A look at my monthly google analytics revealed that people are looking for information about how to use Instagram for events. I love Instagram and focus on Instagram as one of the key channels to keep in touch with my community. I have written about Instagram in the past, but with the fast pace technology changes I must admit my old articles are totally outdated and so it is time for an update.
In this article I will answer the most common queries I see on my google analytics. These will hopefully give you some guidance with your strategy.
Instagram is a visual platform that allows us to showcase our creative work and reach out to existent and new target audience. Using Instagram for business is a very powerful tool to start building relationships with potential clients. This you can achieve by actively engaging (liking, following, commenting) and showcasing your work. When clients start searching for suppliers for their next event, they will check agencies across multiple channels and Instagram will be one of them.
While Instagram might not be the channel where people will place the booking, it will be a confirmation and approval that you are a competent planner and that they want to work with you.
There are different strategies you can pursue with your Instagram account. Most importantly is that your brand personality will come across your content and will resonate with your audience.
Instagramable content
The hardest part: content. Where do you get interesting content? For me, the best content I can get is from industry events I attend or events I organise. Each time that I attend an exhibition, venue showcase or a fam trip I can share latest industry trends and inspiration with my community.
Nevertheless, client confidentiality must be priority, so you don’t need to publish client events as they happen. However, you can mention the destination, event objectives and the type of activities you organised at the destination. People want to see your work and what you are capable of doing and whether your style will resonate with them.
Additionally, you can announce your latest news on Instagram, such as latest blog articles, your business travels, client wins, new partnerships, job vacancies and more.
Explain what’s in the photo
It makes me frustrated when I see a nice photo with a caption “great venue”, or “great event” #eventprofs #networking #venue. I understand that it is a venue or an event, so what you should do is to elaborate on what is in the picture. Include name of the venue, venue capacity, why you are there (was it today or recently) any interesting piece of history or story associated with the venue or the event.
As a follower, I am interested in the story behind it and you need to put context for me to engage with you. One of my colleagues Kim Goetze (@goetze_kim) once mentioned on #EventPlannersTalk Twitter chat that “the visual catches my eye but then I love reading the story beneath and sometimes that makes me like”. The same for me.
Support your suppliers and sponsors
Interestingly, some event planners don’t like to share their contacts and suppliers because they think people will go direct. Yes, there will be people doing it, but the benefits of supporting your suppliers, working collaboratively and co-promoting each other are much greater than the few clients who will surpass you. By mentioning your suppliers on social media and giving them the credit they deserve, you also engage with their community of followers and you get larger exposure.
Hashtags
Many of the search queries on my blog evolve around hashtags. Hashtags are important and should be used within each post. By using relevant hashtags your content is more likely to be discovered by like-minded professionals.
Some people like to use hashtags in the post, others in the comments. I don’t know if there is a major difference, I personally do it in the comments. The reasons I would put all my hashtags in the comments is not to overload the post. In the actual post I will use 1-3 hashtags maximum. You can use up to 30 hashtags and it is important to use relevant hashtags to your piece of content. You also want to make sure that you are using the most popular hashtags. This you can find out by typing into Instagram and seeing how many times it has been mentioned. For example, meeting has been used 2,593,683 times, but meetings is less popular with only 365,071 mentions.
Tip: if you are looking for hashtags for very specific topics, I recommend doing a search on google trends. Through this search you will find trending topics and can use them as hashtags.
Now let’s look at the most popular queries:
Top hashtags for event spaces
#venue #venueevent #eventvenue #luxuryeventvenue #eventvenuelondon (insert your city) #weddingvenue #weddingandeventvenue #uniquevenue #uniquevenues #uniqueeventvenue #eventspace #eventvenuerental #hotel #eventlocation #venuehire #venuedecor #venuedecoration #venuesearch #venuehunting #venuelondon (insert your city) #venuestyling #venuedesign #venuerental #venuehunt #venuetour #venuewithaview #hotel #uniquevenuehire #luxuryvenue #privatevenue
What to post on Instagram for an event?
You have endless options what to post, before, during and after the event. For example, promote blog posts, registration and tickets, speakers, venue, catering and event content. If you have images from previous years, use them in your promotion.
I personally thinks that real photos are better than quotes or stock photos on Instagram. Real photos make me more engaged and informed.
Best Instagram hashtags for events
#eventplanner #eventprofs #events #event #eventstyling #eventdesign #eventorganiser #eventagency #eventplanning #eventmanager #eventprof #eventvenue #eventhost #eventideas #eventlife #eventmanagement #meeting #incentive #conference #exhibition #tradeshow #networking #party #entertainment #host #catering #corporate #corporateevent #corporategifts #corporateparty #christmasparty #productlaunch #eventtech #experiential #pr
How to use Instagram to promote events
In addition to the information mentioned above, place a link in your bio linking to your event page. Unfortunately, you can’t place the link in your Instagram post because it doesn’t have the functionality allowing you to click. But, if you want to promote more clickable links, you can place them in Instagram stories. Additionally, engage social influencers within your community and ask them to co-promote on their channels.
You can also measure how effective your Instagram strategy is. Firstly, you can do it via google analytics, and see how many people came via Instagram on your website. Secondly, you can measure the level of engagement with likes, followers and comments. Lastly, you can measure by number of tickets sold, this will be the best indicator of your success.
Lastly, engage with your community. It takes time, so you need to be patient. I don’t think that Instagram is the channel to sell an entire event, because of the sometimes complex product. For example, if you are a Convention Bureau or a Destination Management Company, you will first receive a Request For Proposal, and I believe corporate clients won’t do this process via their phone. More importantly, it is a channels to build awareness, community and branding. Your sales will come from different channels, thanks to what you have put on Instagram and engaged with your community.
Are we connected on Instagram? You can follow my latest updates on @themiceblog.
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