Achi news desk-
Social media is changing fast – and what worked last year may not work in 2024. (Look at the dramatic revenue loss of X, or Twitter, after many major platforms stopped posting or advertising on the platform.) So what doing working on social media right now, especially for event professionals?
“We don’t just want our audience to understand what we do – we want them to know who we are,” says Zoe Haynes, PlatinumXP sales and marketing coordinator who oversees the planning agency’s digital marketing events. “Social media has developed into a space for building relationships and building trust. We use various platforms to tell stories – an event transformation story, behind the scenes with our production crew, or maybe even some fun office shenanigans with our CEO.”
Haynes’ focus on maintaining an authentic, consistent brand presence was a common theme among event professionals we spoke to about how they currently use social media. It’s about “cultivating an ongoing connection with our followers,” agreed Elias Contessotto, social media manager for event production company 15|40.
But remember: Not all platforms are created equal. Contessotto emphasizes the importance of tailoring your approach with each platform – but also not being afraid to experiment a little to ensure you stay ahead of trends and maximize audience engagement. “By creatively testing new tactics, we measure audience response and effectiveness, gradually integrating successful methods into our channels,” he explains. “This iterative process empowers us to continually refine our content strategy, adapting to evolving trends and audience preferences.”
In short, “It’s about meeting your audience where they are,” says Taylor Elliot, vice president of marketing and brand strategy for Shepard Exposition Services. “Social media is such a great tool to amplify your brand’s voice. I always say as marketers we need to create a system that works for our brand even when we sleep, and social media is one of the tools to help achieve this.”
LINKEDIN & INSTAGRAM
From our conversations, LinkedIn and Instagram quickly emerged as the two best platforms in the events industry. “Instagram is our go-to for showcasing eye-catching event photos – however, LinkedIn is equally if not more important in our strategy,” explained Haynes. “While Instagram captures attention with its visual appeal, LinkedIn allows us to dive deeper into industry conversations and build relationships with our peers.”
Contessotto likes to target a B2B audience that has a LinkedIn presence 15 | 40, posting content focused on industry insights, professional networking, and studio collaborations. “We often share static posts similar to those on Instagram, tagging relevant studios to expand our reach,” he said, noting that LinkedIn posts are often re-shared by team leaders and executives. “Related [also] is a great platform for highlighting press coverage, award nominations and industry highlights.”
On Instagram, meanwhile, Contessotto expands content 15 | 40s to cater to B2B and B2C audiences. “We share visually engaging posts that highlight our expertise, industry leadership, and collaboration, appealing to a wider range of followers,” he said. “Instagram will have ‘POV’ content, which is much more personal and requires less high-quality tools to tell our story. I came to 15 | 40 influencer background, and from experience, I notice that more amateur content does better on that platform, like using an iPhone for reels rather than a DSLR camera.”
Heather Rouffe, sales director at Atlas Event Rental, also appreciates the more personal touch Instagram can bring. “Through that platform, we strive to educate the industry, create brand awareness, and most importantly for us, show the personal side of our company, our brand and our rentals,” he explained. “With so much of the human side of things missing in a digital age, being personable and showing the people behind the brand is very important to us. We find that the clients really appreciate the behind-the-scenes content and getting to know the Atlas crew.”
On the flip side, however, that doesn’t mean LinkedIn can’t get a little personal. To Mercurysenior account director at trade show exhibition company Genesis Exhibits, prioritizes LinkedIn because of the connections he has been able to make with marketing directors and event directors at companies he would like to do business with.
“I try not to promote my company as much as my brand by sharing information that will help them in their jobs – I find that I get a lot of referrals this way,” notes Mercuro. “I think it’s also a living summary; before I meet someone, they will often look at my LinkedIn page to learn more about me. The more you can build your profile and the number of connections you have adds to your value and makes it attractive that they want to work with you.”
Jonathan Kazarian, founder and CEO of Accelevents, also uses LinkedIn to build his personal thought leadership – and thus, build awareness of his event management software company. “Ninety-nine percent of what I share on LinkedIn is professional,” he says. “I’ll share something about my personal life to build a connection, but that’s not my focus with LinkedIn.”
FACEBOOK, TWITTER (X), TIKTOK, AND MORE
In a sign of changing times, most of the event professionals we spoke to don’t invest much in Facebook or Twitter (now called X) – although many are still updating them.
“We push all of our Instagram content out to our Facebook, to ensure that our followers and intended audiences on both platforms receive similar content,” Contessotto said. “We also maintain our Twitter channel, or X, to share some of our event photos, as well as retweet content that clients we work with post that is captured at our events.”
Mercuro finds that Facebook is still an effective way to reach older generations – but for younger generations, he has found some successful marketing events on TikTok. “I’m on the board of a non-profit concert venue, and we needed to attract a younger audience,” he recalls. “I suggested that we work with a local university and their marketing classes to undertake a project like our organization to give them real life experience. They chose to use TikTok to reach the younger demographic in our area, and it has been extremely successful. “
Contessotto agrees that TikTok naturally focuses very much on Gen Z, so the content should be tailored accordingly. “We’ve noticed that we usually get a lot of engagement when our content is celebrity-focused,” he said. “Our team is constantly working to balance our TikTok pages to include viral content, as well as videos that highlight our diverse portfolio of work to attract the right kind of audience.”
Haynes says she’s still exploring TikTok’s potential for Platinum XP. “I’ve noticed its popularity as a discovery platform,” he said. “It’s a great tool for raising awareness, but we should also consider whether our target audience is active on TikTok.” One tool Haynes invests time in? Pinterest. “It’s a powerful tool for SEO purposes. Its visual nature allows us to drive awareness to our website through captivating pictures. By igniting curiosity, we encourage users to click through and explore further.”
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