The days of relying on print, media, and websites to market an event driven branding campaign have changed. The use of social media to accelerate brand reach and loyalty is not a “nice to have” but a “must ”. Consumers expect to be reached and reach you through Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc.

It’s not as easy as setting up a Facebook page, taking a few pictures and sending out some tweets. You need to arm yourself with a strategic social media plan before you should even consider communicating.

The benefits of using social media to engage your event attendees are many but tangible metrics and the opportunity to develop and continue your relationship with consumers are some of the biggest bang for your investment dollars.

“What does a social media street team do and how do they accomplish it?”

An agency social media street team will tell your story. They will engage fans and attendees creating a lasting impact for your event and brand.
Social Media is an effective way to tell your brand story before, during, and after your event. Working with a street team provides an opportunity to reach and engage your audience wherever they are – Facebook, Twitter, or?

Strategy: Start with the end goal in mind knowing that your social media voice needs to align with your brand and overall campaign marketing strategy.

Objectives must be measurable. The beauty of social media is the ability to track in real time the level of your engagement and reach with the added value of proving to your sponsors the value of investing in your event.

What is your event/campaign objective? You should be able to articulate this in one sentence. Are you trying to get event goers to download a coupon code to purchase a product? Or persuade consumers to enter a sponsor’s contest? Do you want increase profile by engaging with consumers in conversation with your brand? To build a strategy you need to clearly know what you want your desired outcome is. How else can you measure it?

Here are a few ways that a street team can make an impact and create brand recognition during all phases of an event:

Pre-event

• Build event pages on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
• Build your audience.
• Create visuals and content to engage your audience.
• Deliver an easy to remember and relevant hashtag.
• Target with Facebook ads.

On February 26th, 2015, the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will be held in Canada began is a great example of how to build an audience and a legacy well in advance of the games with their 100 days to a “To A Greater Goal” campaign. One hundred days out FIFA announced ticket sales and invited fans to join them on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. They purchased a Facebook ad buy that encourages fans to upload the Fifa app that updates and informs users about the upcoming games in Vancouver, British Columbia; Edmonton, Alberta; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Ottawa, Ontario; Montreal, Quebec; and Moncton, New Brunswick. Fans all across Canada can feel the excitement escalating leading up to match days though a carefully positioning of messaging.

Event day

• Share real time content
• Engage and respond to attendees
• Provide an opportunity for non-attendees to attend virtually.

The Raptor’s marketing and communication team who created the #WeTheNorth hashtag that strikes pride in their Canadian fans, are pros at sharing information and engagement. Visuals and savvy commentary are front and center on Twitter as proven by their high number of shares and favourites. The Raptor’s know what their fans what to see and hear through social media channels. It shows.

Post-event

• Compile content and create post-event wrap up blog posts and videos.
• Thank influencers and promote all follow up materials.
• Measure reach, engagement, and meeting social media objectives.

The “highly coveted go to” event SXSW Interactive held annually in March in Austin, Texas is a master of the post-event wrap up. Their post-communication is testament to success and ability to keep their attendees coming back year after year. Post event audio recordings of presentations and music are accessible on Sound Cloud. YouTube is another platform SWSW uses to showcase their speakers such as this presentation by Elon Musk (CEO SpaceX, Tesla Motors & Chairman of Solarcity) who speaks on new rocket technology, disrupting the auto industry, solar competition & his new years resolution. And hours can be lost digging down into their Tumblr pages providing a legacy of information and enjoyment. The content that SXSW drives to social media platforms provides a testament to the success of their events, ever increases their profile, and ensures uptake for next year’s event.

It’s through thoughtful strategy and clearly understanding your objectives; executing brand aligned tactics, and savvy follow through that keeps your attendees engaged.