Successful event promotion begins with knowing how to reach your target audience. Top on your list should be knowing the social platforms where they spend most of their times and the content they are reading, listening to or watching on those channels. For most event organizers and promoters, Instagram is one of the best places to reach a wider audience. With more than 2 billion active monthly users, Instagram allows you to connect with a broader audience. Thus, Instagram event promotion can be a great strategy for attracting huge attendances and driving engagements both online and offline.
A Bloomerang Poll established 44% of more than 500 non-profit companies surveyed said they are active on IG. The platform routinely ranks among the top engagement social channels for brands looking to reach wider, younger audiences. Whether you are looking to promote a concert, volunteer project or a fundraiser, Instagram can enable you engage current and new audiences and, set your event up for success.
The following article offers an in-depth look into Instagram event promotion, how it works and practical strategies to help you make the most of it. This post highlights useful tips for Instagram promotion before, during and after the event.
What Are Instagram Events?
The Instagram Events feature works similarly to Facebook Events, allowing users to create and manage their own events, and discover events from those they follow and come across as they explore. Users can set events as either public or private, with flexible options for guest exclusivity and size.
Instagram Events also lets users customize event details such as event name, display photo, location, date, time and description. Besides, users have a chat feature, similar to Instagram DMs, allowing event organizers seamless communication with attendees. Nonetheless, the key to a successful event is effective promotion.
Instagram Promotion Before the Event
The way you handle Instagram event promotion before the occasion will determine whether people will attend or ignore. You need a well-crafted brand and marketing strategy to make your event stand out and make people want to attend. Clearly define what makes your event unique and the kind of experience that you would like your guests to have. You must establish a clear brand message before promoting your event on Instagram or any other social platform.
Here’s how to use Instagram promotion before your event;
Create a unique event hashtag
Hashtags are an easier way to expand your reach on Instagram. Users often search by hashtag to find specific subject matter and topics, so, using hashtags allow your posts to show up in search results. You should create a catchy and unique hashtag that is specific to your event. Use it on every post related to the event so that people can click it and explore related posts.
You just need a little creativity to come up with a captivating hashtag for your event. Here are some tips for creating an event hashtag;
- Choose a relatively unpopulated hashtag: Using a hashtag that has already been used too many times may risk your content getting lost in the noise.
- Make the hashtag short and easy to remember: The hashtag can be as simple as your event name. Nonetheless, it should be something that you target audience can easily remember and even use in their posts.
Take inspiration from the following example of how IHG used #HomeTeamHospitality to promote their cityside event when the NFL hosted the biggest game of the year in their hometown.
Use compelling imagery
Instagram is a social channel that emphasizes on visual content. That means sharing high-quality photos or images is a must for getting many people to want to attend your event. Compelling imagery such as real-life images can be a great way to attract and capture the attention on Instagram.
You can share photos from a past successful event or shots of real people in the moment. The images should portray a good mix of posed photos and candids without distracting filters and editing styles. Focus on imagery that conveys the brand of your event and what guests can expect when they attend your upcoming event.
Build anticipation for the event
Instagram event promotion should spark interest and build excitement to get as many people as possible to want to attend or even buy tickets instantly. Drum up anticipation by posting teasers about the event line-up, ticket deals and contests. Here are some ideas for creating a buzz about your event;
- Post about your entertainment and guest line-up: If you have headline acts or keynote speakers lined-up, featuring them in sneak previews or teasers can significantly boost anticipation.
- Do a line-up countdown: Create a series of posts to count down until the announcement of the event talent line-up.
- Allow event headliners to take over your Instagram: Give one of the headliners or guest speakers at the event to handle your Instagram for the day. They can share clips to give a backstage look at the event preparation throughout the day.
Whether you are organizing a gala, festival or even a race, your Instagram pre-event promotion should inspire a bit of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and hype it as the can’t miss event of the season.
Take cues from the following example of how the Visit Boston CVB allowed Photographer Derrick Mills takeover their Instagram anmd give users a more breathtaking views of the city.
Boost engagements with contests and giveaways
There are various options on how to boost engagement on Instagram. However, contests and giveaways are ideal for engaging followers before your event. You can offer prizes like free event tickets or branded merchandise to get people talking about your event. That will also help with attracting many potential attendees who may not be in your list of followers.
