Tips for Promoting Events on Facebook Organically
Promoting events on Facebook, the world’s largest social network, seems like a no-brainer. That said, there’s more to the landscape than meets the eye.
While paid promotions are likely to get results, targeting and ads can be overwhelming—and expensive. With the right action plan in place, and a little effort, it’s possible to make a big impact on Facebook with a purely organic promotion strategy. Below are a few ways you can leverage your existing Facebook community to promote your events.
Tip 1: Send Personal Invites
A key to promoting events on Facebook is to send personalized invites to anyone in your network who might be interested in the event. This will involve a little more work than clicking their name in the “invite” list (although you’ll need to start there).
To send a personal invitation, reach out to your potential guests with a direct message using your personal profile. Tell them exactly why you thought they might be interested in promoting your event on Facebook based on something you know about them or a conversation you’ve had in the past.
Reaching out personally can make a potential guest feel special. When an attendee feels like they’ve been given special treatment or early access, they are more likely to take part in your event. Encourage them to bring friends from their personal networks who might also enjoy the event. Letting them know you think highly of their presence and their network is a great way to make them feel valued.
The more networks you can access, the better. Friends and family are not off limits—they have diverse networks, too!
Pro tip: Avoid mass messages and avoid being spammy. Yes, swapping out a few personal details in an otherwise copy-and-pasted message can save a ton of time, but most people can spot an insincere message from a mile away! Try striking up a conversation first. Invest your time in building relationships with the guests you see as your ideal attendees, and save time in the long run by creating loyal event promoters.
Tip 2: Make it Exciting
The event needs to compel its viewers online. Your copy and visuals are super important.
First off, choose a catchy, engaging name for your event. The name should effectively communicate the value guests will get from attending the event as soon as they read it. Focus on the positives over the negatives. People won’t want to share an event to their personal networks unless it makes them look good.
Secondly, you’ve got to get your event page looking sharp, so choose your images wisely! The cover photo and profile image appear when your event is shared, so you’ll want to make sure that they are engaging and that they compliment each other well. You’ll also want to make sure your images fit the proper dimensions so they show exactly as you want them to. (If you neglect this step, your event images will likely be distorted as a result!)
Recommended cover photo size:
Photos on page timeline:
1200 px wide
Finally, once attendees have committed to the event in some fashion, keep them interested by posting fun, informative, and engaging content leading up to the event. Share information on your speakers or interesting related content.
Pro tip: Make sure your event page settings are toggled so attendees only receive notifications for IMPORTANT updates such as changes to the key details (like the time, date and venue) and reminder notifications for when the event is approaching. If attendees get a notification every time anyone posts on the page, they may manually turn notifications off, leaving you unable to contact them if there is a last minute change of plans. Worse still, they might get annoyed with your brand.
Tip 3: Ask for Cross Promotion
Another way to utilize your network is to ask other businesses and groups to promote your events for you. This ensures that promoting events on Facebook does not just come from you but from other people as well, adding value to the share.
Make a list of other businesses who might have interest in promoting your event. They could be event sponsors, co-hosts, or businesses whose target audience might benefit from your event, or organizations that you interact with regularly. Ask them to post a status update about your event.
Pro tip: Be sure to frame your request as a value add for their audience! Explain to them how promoting your event could be in their best interest by providing additional value for their followers.
Asking for favors empty-handed will likely result in rejection. Before you reach out, think: “What can I do for them?” Oftentimes, it’s as simple as offering to cross-promote some of their content on your company page as well.
Promoting events doesn’t need to be complicated, and it doesn’t need to be expensive if you don’t want it to be. By using the tactics above, you can get help from your personal network, and from other businesses you interact with. By making your event page enticing, you may also inspire promotion from your event attendees themselves! If you invest a little time and planning into your organic Facebook strategy, you’ll be able to promote events to more people, more effectively.
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