Social Buzz: Facebook Events

This NNBW column features tips on using social media to boost business.

Businesses that experience a good return of investment from a Facebook Event are the ones that get off the beaten path and make their audience pause their scrolling to see what the event is all about.

When time and money are spent to put on an event, the last thing wanted is poor attendance or engagement. Driving audiences to engage with an event and share it with others is one of the keys to a successful event outcome.

Here are a few simple elements to pay attention to that will increase results from a Facebook Event.

Pictures speak a thousand words, right? This applies to visuals on an event page too. The main cover photo should be eye-catching and inviting. Additional photos keep interest and encourage engagement. Facebook recommends the size for event photos to be 1920 by 1080 pixels (16:9 ratio).

The images should make the purpose of the event transparent in order to generate response and interest from the audience.

Once the event is posted, getting people involved increases the impact of the event. The more people that comment on the page, the more attention it will get. If there is no conversation on the event page, the host can do things like ask questions, conduct polls and respond to comments, to spark engagement.

Be sure the RSVP list is public. The psychological effect and accountability that occurs when people see that others are attending an event helps it succeed. If time allows, personally comment or message each person that RSVPs to further their accountability and, ultimately, the success your event.

Share, share, share. Promote the event on personal Facebook Pages, encourage those attending to share it and invite their friends as well. Another way to get an event in front of a preferred audience is to use Facebook Ads for precise targeting.

Contests or giveaways are also a great way to encourage people to share an event. For example, upload a photo that promotes tickets to the event or a prize of some kind and create an entry system. Liking the photos gets one entry, commenting gets two, and sharing gets five. The catch with this is that the likes, comments and shares need to be public for the event to successfully reach more people.

Finally, post a countdown to the event. This helps to create a buzz leading up to the event day and serves as a reminder that they have limited time to invite other people or adjust their schedule to be sure they are in attendance.

There are a lot of great ways to boost the visibility of a Facebook Event and sometimes trying different strategies and combinations produce the best outcome; ultimately personal creativity is the only limit.

Brook Bentley is the digital content manager for the Northern Nevada Business Weekly.