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Social Media marketing strategies for launching successful events in a new media scape.
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Events - Where Communities Meet

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First of all, we need to understand that every little instance or occasion in our lives is an event. A teleconference meeting with your staff is an event. A new purchase is an event. Hearing sad news about someone you care about is an event. Going out to watch a movie is an event. All of these different events make up our life experiences.

Everyone celebrates events; all people of all markets, locations, cultures celebrate events of some kind or the other. Events are a part of life. Everything big or small is an event and when we die those who attend our wake to remember us do so by reflecting on, in the most parts the events in our lives.

You’ll notice how when we try to think back to our earliest memories, we just remember glimpses of different situations or feelings. These glimpses were once events (whether recurring or one-time) that stayed on with us as memories. This observation has two important sub-thoughts that we can learn from:

1- If we react to different situations in our real-life just as meticulously as we plan large-scale events, imagine how it will affect the happiness quotient in our lives.

2- We don’t have to be marketing big events all the time; we just need to figure out how to create traction around small level things as well.

An event is an entire experience for all of the stakeholders involved in it – the audience, the attendees, the clients and the guests. The experience should be seamless right from the beginning, even before the event actually takes place. If ordering an iphone is an event in your life, then the experience begins from the moment you go to their website to place an order. Then it goes all the way from how the package looks like when it arrives to the promptness of their customer support staff. Similarly, for organized events, the experience begins from the moment people find out about it, all the way till after the launch. The smoother the flow, the more memorable the experience will be for everyone involved.

I recently got an invitation to a wedding with the most beautiful invite card that I’ve seen. Everything from the font, the graphics, to the feel of the card texture was wonderful. It also had a small personally addressed hand-written “looking forward to” note attached to it. Just the invite made me feel honoured to be invited and excited about being a part of it. For me, the wedding’s first touch moment was perfect.

So the idea is to turn your events into experiences that everyone would want to remember and feel special about. It also comes down to simple things, like making it simple for people to get back to you with regrets or RSVPs. Make it easy for them to find locations and venues. Give offers, discounts and giveaways. Also remember, that your event doesn’t just end at launch – the post-launch phase is just as important.

Simon U Ford (SUF.EDBD)

Today’s tip! One stop shopping for all your event marketing in social media needs you can’t go past my Events Listed networking and marketing platform. It’s invite only, here’s a backdoor pass on me.

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  • I was looking for one of your blogs on your authentic voice on social media platforms and came here. I want to use stories in my blog as you do but am using them from my experience of working with people with developmental disabilities. Where I work we talk a lot about celebration and have a lot of events.
    The people I support are very creative in getting their voice heard in spite of being limited or often dismissed. I n my first blog http://rebeccahappy.com/getting-established-in-... I spoke of a woman who continuously plans her birthday from one year to the next.
    You can believe that even strangers she meets fro the first time remember her birthday the next time it comes around.
    Such a simple concept that we forget. It is in the details as well as keeping the announcements current and alive ro they will be forgotten.
  • bobbicknell
    Life experiences truly are events! Awesome point about the little events in life making us happy add up to one big happy life.I totally agree that with each event that the smoother the flow the more memorable! People love that when it flows well. Social media has allowed communication to improve before,during and after an event which benefits all!

    Turning something that is just an event into an incredible experience can change a business as people feel special! The post event allows feedback and improvement for the next event and again a community allows that interaction where below social media people went their own way where now it allows them to interact and keep the flow going!
  • halicea99
    Awesome way of putting it Simon, unfortunately most people are caught up in this Fast Ran Rat Race and forget the most important thing! Taking the time to make things an Event, paying close attention to the details. The Iphone experience is right on, it is an event and anything could be a memorable event if we just take the time to get in the moment.
  • Yes, I have seen the wisdom of Simon's thinking - the iphone is a clear example -even the after service was good but for the low key guy without all the budget this is even more true - creating hype and excitement is not an expense - it is a necessary FUN part of the experience for the seller and the target market. A little imagination goes all the way to keep ing up interest and keeping people locked in to coming back and staying loyal to what ever it is you are are selling. I just want to add that there has to be CREDIBILITY to the hype - that IS THE KEY to making the hyperbolic - REAL experiences keep humans interested. Experiences that make people talk to each and resonate with one another is what does the trick. Its not new thinking - we have just forgotten some basics.
  • Geary Morales
    I really appreciate your take on the definition of an "event"