The following are examples of the actions that your followers can take to take part in the contest and win;
- Like and share your post
- Make a related post with your event hashtag
- Tag friends in a post or comment on one of your posts
- Follow your Instagram account
- Tag your account in a story
Select the winners randomly and notify them on how to claim their prizes in direct messages. Each content or giveaway should have terms and conditions to keep things in check and ensure a level-playing field for all the participants.
Partner with influencers
Influencers can make a huge difference in your Instagram event promotion efforts. The strategy taps into the principles of persuasion, allowing you to leverage social proof. People are more likely to be convinced to take action by those in positions of power, authority and leadership.
Partnering with prominent influencers can also help take off some of the load on your plate by offering ideas for effective Instagram event promotion. An influencer can also build trust and credibility in your brand, which is essential if you are asking people to part with their money for tickets.
Influencers can also help with amplifying the reach of your event, allowing you access to their diverse audiences. These personalities are great for giving your followers fresh perspectives and, opening the gates for you to gain several new followers. Check out this guide on how to get more followers on Instagram.
Instagram Event Promotion on the D-Day
Social media, especially Instagram has become an integral part of an attendee’s event experience. For many people, part of the fun of attending an event is the opportunity to document and share that experience on social platforms.
During the event, share the incredible performances, guests, vendors and activities on your Instagram account. Emphasize on content that can keep your attendees informed about the activities they can engage in and ensure they have an exceptional experience.
You can also take photos of the attendees throughout the event. If people see their photos in your posts, they may feel compelled to share them with their followers and friends. That would enable you to attract many new followers too.
Here are more tips on how to leverage Instagram event promotion during your event.
Give updates on your Instagram Story
Create stories to showcase event activities or get your followers excited about specific event activities. For example, if you are hosting a festival fundraiser, you can give lineup updates throughout the day and highlight different stage acts.
You can also use Instagram story to promote your vendors by sharing photos or videos of their food, merchandise and other offerings. Giving your vendors marketing exposure and helping them boost sales at your event can increase their chances of coming back to make your next events successful.
Share behind-the-scenes exclusives
People enjoy seeing what it takes to make an event successful. Use Instagram Stories to give attendees a sneak peek into what goes on behind the scenes, especially if you still got tickets to sell. Share stories about the set-up and preparations for the event. You can also share exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews with artists or teasers about surprise performances.
Post Event: Following Up on Instagram Event Promotion
After the conclusion of your event, you still have plenty of post-event promotion opportunities to capture, document and share the success of your event with followers. Take time to go through all the content you have captured and also those that others have shared about the event. Then, consider how you can use that content for your post-event promotional activities. Here’s how to effectively follow up on Instagram event promotion.
Engage with the posts of attendees
Recognize attendees by sharing and commenting on their posts. Appreciate them for taking the time to attend and take part in the event. You can easily find them by searching posts with or related to your hashtag.
Share event recaps
Upon the wrapping up your event, keep sharing posts on Instagram. The following are some follow-up posts to consider making after the end of your event;
- Event closing and appreciation message: Tell your followers that your event is over and thank all the attendees, sponsors and donors. You can create an Instagram Reel with some of the best moments during the event to recap the event for your followers.
- Final event stats: Share your success with followers by posting about the final attendance numbers and fundraising totals for the event.
- Media attention: Share any local media attention that your event received such as news articles or TV news clips.
Ask for feedback
The best way to ensuring that your future events are successful is analyzing the data from past events and noting where improvements are needed. Create a feedback survey and share it in your Instagram and other marketing platforms to reach the largest survey sample possible. You can ask questions like;
- How did you first learn about the event?
- How easy was it to register for the event?
- On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied were you with the event’s line-up?
- On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied were you with the event’s food, drinks and merchandise options?
- How likely are you to attend another of our organization’s events in the future?
Wrapping Up
Instagram is no doubt a fantastic platform for spreading word about your event. This article has outlined practical strategies for effective Instagram event promotion, with examples to guide you through every step. Using these strategies will ensure that the time and money spent on Instagram are stretched as far as possible.