How to Plan Social Media Around Industry Events & Conferences

In the digital age, industry events and conferences have evolved into high-impact moments for networking, learning, and building brand presence. As businesses strive to build engagement and boost their visibility, social media has become one of the most powerful tools for maximizing the benefits of such events. With the right approach, planning social media around industry events and conferences can create immense value, not just in terms of direct engagement, but in enhancing brand recognition and loyalty.

However, to leverage these events effectively, businesses need more than just a scattershot approach of posting random updates. It requires strategic planning and execution across various stages: before, during, and after the event. In this article, we will discuss how to effectively plan and execute a social media strategy around industry events and conferences to ensure maximum impact and measurable results.

Pre-Event Planning: Set Clear Objectives

The foundation for any successful social media strategy is clarity of purpose. Before diving into creating content, it's crucial to set clear objectives for how social media will support the event.

• Identify Key Goals: Whether it's increasing brand awareness, engaging with potential leads, or positioning your company as an industry thought leader, clearly defining your goals will help shape your approach. Some possible goals include:

  • Attracting attendees to your booth or presentation
  • Raising awareness about a product launch or service offering
  • Generating pre-event buzz and excitement
  • Engaging with event speakers, influencers, or panelists

• Target Audience: Understand who will be attending the event and how you can reach them effectively. Are they existing customers, potential leads, or industry peers? Tailoring your content to speak directly to these groups will improve the chances of driving engagement.

• Align with Event Objectives: Coordinate with event organizers to see if there are any official hashtags, themes, or key messages for the event. This ensures that your content aligns with broader event goals and maximizes its visibility across social channels.

Create a Content Calendar

Once your objectives are set, the next step is to create a content calendar that outlines what will be posted and when. Planning ahead will allow for a more cohesive and organized strategy.

• Content Types: Different types of content resonate on various platforms. Consider incorporating a blend of the following:

  • Teasers: Create anticipation for your participation in the event. Share sneak peeks or behind-the-scenes content of how you're preparing for the event.
  • Announcements: Post about your involvement in the event, such as booth number, keynote speakers, panels, or product demos you'll be hosting.
  • Promotions: Run targeted ads or campaigns to drive traffic to your booth or online presence during the event.
  • Countdowns: Start a countdown on social media a few days prior to the event, emphasizing the key takeaways your audience can expect.

• Visual Assets: Incorporate compelling visuals, including branded graphics, videos, and event-specific assets (such as banners or speaker headshots). These visuals should maintain consistency with your brand identity while also aligning with the event's theme and tone.

• Platform-Specific Plans: Different social platforms cater to different types of content. Ensure that you adapt your content for the unique style and audience of each platform. For example:

  • Instagram: Focus on visually appealing images, stories, and reels, showing off your booth, behind-the-scenes moments, or event highlights.
  • Twitter: Share live updates, use relevant hashtags, and engage in real-time conversations with other attendees, speakers, and influencers.
  • LinkedIn: Post thought leadership pieces, blog articles, and professional updates related to the conference.
  • Facebook: Share event-specific posts, create event pages, and engage with your community by responding to comments and questions.

Engage with Event Organizers and Influencers

Industry events and conferences are excellent opportunities for building relationships with event organizers, industry influencers, and speakers. Engaging with these individuals on social media can significantly expand your reach and credibility.

• Collaborate with Event Organizers: If the event offers social media partnerships, take advantage of this opportunity to amplify your presence. Event organizers may also promote your content on their channels if you're actively engaging with them in the lead-up to the event.
• Engage with Influencers: If there are notable speakers, industry influencers, or thought leaders attending, ensure you engage with them beforehand. Share their content, comment on their posts, and even reach out to collaborate on content. Influencers can help amplify your messaging, particularly if you're part of a panel or speaking session.
• Hashtags and Mentions: Follow the official event hashtags and ensure you're using them in your posts. Mention the event organizers, speakers, or fellow exhibitors in your posts to foster engagement and create cross-promotion opportunities.