    Like most I never thought of every notable experience as an event, so to speak, although obvious, it's indeed true true.

    And with that your two (2) key observations...

    1- If we react to different situations in our real-life just as meticulously as we plan large-scale events, imagine how it will affect the happiness quotient in our lives.

    2- We don’t have to be marketing big events all the time; we just need to figure out how to create traction around small level things as well.

    By integrating those recommendations into your day to day activities - you naturally then begin to be "present" in every thing you put your hand to or participate in.

    It indeed does bring an "aliveness" and a desire to make those 'events' meaningful and special.

    It's a wake up call then not to be robotic in your daily routine, but look for opportunities to be excellent and add value to those used-to-be seemingly mundane events.

    Bravo!

    Geary Morales, Milwaukee, WI USA
    http://wordofmouthmedia.blogspot.com
  • My blog post this morning about spiritual spam http://onewhoseekshisface.blogspot.com/ is all about "speaking the lingo" and not alientating people when what you are trying to do is form relationship.

    This article by Simon U Ford gives a great background on how to become credible, which comes from adding value and building trust.
  • The first time through the book Social Traffic I listened to it as a podcast. The second time through, I read it in its printed form and made notes for our Word of Mouth Media book club. Now, as I read through Simon's blog, which includes snippets of the Social Traffic book, I'm thinking about how this can change my world and my business. If everything is an event, then event marketing precepts apply to everything that I do.
  • This post, Simon, may be the MOST important one of all you've shared with us to-date. The thought of recognizing each and everything we do in the simple course of living our lives as a string of events, is eye opening in its implications.

    First, this perspective demands a level of awareness far beyond anything attendant to going-through-the-motions. An event demands attention to detail; demands recognizing where a particular event falls within the general scheme of things; demands a recognized why-am-I-doing-this meaning. This is the perspective of the responsible citizen.

    Second, this perspective presupposes recognition of event impacts and that -- in and of itself -- sensitizes the event initiator to the feelings of others. This perspective matures the mind-set.

    Third, it keeps one's focus where it serves one the best: in the moment -- not in the past, where regrets could pull you down; or in the future where how something will turn out could cause endless, counter-productive worry.

    By setting forth on a chosen journey of authentic service, aware that each moment lived is anchored to an event -- which we have a significant hand in shaping -- we choose a purposeful, examined life. This, I believe, is the path to fulfillment., right here on Earth, our community's gathering place!

    That may not have come out altogether clearly...I was, nonetheless, compelled to give it a shot. As stated, THIS post is one of extraordinary significance and deserves deep, deep revisited consideration. It is a lifestyle transformer.

    Peace and Love,
    DeeJay
  • It has only been a couple of months that I have been reading the eventslisted content, and it is really starting to grow on me. The more I think about it the more I see the potential. I admit that it helps that I have red the book Social Traffic 3 times now.
    My online "events" are information and digital product sales, and I am finally starting to understand that if you approach it as an event and start a dialogue around the event, you can get a lot of people interested. Forget selling, just talk to the person and find out their needs and wants. Try and help as much as possible and this person will be a loyal customer forever. It is very exciting to me to realize how this process works and how we can tap into this. Before social media this would have been difficult to accomplish.
  • Simon, your book was excellent.

    However, I don't believe in reducing life to a series of events - it's too reductionistic, too simplified without many of the key details that makes life so vibrant and frankly, too planned. If that were the case, perhaps we should all just be drones.

