work virtually. April expresses that it is completely okay to change the narrative and initial goal of the event if needed as times have changed drastically and so has the interests of the people. If the event is meaningful and has an impact on its own it will help spark interest in the target audience.

Antoinette also stresses the importance of knowing your target audience to help you beat out the noise of competition and outside influences. Narrowing down and understanding who your target audience is helps you formulate a strategy and focus on the categories that will get you the most bang for your buck!

April and Antoinette continue their discussion by explaining the considerations you must think of when putting together a budget for social media marketing. Many forget to include social media marketing expenses in their budget but Antoinette says you cannot overlook this budget. Networking alone cannot compensate for not getting your word across on social media. Antionette believes every social media campaign should have some money behind it especially if you are trying to break the mold.

Antionette breaks down some of the mistakes that she has seen others make while promoting an event. She shares that you need to invest in your marketing materials to see a difference. That doesn’t mean you have to hire a social media manager, but you can use freelance platforms like Fiverr to make your social media presence more professional. Adding higher quality photos can also help make your organization and event look more aesthetically pleasing. You also should fill out your profile completely allowing your audience and potential sponsors to learn more about your mission. The last piece of advice Antionette shares is the importance of building your tribe before you try to sell.

Antoinette offers a few organizations as examples of doing great social media marketing for their events. A fun element that Antionette feels can be implemented in a virtual event is a social media wall. A text-based platform such as Twitter can get your audience involved and create interest on twitter making more people interested in your event the next time it comes around.

Tune in to the next episode, where Antionette Minor will offer her insights on the topic of sponsorship!

Links to Look At:

Want to Connect with Antoinette Minor?

Antoinette Minor Website | [https://www.antoinetteminor.com/]

Antoinette Minor Instagram | [https://www.instagram.com/antoinettekminor/]

Antoinette Minor Facebook | [https://www.facebook.com/antoinettekminor]

Antoinette Minor LinkedIn | [https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoinetteminor/]

TYP Social Media Co. Website | [https://www.typsocialmediaco.com/]

Referrals and Rants Podcast | [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introduction/id1452061863?i=1000429522816]

Ticketing Platforms Mentioned

Eventbrite | [https://www.eventbrite.com/]

TicketLeap | [https://www.ticketleap.com/?rc=ORG-google-/]