Liz Lathan, CMP

Featured in article, did not author it.

Featured in this article, did not author it.

Quoted in article, did not author it.

Featured in this article, did not author it.

How middle school science lessons can be applied to event management. This digital document is an article from Association Management, published by American Society of Association Executives on September 1, 2004. The length of the article is 401 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Locating thoughtful content to serve purposes beyond filler in your association publications is easier than you might think.

For the last 10 years, much of the marketing buzz has focused on social media as the best way to bring people together. Social media platforms sometimes far outperform many traditional marketing vehicles for reach and impressions, and often for less money.

While they may be more expensive per impression or lead, events have long been the best way of bringing people together to network, learn, share, celebrate, escape, and (sometimes most importantly) increase sales pipeline and revenue… Show more

For the last 10 years, much of the marketing buzz has focused on social media as the best way to bring people together. Social media platforms sometimes far outperform many traditional marketing vehicles for reach and impressions, and often for less money.

While they may be more expensive per impression or lead, events have long been the best way of bringing people together to network, learn, share, celebrate, escape, and (sometimes most importantly) increase sales pipeline and revenue. Return on investment for events frequently can be measured much more accurately than for social media.

These two marketing vehicles can be coordinated to make the most of their assets. Integrating a full social media plan into live events is the cornerstone of a successful experiential marketing venture.

Social media can be used pre-event to speak to the target audience and begin getting them engaged. During the event, social media can amplify the message being communicated onsite while post-event, social media can bridge the valley of engagement* that inevitably sets in between face-to-face interactions.

Creating a community that can engage with your content year-round is critical to the success of an event year after year. This chapter will focus on how to approach social media for your event, and how to keep your audience engaged during the time between your face-to-face engagements.

Events are the ultimate social media. Face-to-face engagement cannot be replaced, only supplemented and supported. Be social. Have conversations, not lectures or newsfeeds. Be candid. Allow the loss of control of the message but coordinate it so well that the message remains intact even when it’s out of your control. Be real and approachable. Permit and encourage sidebars. Do something remarkable. Pay attention to feedback and make sure to solicit it. Trends are important and should be shared. Show less