    Rather, I prefer to view events as as "happenings" in life - for good or bad - that transcend my normal daily activities and stand out. It's not seemless, but it's real - and usually important because it does stand out.

    Here's an analogy. A person who rarely curses will stand out more when he curses than one who curses all the time. Likewise, events should also stand out.
  • bobbicknell
    So true about feelings and glimpses and life! It is one big event made up of smaller events. "The smoother the flow,the more memorable the experience for everyone involved" is so true about all events and the customer's enjoyment! From the first touch to the last can make or break that special feeling and memory that a person experiences. So powerful the statement that the post launch is just as critical! So many tips in your great book Simon "Social Traffic"! Thanks again for being such a great mentor!
  • Before I met you I really never thought of things as "events."
    Now, when thinking about my marketing the first thing that comes to mind is, "How can I make this an event?" Just by using the term "event" in my thinking makes it so much more important to me.
  • Customer "moments of truth" are in fact events and social media can capitalize on them when viewed that way. Simon U Ford's book #Social_Traffic really hit this point home for me.
  • I really like the concept of viewing an online launch as almost as an offline "party". I recently launched a social website and rather than just put it up there and hope people start talking, I started welcoming people, asking questions and breaking the ice, just like in a party. I can tell you that this approach works wonders and is a sure-fire way of improving the customer experience at our event.
  • Oh, I forgot to mention that I took this approach thanks to your wonderfully insightful blogs, so thanks Simon for the wealth of personal experience you have shared with us.
  • I strongly agree that you need to treat every customer experience as an event.
    I recently worked with a client who was going to a trade show. He was just planning on having some flyers and a video and basically was just going to go and stand there and hope people would come talk to him.

    I spent some time explaining to him that he needed to make his booth one of the most talked about booths at the event by controlling the entire experience that people had when they came to his booth.

    So we spent some time brainstorming and came up with a demonstration that stopped people in their tracks and even had them lining up to be next. While at that event we were approached by several large distributors that wanted to carry his line of products and he has grown his business by 300% since that show simply by understanding his market and controlling and delivering an experience.

    Doug
  • Doug, you are so right. I have seen those trade shows where some sad marketer is just standing at the booth, looking forlorn...

    I recently attended a local chamber of commerce business fair. Most of the participants were as described... The booth with the most attention was run by a sole entrepreneur with two teenage kids- playing a "wheel of fortune" game to promote their unique restaurant/ mentoring business. People were lined up to play the game, winning dinner coupons... The excitement generated was wonderful- and it only took some imagination and a sense of fun-
  • What this blog shows is that people want to be engaged. They just don't want to just be told something is good. They want to shown why it is good. The overall lesson from this is marketers now have to make that extra effort to give consumers reasons why they should do something or attend an event.

    What a social media really is just an expansion of an over-the-fence conversation. People have always talked to their neighbors and friends about a good place to eat or a new play to see. What social media does is expand the list of neighbors worldwide.
  • Jeff,
    The power of social media is that you can now have consumers convince other consumers, just like your example of neighbors and friends. So if a marketer uses social media apropriately, they are not selling at all, but they are starting the conversation and the consumer takes the conversation home or to a party or to where ever he goes.
  • Guest
    I agree, very interesting. Helping to figure out that it's all about.... events. I think the "hard" part is understanding that, then there is a lot of place for ideas and creativity. As you wrote in a different article, each events has it's emotions, excitement, expectation, hopes, joy. Taking people out of the routine.
  • Nicely written Simon. The analogy with going to buy the iPhone - the research, the buying, the going home with it, and unpacking ... then customer service as follow up ... yes, building audiences and friends, making good first impressions and being there for follow-ups all feed into the experience. Being a person of value, offing a product of value ... it's all part of a giant life lesson, and when people figure it all out it becomes easier to be consistent, and be the one people search out.
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