Creating Shareable Event Content on Social Media

by Akshayaa Rani M, 21 September 2024
by Akshayaa Rani M,  21 September 2024
Creating Shareable Event Content on Social Media

In today’s fast-paced digital age, social media plays a vital role in promoting events. Whether you're organising a corporate seminar, a conference, or a brand activation, social media is a powerful tool that can significantly enhance your event’s reach. However, simply posting about your event is not enough. If you want to truly make an impact, your content has to be engaging, shareable, and relevant. Creating shareable event content requires a strategic approach, tapping into your audience’s interests while encouraging them to spread the word.

In this article, we’ll explore how to craft content that resonates with your audience and compels them to share it with their network, amplifying your event’s visibility.

(Photo Credits - Constant Contact)

Understanding What Makes Content Shareable

Before diving into the whole content creation, it's crucial to understand what makes people hit that ‘share’ button. Content that gets shared often triggers an emotional response—it may be inspiring, funny, useful, or thought-provoking. When people share content, they are usually driven by a desire to:

  1. Entertain or inform their followers
  2. Showcase their own interests or align themselves with certain values
  3. Spark conversation or discussion

In event marketing, shareable content can range from sneak peeks of the event to behind-the-scenes footage, promotional materials, or even user-generated content (UGC). The key is to ensure that your content speaks to your audience in a way that makes them want to share it, whether to inform, entertain, or engage their followers.

Know Your Audience

Creating content that resonates begins with knowing your audience inside and out. Your target audience's demographics, interests, and behaviours should shape how you approach content creation. For example, if your event is aimed at professionals attending a business conference, your content should reflect a more formal, informative tone. On the other hand, if you’re organising a music festival, fun and creative content will appeal more to that crowd.

Social media platforms are crucial when it comes to gathering insights into the preferences of your audience. By analysing your followers’ interactions with previous content, you can identify the type of posts that are more likely to be shared. Tailoring your content to these preferences can increase the chances of it being shared widely.

Use Engaging Visuals

In a world dominated by visuals, the content that stands out often has eye-catching imagery or engaging videos. Visual content has far more chances to be shared than text alone, so make sure your posts include high-quality photos, graphics, or videos that reflect the tone of your event.

When creating visuals for your event, think about the following elements:

  • Colour and branding: Ensure your visuals align with your event’s branding and colour palette.
  • Consistency: Use a consistent visual style to make your content instantly recognisable.
  • Quality: High-resolution images and videos perform better on social media. Make sure your visuals are sharp, clear, and professionally done.
  • Variety: Mix up your content with photos, infographics, GIFs, and video clips to keep your audience engaged.

Behind-the-scenes content, such as venue preparations, speaker rehearsals, or promotional setups, can also create buzz and excitement while adding a human touch to your event.

Create Buzz Before the Event

Building anticipation is key to creating shareable content. The more excited your audience is about the event, the more likely they are to share content related to it. Use teaser posts in the weeks leading up to your event to generate buzz. This could include sneak peeks of guest speakers, venue tours, or glimpses of exclusive content.

A countdown to the event on social media can also spark interest, especially if you include engaging graphics or videos that remind your audience about the upcoming event. You can post questions such as, "What are you most excited about for this year's event?" to encourage engagement and conversation.

Encourage User-Generated Content (UGC)

User-generated content (UGC) is one of the most effective ways to create shareable event content. UGC allows your attendees to become advocates for your event by sharing their own experiences. It can range from photos and videos taken during the event to attendee testimonials and quotes.

To encourage UGC, consider creating a unique hashtag for your event. A well-chosen hashtag can increase visibility and make it easier for attendees to find and share related content. Promote the hashtag in the lead-up to the event, and make sure it’s visible during the event itself, through signage or on event materials.

You can also incentivise attendees to create content by offering rewards or recognition. For example, run a contest where participants can share photos from the event for a chance to win a prize. This increases engagement and provides you with a wealth of shareable content that can extend the event’s reach far beyond the attendees.

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Leverage Live Content

Live content is an effective tool for engaging your audience in real-time and generating excitement for your event. Whether it’s live streaming the event or providing live updates on social media, real-time content keeps your followers updated and interested in what's happening.

Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter offer live streaming options, which allow your event to reach a broader audience, even those who couldn’t attend. Live content is also highly shareable because it creates a sense of urgency and exclusivity—people want to be part of the action, even if it’s through their screens.

During the event, share behind-the-scenes moments, interviews with key speakers, or attendee reactions to keep your audience engaged. Use your event hashtag and encourage your attendees to share live content, too.

Create Event Highlights and Recaps

Your content’s shareability doesn’t have to be even after the event ends. Recap posts or highlight reels are a great way to extend the life of your event, allowing people who attended to relive the experience while giving those who missed out a chance to see what they missed.

These can include:

  • Highlight videos: A short video summarising the event, capturing key moments, performances, or speeches, is highly shareable.
  • Photo galleries: Create albums showcasing the best moments of your event, tagging attendees and key participants where possible.
  • Quotes and testimonials: Share memorable quotes from speakers or testimonials from attendees to add a personal touch.

Recaps allow attendees to share their experiences and memories, creating a sense of community and keeping the conversation alive even after the event.

Craft Attention-Grabbing Headlines and Captions

Headlines and captions are just as important as the content itself. A captivating headline or caption can grab attention and encourage sharing. Keep your headlines concise but impactful, and make sure they resonate with your audience.

For example, instead of saying, "Join Us at Our Annual Conference," try something more dynamic like, "Ready to Network? Don’t Miss This Year's Must-Attend Conference!" This kind of headline grabs attention and encourages people to share it with their network.

Captions should be equally engaging, providing context, humour, or a call to action. To maintain consistency and boost visibility, make sure to include your event’s hashtag in all captions.

Collaborate with Influencers and Partners

Another great way to create shareable content is by collaborating with influencers or event partners. Influencers, especially those who align with your event’s audience, can help increase the visibility of your event through their own social media platforms.

You can partner with influencers to promote your event, share sneak peeks, or even attend the event and create content during it. Influencers’ followers trust their recommendations, and if they’re sharing your event content, it’s likely to reach a wider audience.

Similarly, if you have partners or sponsors for your event, encourage them to share content on their channels. This not only increases your event’s visibility but also leverages you collaborators’ networks, further amplifying your reach.

Track and Optimise Your Content

Creating shareable content is one thing; knowing what works and optimising your strategy is another. Make sure to track the performance of your social media posts to see which content gets shared the most. Most social media platforms offer insights into post engagement, such as likes, shares, comments, and overall reach.

By analysing these metrics, you can identify which content resonates most with your audience and adjust future posts accordingly. This allows you to refine your strategy over time, ensuring your content consistently performs well and attracts engagement.

Wrap Up

Creating shareable event content on social media requires more than just a few posts about the event. It involves a well-thought-out strategy that engages your audience, builds anticipation, and encourages participation. Understanding your audience, using engaging visuals, encouraging UGC, leveraging live content, and collaborating with influencers can significantly boost your event's visibility.

The key is to craft content that resonates emotionally, provides value, and makes your audience feel part of something greater. When done right, shareable content can amplify your event’s reach, turning attendees into brand advocates and extending the life of your event long after the final guest has left.

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