Event Experts Blog

Facebook Ads? No. Fan Page? Yes!

by Marvin McTaw

Last week was huge for the business of social media with Facebook’s $100 billion IPO. The general excitement about the IPO was thrown a curveball when GM, the huge auto manufacturer, announced its decision to pull its entire $10 million Facebook Ads budget. GM’s decision was a result of what they deemed to be the low effectiveness of Facebook Ads for their business. 

Facebok Ads vs Fan Pages

Many conferences and festivals feel they must be active on Facebook. They typically promote themselves in much the same way as GM: creating content and engaging Fans. The good part about a Facebook Fan page is that there is no upfront cost…but that doesn’t mean it is free. Although GM is pulling it’s $10 million advertising budget, they still spend $30 million a year generating content and maintaining their accounts. I imagine with most organizations it is the same.

Goal: Engaging Attendees

Facebook Fan pages are by far and away the better choice if you’re looking to engage with attendees. Fan pages allow you to connect directly with your community and engage in conversations with them. You can also install Facebook Apps to your Fan page to engage your attendees even more.

Goal: Finding Registrants

I’ve increasingly seen conferences and festivals advertising on Facebook. While these ads may help in building awareness for events, GM’s decision throws into question the effectiveness of Facebook Ads. 

Can Facebook Ads Work?

While Facebook Ads can work, whether it is the best use of your limited marketing budget is an entirely different question. Ben Kunz of Businessweek Magazine summarizes it best:

Facebook can be a wonderful platform for both paid advertising and social communication. It is also extraordinarily difficult to fulfill its promise.

Tell us on Facebook, Twitter or in the comments below…

Does your event use Facebook Ads & have they been successful for you?

Conference Swag: The Power of Promotional Products

by Dane Cross

 Background: Dane Cross writes on behalf of Marler Haley, a UK based provider of pop up banners and other display products.

Marketing Your Conference Through Products

Promotional products have been a key marketing tool for many years, yet many businesses seem to struggle with finding the right one, whether it be for trade show purposes or as a general marketing tool.

Brand Awareness

A sure fire way of building on and expanding an events’ brand awareness is by distributing promotional items; even relatively small and inexpensive ones such as mugs, pens, t-shirts and key rings, which are all practical and thus will get a lot of use. An item brandished with an event’s name or logo can be a useful investment and can gain a lot of exposure, especially when they are readily attainable and easy to distribute. Whenever a current or potential attendee puts one of these products to use, they will be fondly reminded of the event or business who gave it to them.

Appreciation & Value

If an existing attendee is given a promotional item, it could be interpreted as recognition for their loyalty, whilst serving as a deterrent for them to take their business elsewhere. When used properly, they’ll feel appreciated and valued by the business.

Visual Appeal

An important factor to consider when using promotional items as a marketing tool is visual appeal. To attract the most attention and thus be as effective as possible, the item should feature an attractive, bold and professional looking logo. Items that are easy on the eye and attention-grabbing can really benefit businesses when distributed to a large audience.

Distribution Frequency

Regular and concise distribution of promotional items can effectively boost a business’ brand image, often resulting in higher company sales. People in general will choose to bring their business to businesses that are considered generous and worthy of their trust, and they can also learn a lot about the products and services that are offered.

The Power Of Promotional Items

This infographic aims to shed some light on the power of promotional items, looking at the most popular items for both customer and business.

(Click Here To View Infographic)

Twitter Behaviors & What This Means For Your Event

10 Quick Facts You Should Know About Consumer Behavior on Twitter

Constant Contact released some interesting research about consumer behavior on Twitter (see presentation on Slideshare). Below are some key points and what they mean for your event.

People Follow Brands To Receive Exclusivity, Promotions & To Be “In The Know” 

• Make your Twitter followers feel special! Provide exclusive offers like registration discounts with “Twitter Followers Only” code
• Idea: consider having a special session for your Twitter followers to help build exclusivity   
• Keep your followers updated with event information like recently confirmed speakers, venue changes and even meal options
• The more granular and specific you can be with your details, the better informed your attendees will feel

1/3 Of Brand Followers Are Interacting With Brands More This Year Than The Previous Year

• Followers increasingly expect to interact with you and the trend will likely increase  
• Take advantage of the two-way communication offered by Twitter and don’t simply use Twitter as a megaphone. Use Twitter to ask questions and solicit real time feedback

Twitter Users Under 35 Are Much More Likely To Follow Brands Than Are Older Users

• If the demographics of your attendees skew younger, you should strongly encourage them to follow you as they are much likely to do so 

75% Of Followers Have Never Un-followed A Brand

• Once users are following your event’s Twitter account, they are highly unlikely to stop following you and your updates
• This means users will stay connected to you event and if they leave, you can encourage them to come back
• Idea: consider a “Come Back Home” special to get previous attendees who have missed an event to come back

Followers Read Brand Posts (84% Of Respondents) More Than They Tweet About Brands (23% Of Respondents)

• Don’t expect everyone to Tweet about your event as they are much more likely to only read your tweets and re-tweet when they feel compelled to do so
• Provide relevant, actionable information in your Tweets to increase the likelihood of getting users to post about you 

50% Of Followers Say They’re More Likely To Buy A Brand After Following

• This might be a result of receiving regular updates, the interaction or specials being run but If you want to sell more tickets to your events, grow your Twitter followers

60% Of Followers Say They’re More Likely To Recommend A Brand To A Friend After Following

• This one speaks for itself

How Do You Use Twitter For Your Events?

Tweet with Journalist Skill

Journalists have a lot of power in their pen. What they write, the masses turn to for both knowledge and insightful information. But that same power can be used for your event in Twitterland.

If done right, your event’s tweet can turn into an attendees knowledge bank. Tweeting in weeks prior to your event are vital to build up your event’s reputation, and engaging them in what’s going on in your industry.

And at the end of it all, if you keep it up after the event, you’ll continue to be that source they turn to for information, which is key in keeping your name in their mind for your future engagements.

Like a journalist, it’s important to be:

• Unbiased with what your share. It’s important to be transparent showing them what’s good and bad. It creates for good conversation when your event eventually comes around

• Stay up-to-date with what’s going on in the industry. It’s not only important for you but important for your attendees benefit.

• Ask from your followers what they care about. You never know what you may learn and possibly share with others.

You can create a better reputation because it shows that you’re aware of what’s going on and you’re engaging with your followers really want to know. And your attendees will appreciate that.

What other things do you think are important when it comes to tweeting?

Wednesday is the Best Day

According to a study by Bizio, Wednesday is the best day to advertise your event online. The goes further and provides recommendations based on professions and industries (See Graphic Here). For example, Thursday is the best day to reach medical professionals as they are 35% more likely to respond to ads then instead of Saturday, the least responsive day.

Although Wednesday is the best overall day, the study’s results should not deter you from advertising other days but it may be a good idea to focus extra energy on this particular day.

If you’d like to learn more or see the full results, check out the article.

Do you have a specific days of the week or month you like to promote your events? Why?

Affiliate Summit East

Location: New York, NY

SCHED* Site: http://ase10.sched.org/

Description: Affiliate Summit East, the premier affiliate marketing conference, is taking place August 15-17, 2010 in New York City.

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The keynote speaker for Monday, August 16 will be Frank Luntz, Political Consultant, Pollster, and Author, and the keynote for Tuesday, August 17 will be Jim Kukral, CEO of JimKukral.com.

For more information visit http://www.affiliatesummit.com/