Build Buzz with Contests and Giveaways

One effective way to get people excited and engaged with your brand ahead of the event is by running contests and giveaways. This creates anticipation and increases social media interactions.

• Pre-Event Giveaways: A giveaway tied to the event can encourage people to engage with your social media content. For instance, you can give away free tickets, discounted services, or products that are relevant to the event's theme.
• Booth-Related Contests: Run a contest where participants can win prizes by visiting your booth at the event. This will drive foot traffic to your booth and spark interest in your products or services.
• Social Media Engagement: Encourage participants to tag friends, share posts, or use a specific hashtag to increase visibility. Make sure the prizes are valuable to your target audience to increase participation.

During the Event: Be Active and Engaged in Real Time

Social media is a real-time platform, and events are fast-paced. During the event, you need to be agile, active, and ready to share content that captures the essence of what's happening.

• Live Coverage: Share live updates, photos, and videos of keynote speeches, breakout sessions, or product demos. If you're hosting a booth, share images of visitors interacting with your products and services.
• Behind-the-Scenes Content: Post moments behind the scenes at the event, such as preparations, team discussions, or candid shots from the floor. This humanizes your brand and creates more personal connections with your audience.
• Real-Time Engagement: Engage with your audience by responding to comments, asking questions, and encouraging user-generated content. Prompt attendees to share their experiences with your brand by tagging you or using your custom event hashtag.
• Leverage Event-Specific Hashtags: Continue using the official event hashtag to join the conversation and increase your visibility among attendees and those following the event remotely.
• Live Videos and Streams: Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn allow you to go live. Use this to broadcast key moments or to show a live demo of your product or services.

Monitor and Track Social Media Conversations

Monitoring social media during the event is critical to ensure you're aware of relevant conversations and can engage promptly. Use social listening tools to track mentions of your brand, event-related hashtags, or industry-specific keywords.

• Engage with Event Hashtags: Join conversations by liking, commenting, and retweeting other attendees' posts. This fosters a sense of community and amplifies your content's reach.
• Respond to Questions: If attendees are asking questions about your products or services, provide real-time responses on social media to keep the engagement flowing.

Post-Event Strategy: Continue the Momentum

The post-event period is just as important as the pre-event and during-event phases. After the event wraps up, you want to capitalize on the momentum you've built, turning engagement into long-term relationships.

• Event Recap: Share a recap of your participation in the event. Post photos and videos from the event, thank attendees for visiting your booth, and highlight key takeaways. This reinforces your brand's involvement and keeps the conversation going.
• Follow-Up Content: Publish blog posts, case studies, or in-depth analyses on what was discussed at the event. This positions you as a thought leader and drives traffic to your website.
• Engage with Leads: If you captured leads during the event, follow up with personalized messages or offers to turn those leads into customers.
• Ask for Feedback: Encourage followers to share their feedback on your event experience. This not only generates valuable insights but also deepens your relationship with your audience.

Measure Success and Learn from Results

To gauge the effectiveness of your social media strategy, it's crucial to track key metrics. Some of the metrics you should focus on include:

• Engagement Metrics: Likes, shares, comments, and retweets show how well your content resonates with your audience.
• Reach and Impressions: Track how many people saw your posts and how widely they were shared.
• Lead Generation: Measure how many new leads or contacts you gained through the event and your social media activity.
• Website Traffic: Check if there was a noticeable spike in traffic to your website, especially if you shared product demos or blog posts related to the event.

By evaluating these metrics, you can refine your social media strategy for future events.

Conclusion

Planning social media around industry events and conferences is a multi-faceted, dynamic process that requires careful thought, preparation, and execution. From setting clear goals and creating a content calendar to actively engaging in real time and measuring post-event success, each stage offers opportunities to connect with your audience, boost your brand visibility, and establish lasting relationships.

By planning strategically and using the right social media tools and tactics, you can turn an industry event or conference into a high-impact marketing opportunity that will have a lasting impact on your business's online presence and overall success.

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