So much to do so little time…

Looking back on previous blogs I’ve pretty much covered the top five topics in event planning. Catering, venues, technology, creativity and entertainment, every topic essential for planning the perfect event. Whilst looking into them I came across a very interesting article ‘The Future of Event Planning and Social Media’.

It’s amazing how social media has changed the way we live and do business. The benefits and amazing results that social media channels like Facebook and Twitter have, you just have to know how to tap into it.

There is so much happening with social media today it’s almost overwhelming. I remember when the internet came along and email thinking that this was mind blowing – no more letters and that was 15 years ago.

It’s the same with social media it’s growing rapidly. I assume it’s hard to understand for the average person to really wrap their head around social media and what it really does.

The event industry people have always been social by nature - whether it’s building relationships with clients, creating personal connections at events, understanding a client's objectives, or negotiating business deals – it’s an important part of what event planners do.

So from the largest music festival with 100,000 party goers to an intimate wedding of 50, event planners are constantly finding new ways to organise, plan, and promote - all with the help of social media.

Here are five reasons why event planners need to think about their next social media strategy.

1. Everyone is using social media sites today such as Facebook and Twitter. Guests of an event will probably be talking about the event in advance, during the event, and after the event on these social sites. As an event planner this is something you need to get involved with and openly let your guests participate in, especially if it’s a large event.
 
2. Promoting events on social media is a great way to get attendance. Millions of people use these outlets daily, hourly, people organise their lives around it. So it would make sense that these people might be interested in attending your event. 

3. Word-of-mouth marketing has a whole new meaning with social media. Event planners can utilise registered attendees to reach out to their social networks to invite friends/colleagues to register for events and conferences. Before, viral marketing you would have to pick up a phone or send an email. Today, attendees can share their event with thousands of contacts at the click of a button.

4. One of the most beneficial aspects of social media for event planning is that users self-select what topics they are interested in. They do this by joining discussion groups, becoming fans on Facebook, tweeting about specific topics and sharing information they find interesting. Understanding and identifying this information is a great way for planners to identity who’s interested and who’s not, rather than trawling through traditional methods of job titles and organisations.

5. Another great plus and my favourite of why social media is proactive.  Attendees can be reviewers. Facebook and Twitter are global online publishing platforms; guests can easily publish their feedback for the world to see. This forces planners to step it up and make every event the best event.